And we are celebrating the incredible efforts of our 700 plus volunteers. Giving their time and energy, many have been with us since the very beginning, and continue to make our mission to support people struggling in the area Bath, possible.

From cooking and distributing hot meals, to collecting and delivering furniture, to facilitating art courses and befriending visitors at our drop-in centre, our volunteers go above and beyond, reaching out to homeless and vulnerable people in our community every day.

We asked our dedicate helpers about their favourite volunteering moment and what they love most about being involved–

Letti, Life Skills volunteer with the Creative Writing Group – “People’s reactions when reading the group’s first amazing book of published short stories and poetry. Watching two of the group’s writers stand up and read their work aloud – I was in awe of their writing journeys and they continue to blossom and excel”.

Katie, University of Bath student volunteering with Lifeline – “Having conversations with people that you wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to meet. One man who visited us really opened up; it felt great that he trusted me, and he told me how much we’d helped him”.

Polly, University of Bath student volunteering with us in the office – “Using my time to make a difference by helping with the ‘behind the scenes’ tasks. Learning what it’s like to be in an office environment; seeing how everything at Genesis Trust happens”.

Jo, volunteer at Soup Run for the past 21 years – “There’s been some really special moments over the years when the people we serve have returned after being away for years and someone on the team has remembered them. This always surprises our visitors and makes them feel known and valued”.

Stephen, Trustee and volunteer at Sunday Centre – “My favourite volunteering moments are when I am helping with the Sunday Centre lunch. I really enjoy serving the tea and coffee as it allows me to listen to all the stories that the visitors want to tell”.

Mervin, Furniture Project volunteer – “What I love most about volunteering with the Furniture Project is giving back to the community and helping people who are less fortunate than myself”.