ASHVILLE CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY DAY AT WILD GOOSE, BRISTOL

As part of Ashville’s corporate responsibility, a team from the Bristol office headed to the Wild Goose drop in centre (part of Crisis Centre Ministries) to help out for the day.

The Wild Goose is a drop in centre and café run by Crisis Centre Ministries, which is one part of an award winning charity that has been running in central Bristol for over 30 years. It’s dedicated to helping those with life disrupting problems such as homelessness and addiction, to enjoy healthy, independent lives.

As part of the days volunteering work, jobs were split between volunteers to assist with the running of the centre that day. Work included jobs from organising all the food donations to cooking the food that would be served for the breakfast and lunch and the evening meal.

The team also helped to serve the food, clear tables and finally after a long day on our feet the cleaning and washing up. It was a lot of hard work but provided us all with a real insight into the fantastic work that this charity undertakes. It was clear from those that we spoke to visiting the centre the importance of this place for them. Not only does it provide a warm and safe place to visit and get a good hot meal but it is also provides a healthy social meeting place and somewhere that they can get some much needed support from the regular staff and volunteers of the charity.

It was a genuinely humbling experience and everyone enjoyed helping out and meeting the customers and most importantly the opportunity to give something back to those in Bristol who sometimes need a helping hand.
Andy Kinnersly, Deputy Manager at the Wild Goose, said: “The team were brilliant and got stuck into the work, showing a real heart for the work we do here.”

Andrew Oliver of Ashville Asset Management said ‘The day was a real insight into the good work and opportunities that Crisis Centre Ministries provides to those most in need across the City. Although it was a hard day’s work, we all enjoyed the feeling of teamwork with Ashville and the members of the Wild Goose and that although small, we hopefully made a difference to the people’s day that visited.’