Poacher turned Gamekeeper: Stepping Forward and Stepping Up
Meet Caroline
At My Sisters’ House, we are divided; there are the Huggers, and there are the non-Huggers. Caroline is definitely on Team Hug. “You can just sense when someone needs a hug,” she tells me. “The other day a woman came in, she was quite business-like in her dress and manner; we had a chat about what help we could offer her, and as she was leaving I felt compelled to ask if she’d like a hug. She confessed that she would, and I could tell from the way she hugged me back that she had indeed really needed that contact.”
Caroline knows what it’s like to need a hug – she is herself a survivor of domestic abuse. She says that she would have left that abusive relationship much sooner than she did if My Sisters’ House had been around at the time to support her.
But by the time she first walked through the door of the women’s centre in the summer of 2016, it was for another reason: to volunteer her services to help other women in similar situations. Caroline was one of the first volunteers at My Sisters’ House, joining just as the organisation moved into the “Hub” at 108C London Road.
For 18 months she worked as a volunteer keyworker alongside the small staff team, and then the opportunity arose to join them on the payroll. Since then, Caroline has been part of the Step Forward project, which helps women back into work, volunteering, or education.
She loves the fact that every day is different, although she admits that it hasn’t been without its challenges. “It’s never mundane, which is great. And I know we are making a difference to women’s lives. But there are, sometimes, days when you feel overwhelmed because of the tough stories you hear from the women who come through the door.” Although Caroline is keen to point out that when that happens, you’re not alone. “It’s a fabulous staff team and we all support each other. It can get very busy, and sometimes it’s hard to get everything done, but we share the burden.”
And it’s not just the work itself which can be a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Because of the nature of charity funding, there have been times when Caroline wasn’t sure she’d be able to stay a part of that team. When the funding for the Step Forward project was cut earlier this year, and her hours drastically reduced, she reluctantly began looking for other jobs.
“I really didn’t want to leave,” Caroline tells me, “I love working here, helping women.” So when a different pot of money came in, allowing for the development of a Volunteer Co-ordinator role, she applied for, and got, the job. Which means that Caroline now wears two hats: she is still a keyworker within the Step Forward team, but she is also currently getting her teeth into developing the pool of volunteers.
Caroline has come full circle. She still remembers having to pluck up courage to come through the door that first time, to offer her help as a volunteer – and three years later, she’s the one making sure that anyone who does the same will receive a very warm welcome.
And, if they want it, a hug.
