I’ve been volunteering here for around six years on Mondays and Thursdays, I started before lockdown. I got to know Emmaus Cambridge because I used to come and visit with my mum, Yvonne, who also volunteers here.
I’ve lived in this area about 24 years now and mum used to come up and visit me from her home in Hertfordshire. We just used to come here for a wander around. Mum moved near to me in Cambridgeshire about seven years ago.
Barney, one of the companions who works in the Emporium said to me, “You’re always here. I don’t know why you don’t become a volunteer,” and he went and got me a volunteer form.
I’ve learnt being a volunteer that there’s lots going on in the lives of the companions and you have to be aware of that. You can’t take it personally if a companion is having an “off” day as they may have personal issues going on.
I’ve always come in twice a week, and I started off sorting clothes upstairs in the mezzanine which is when I realised how many poor quality donations were thrown away, which we could use for displays and so on. These went into what became known as “Sean’s cupboard upstairs”. If someone doesn’t know where to put something they think, “put it in Sean’s cupboard, he might want that!” I go in there sometimes and it’s so full you can’t get in there!
Imaginative upcycling
I see things in donations that might otherwise be missed, like for instance some big lampshades which we recently had donated – they’re huge plastic things and the retail team didn’t know what to do with them. I suggested turning them upside down and selling them as planters – they’d make the most amazing pots, so that’s what they did. My mind just thinks about different ways of using stuff. The retail staff have put a sign on saying “ideal as planters”. When you think how much plant pots are in the garden centres, they will be snapped up.
My mum also has a good eye for spotting the potential in donations, I’ve got a lot of it through her ideas over the years – she’s 81 now so I’ve had a few years of teaching!
I worked in London as a hairdresser for many years before we moved up to Cambridgeshire, when I did a little bit of freelance hairdressing work. I still do a bit now but I’m lucky in that my partner’s retired, so I don’t have to work as such. I just do a little bit now and again, which is why I get the free time to come and do volunteering here. Using my imagination is what I love doing – and Emmaus let me run riot with it!
Notable displays
The Christmas Santa’s Grotto I did was great fun. Pam, another volunteer, does the Christmas room, but I did the Grotto last year which I think went down really well and we got lots of lovely comments from the public.
During lockdown I did a big display in the entrance hall using donated ties – I actually made a big figure out of silk ties and put loads of ties behind it.
I also go in for the local church Christmas tree competition and Emmaus Cambridge has won both years we did it, for the most imaginative entries. That’s what I do it for. Emmaus, not myself, but I love to use my imagination. This year’s tree was ‘Looking out at Christmas’ and had a tent, or wigwam, which was red inside and looked warm, along with spectacles with pictures of the companions in the lenses.
The year before I did Christmas baubles with photographs of the companions on them and my mum crocheted angels and other Christmasy decorations.
Fantastic finds
If I didn’t volunteer here, I wouldn’t get the material to use on my displays. For instance, I sort the jewellery a lot and I upcycle broken and old jewellery to use in my shop displays which really make them look amazing. It’s stuff that you couldn’t just go and buy, one-off elements that would otherwise get thrown away. For example, I did a Barbie and Ken display using all the recycled pieces from donated jewellery which went down really well with customers.
Some of the more unusual or valuable donations include war medals from a house clearance. We’ve also had some amazing clothing with designer labels such as Burberry and Aquascutum and also lots of designer shoes.
That’s why you’ve got to keep your eyes open because some of the stuff that goes through your hands is unbelievable and not everyone is aware of the value of different items.
Benefits of volunteering
I’ve suffered with my mental health since being a child, I’ve suffered from anxiety and have been rock bottom. Now I’m actually in the best place I’ve been by having Emmaus to come to. Sundays were always a horrible memory for me, going to school the next day; I used to have terrible anxiety about it, even to the extent I used to twiddle with my hair and literally pull my hair out. I used to be really bad and couldn’t see a way out. But now Mondays come along and I love them because I really enjoy coming here. I’m in the best place I’ve ever been at the moment in terms of my mental health because I’m giving back and helping people. It gives you a whole new perspective when you see other people’s circumstances and what they have been through.
It’s lovely because the companions sometimes want to talk and open up and if there’s any issues going on I can sometimes flag these up to the support staff who can help. Sometimes they like to talk to someone outside of the community, but you can’t get too involved; just ensure you flag anything up to staff members if necessary. I’ve seen a lot of the companions here come and go, some of them have moved on and it’s so lovely for me to see their progress since I started here. Some move on and have a home and are actually working, which is really great to see.
For anyone considering volunteering, it helps if you have a flexible approach to the work and are happy to muck in and do different things than your usual role. They’ve asked me to learn to operate the till so they’re covered during busier times, which is lovely, and I like that. You’ve got to try and be a bit open minded and flexible in what you do because it’s not always just one thing.
Some of Sean’s amazing displays:
