This week, 1-7th June has been Volunteers week, and is an opportunity to give thanks and celebrate the brilliant work that millions of volunteers do across the UK and globally. At Advance, we are lucky enough to have a fantastic scheme that enables volunteers from other countries to come over to the UK and help out with customers; with their day-to-day activities and errands, and to generally provide friendship and support for those who need it.
In the Hackney office, we currently have several volunteers from Central America who dedicate a year to this purpose, and in return gain valuable experience, knowledge of living in a different country, and the opportunity to make profound connections and really make a difference in a customers life.
Tony and Adrian (pictured) are a customer and volunteer duo who really appreciate the time they have together; they mostly enjoy playing pool (for fun and with a little competitive edge too!), dining in Jack's Café in Dalston and watching classic TV programmes (Tony is a fan of watching reruns of The Bill and London's Burning in particular).
We are very grateful for the hard work and dedication of our volunteers, and we appreciate their patience, kindness and empathy with the customers they work with - and we're very sure our customers appreciate it too!