We volunteer for Catching Lives

A group of ten staff from our Canterbury and Discovery Park office has been busy this month volunteering for Catching Lives, an independent charity which supports rough sleepers, homeless and vulnerably housed people in Canterbury and East Kent.

The two groups from our offices spent a day volunteering at the charity’s daycentre in Canterbury helping with tasks such as running the kitchen which provides freshly prepared lunches each day. The centre is open seven days and is manned by volunteers and staff. It provides a range of practical services such as laundry, clothes bank, showers, storage, telephone and internet as well as access to medical and mental health support.

Each office in Kent, Sussex and London supports a different charity each year and staff can volunteer to give time to support local charity.

Sophie Pritchard, the Canterbury offices’ Corporate Social Responsibility Representative, who organised the groups from Kreston Reeves comments: “Everyone who volunteered across these two days felt they had really given something back to the local community. Interacting and learning about Catching Lives Open Centre clients has had a significant impact on us and we all agreed that we would like to come back.

“It is great to see that the charity does not just provide meals, but supports their clients and helps them to develop other skills such as practical financial skills and softer social skills. It also encourages them to look after their health and wellbeing, both physical and mental.”

Simon Rice, Volunteer Coordinator at Catching Lives comments: “On behalf of Catching Lives, I would like to thank the two Groups from Kreston Reeves who were kind enough to join us for a Group Volunteering Day, and for taking the time to get in touch and offering their support to the Charity.”

“Both of the groups were fantastic; punctual, organised, down to earth, friendly and eager to help with even the most mundane jobs. The group were good fun but professional, and showed a clear understanding of any boundaries we required them to maintain while in the Centre with us. They would be very welcome again, either as a group or as individuals volunteering in their own time.”

“The volunteer groups had a direct impact on the support of our clients, from literally providing them with a good quality meal, to engaging with them throughout the day. Both groups took on the maintenance and cleaning of many areas we simply do not have time to look after, which directly impact’s the quality of the environment both the clients and the staff use every day.”

“Here at Catching Lives, we rely on the donations of the public and our local community to keep the Open Centre open, and to allow us to support the homeless community of Canterbury and East Kent; volunteers provide an essential structure of support, from feeding the homeless to supporting them back into accommodation and beyond, and without them, we simply would not be able to exist.”

“Financial donations are extremely important in keeping Catching Lives afloat, but helping to build awareness of the growing situation our clients face every day is equally as important, and that is something that Kreston Reeves, as a group of Volunteers, are helping with each time they choose to join us for an open at the Centre, and take the experience with them back into their daily lives.”

“Thanks again to Kreston Reeves and all its wonderful employees who gave up their time to be with us, and we hope to see more of you soon.”