This week is #VolunteersWeek, and we’d like to take a moment to say a huge thank you to all of the incredible volunteers who support LoveWell. From event volunteers and mentors, to our fabulous trustees, programme volunteers and those behind the scenes, every one of them is valued for the support they offer us. 

We’d like to introduce you to a few, and show you what they do to support the work of LoveWell.

Mentoring Volunteers

Our mentors play a vital role in supporting our trainees once their training is over. This part of a trainee’s journey is especially hard as they go from meeting once a week or more, spending a whole day learning, training and connecting with each other, to once-a-month coffee mornings and meetings with just their mentor. 

Mentors pick up where the programme finishes, and they are responsible for ensuring their mentees stay focused on their short-, medium- and long-term goals, whether that be gaining volunteering experience, enrolling on further training or finding employment. 

We caught up with some of our mentors to ask them what it’s like mentoring a LoveWell trainee and their favourite thing to do with their mentee:

Susan

Mentoring a LoveWell trainee is a privilege. They are strong wonderful women, who remind me of how lucky I am. Sometimes we meet for coffee and just talk. Sometimes I offer more practical help: finding places to get donated clothes, holiday activities for their children, volunteering jobs, where to obtain qualifications.

I love taking them on a break from the busy-ness of their lives by showing them different parts of Bristol through coffee shops in different areas. 

Ingrid

I find mentoring to be very rewarding and to make me think about myself. I'm still in touch with a lady that I mentored some years ago. She has overcome so many barriers that I am just in awe of her. It’s made me push myself to sort out my own fears and phobias.

With the mentees I've supported, I've always gone for a coffee with them. Sometimes we’ve had a walk with a coffee, but generally just a coffee in a green space and chat about whatever they need to. It's their time, and I'm there to listen. That's been our main thing to do and it's been a lovely thing enjoying the outdoors, getting some fresh air and a little stroll and the lovely company of your wonderful mentee.

We hugely value the work of our mentors and programme volunteers who give up their time to support our trainees. Thank you Susan, Ingrid and all our other mentoring volunteers for your energy, enthusiasm and kindness! 

Our Trustees

We are incredibly lucky at LoveWell to have trustees who are both hands on, working hard and supporting many of the day-to-day activities, as well as beavering away in the background supporting our leadership team with setting strategic direction and providing oversight and leadership. 

Find out more about some of our trustees and their backgrounds and experience they bring to the organisation:

Lisa

As well as being our safeguarding lead, Lisa is responsible for our marketing and comms and supports LoveWell to make sure we communicate the right messages across all our platforms and to all our stakeholder groups. She spent many years working in the charity sector and knows the joys and challenges well.

Lisa loves being a part of LoveWell’s trustee board and says of her volunteering - ‘I believe in the power of meaningful support to create lasting change’. 

Mahalah 

Mahalah, our Chair of trustees, is an Executive coach, working with leaders and aspiring leaders to define and reach their goals and exceed expectations. She has been LoveWell’s Chair since 2024 and helps to set the strategic direction of the charity. She began volunteering with LoveWell by helping out with our Employability Programme, using her skills to develop the training and better support the women we work with. 

‘I feel confident in the impact and value our programme brings to the women we support’

Maddie

Maddie also volunteers on our trustee board and her role is to guide and support the CEO with operational processes and support the delivery of our sales and marketing strategies through operational processes. With a background in project management, operations and financial accountability in her professional work she brings a wealth of experience in these areas, but does it because she can see what a difference LoveWell makes to women’s lives. 

‘Watching the impact of LoveWell’s programmes on the lives of the women it supports is deeply rewarding.’

We are incredibly grateful to each and every volunteer we have at LoveWell and hope you have enjoyed this opportunity to get to know some of them better, as well as hear about what it is like to volunteer with us.

If you are interested in hearing more about volunteering opportunities with LoveWell, please get in touch at info@lovewelluk.com.