Volunteering at the Z House for Caring in Bristol
At Caring in Bristol, we’re always fascinated to discover why our supporters care about the same things that we do, and how they feel strongly that people facing a homelessness crisis should have the resources they need to move back from the edge. When we met the staff team at BaseKit, who have chosen us as their charity of the year, they clearly felt strongly that the work we do is vital in changing lives. In describing their values, BaseKit says, “We pride ourselves on providing the right foundations for our people to thrive in a flexible environment that works the best it possibly can for each and every individual.”
This resonates strongly with our approach, where every individual’s needs matter, and are a starting point for navigating a path away from homelessness and towards a positive future. This is particularly evident in our new project, the Z House. This project was set up to establish an emergency youth shelter for young people aged 18 to 25. Young people have specific needs that are not necessarily met in mainstream provision, and face barriers that older people are much less likely to. But it’s not just a safe bed for the night. Z House is also a resource where there will always be the right foundations for young people to thrive, being flexible around their needs.
As Z House nears its official opening date, we were happy to welcome Antonia from BaseKit to come and see both the individual bedrooms that the young people will stay in, and the new youth hub, a communal space for eating and socialising together, as well as hosting workshops and meetings that contribute to the wellbeing of the young people that already use Caring in Bristol’s youth service, Project Z.
Z House is a pilot model, and learning from the project will help to shape future services in Bristol and beyond. Key to its success will be the team of volunteers that help to create and hold a safe and supportive space for the young people who are living through a difficult time of their life. The flexible environment that BaseKit knows is vital for people to thrive has been an integral part of the planning and delivery of the shelter. Using an approach to create a psychologically informed environment (PIE) means that the space, the staff, and the volunteers of Z House will all contribute to this.
The volunteers will work alongside the staff team; we’ve been meeting and training them for a few months now to build up the team in readiness. They’ll be confident in their role, and well supported. We want them to thrive too! We think that the young people will benefit from spending time with the volunteers. After the period of uncertainty and distress that frequently precedes homelessness, they will provide a listening ear (if necessary) and opportunity to have ordinary conversations, cook and eat together, and do the kind of activities that can be so grounding after the chaos that a housing crisis stirs up.
Homelessness is everyone’s concern. That’s why BaseKit has taken its support of Caring in Bristol so seriously. By helping us to reach out and encourage people in Bristol to consider volunteering to change young people’s lives, they are also supporting us in amplifying the important message; it’s important to look after each other. Caring in Bristol has always believed that Bristol is a city that cares, and a city that can! BaseKit proves this point, and is working hard to help us create lasting change.
Author: Alv Hirst, Storytelling Coordinator, Caring in Bristol
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