Real people, real stories

Read some of the individual stories of people we have supported to make positive, lasting change in their lives.

Charlotte’s story

Charlotte was able to gain SQA qualifications, food hygiene and manual handling training, and practical work experience through our employability training. She was also our first trainee to achieve their forklift permit training certification.

After finishing the course, Charlotte went on to complete a paid placement at our FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland social enterprise. The placement gave Charlotte the opportunity to gain further on-the-job training and support with CV and interview practice.

Charlotte has now successfully secured a role on our staff team as a Food Flow Administration Worker at FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland.

 
 

Josh’s story

Josh was put in touch with us by Clayton Care, who provide support for young people and adults with learning or physical disabilities and those with mental health concerns. Josh volunteers in our Move On Wood Recycling social enterprise twice a week, along with his support worker, Donny.

With no previous experience of wood work, Josh has quickly taken to the role and “loves that it’s proper hands on.” He particularly enjoys going out in the van to help with wood collections and chatting with customers.

Although Josh has done volunteering placements in the past, Donny says the consistent and long-term opportunity to volunteer with Move On Wood Recycling is completely different, and has given Josh a new focus and drive. He says “We don’t say ‘volunteering’ – we say he’s got to get up to go to his work.”

Ann’s story

We matched Ann with her mentor Olga as an opportunity to meet new people and boost her self-confidence. Ann says “I’m an introvert so I would like to step out of my comfort zone.”

Ann and Olga took part in various activities together, including bowling and rock climbing, which Ann had never done before. These activities helped Ann gain new experiences and skills. 

Ann says she would “definitely recommend the mentoring service to other young people because it was a valuable experience for me. I have met new people and tried new things that I never thought I would be capable of.”

Tony’s story

Tony was living in homeless accommodation and receiving addiction treatment when he started volunteering in our FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland social enterprise.

Tony credits volunteering with improving his self-esteem and changing his outlook on life. He says “Move On was the place that got me mixing with people and that gave me confidence. With support from the staff, I’m pleased to say I’ve passed my SVQ 3 in Health and Social Care. I recommend Move On to nearly every person I meet and will continue to do so – Move On have been massive for me!”

Tony has now secured a position as a delivery driver with FareShare Glasgow and the West of Scotland, supporting our service to redistribute surplus food to charities and community groups feeding people at risk of food poverty.

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