Brightstars’ Community Action Projects are underway! Our first volunteers have been out in the community at our local food bank, lending their time & support for the benefit of others. This is all part of our Groups’ ESG Plan – and a development from Mental Health Awareness Week 2025. In these reports, Joanna Bozek and Paul Andrews share their insights into their day of volunteering.
Paul Andrews, Group Head of Finance
“It was a good day, but it is eye-opening how many people need help….
The Food Bank is staffed by volunteers and trustees of the charity. They received donations of food directly from local businesses, or they purchase it with monetary donations they have received. The day I was there, it was structured into two shifts. The morning shift are essentially refilling the shelfs in the main area from the storeroom, managing the levels of items they have, and collecting and sorting donations. The morning shift will advise the afternoon shift of areas where goods are low and shouldn’t be distributed, to allow the level to increase. They do this to ensure they can give the same items to everyone.
The afternoon shift has three main activities. They are the ones that prepare the collections, by picked and packing the food into boxes. They try to keep these the same / similar, allowing for where people may have dietary requirements, and tailoring it to the size of the household. At the same time, another part of the team prepares the fresh food. Again, this is made up of donations, such as bread from Gails bakery, and items which are purchased. Each day the team evaluate how much fresh food there is, and they try to divide it fairly between the different people that are collecting, based on household size. This is the area where I spent most of my afternoon. The third element is people picking up the food. This is booked in advance, so the team are aware of who is coming, the size of the family and any special needs. Pick-ups happen in a set time slot in the afternoon and is done directly are directly from the food bank.
It really was eye-opening to see the range of people, of different ages, ethnicities, and family sizes, who came to collect on Friday. The amount of different people who need their help, and the gratitude for what the Food Bank does for them, really makes you think about the world today.”
Jo Bozek, Team Administrator
“It was an amazing experience for me. It was connected to my current study as well.
It was hard work – I did over 110 parcels for people in need of dry or fresh, frozen food. As I used to work at Cafe Nero, I am used to running up and down, working 12 hours shifts, so this took me back to that feeling – and I thoroughly enjoyed it! People at the food bank are amazing, we built friendships straight away, and even added ourselves on social media! When I did all the food parcels in the afternoon, it was a great time to meet all people in need and hand these all out, it was sad witnessing first hand how many families, and people that are in need of help – but it was fulfilling knowing that I was there to help them. Next year, if we have this opportunity again to volunteer at the food bank, I am IN!”
