Name
Lucy
Duffy
Profile name
The
Trussell Trust
Occupation
Salisbury
food bank Manager
Is this your own
enterprise?
No – I work for the Trussell Trust
How many years have you
been doing this job?
I've been here for just over a year but Salisbury food bank has been going for twenty years.
How did it all start?
I’ve always worked in
communications and dealing with the public and I used to organise and manage volunteers.
I was a manager of a community centre and coffee shop where I
worked with people who had lifestyle difficulties / low income or difficult
home lives. They used the coffee shop and facilities which helped me to gain more experience in
these areas. Ultimately it led me to be interested in this job which offered the same service
but being more proactive. I like it because I was attracted to being able to support and educate people
with cooking and budgeting as well as help them out by offering holiday clubs.
What does the job
involve?
On
a day to day basis I manage around 50 volunteers in the food bank centres and
warehouse, overseeing the practical day to day operation of food banks. I liaise with various agencies who act as referrals for the support that we give and help promote what is available for clients. I run cooking on a budget courses which are held over 6
weeks for clients to learn how to budget and cook from scratch. As well as help them to
manage their money. It's a very busy and full time occupation as we also run holiday clubs for children and parents, provide hot
meals and work with councils and welfare organisations. They help to promote our services
and equip the community to support each other. Then I have to liaise with the media and
produce newsletters to keep the public updated. Finally I organise collections of food
from supermarkets and local groups in order to distribute to those who need it.
What qualifications do
you need?
You need less
of a formal qualification and more of an experience. You have to have good public and IT skills and be quite organisational. It helps if you are able to speak in public as I usually give around thirty assemblies. You do however need to be good at budgeting and financial management.
What’s the best part of
the job?
The
ultimate goal of the job is to support the needs of the community. To be
able to do that and see how people’s lives can be changed - if only for a short
time, is what keeps you going. Knowing the impact you have on individuals and
families in a positive way and the relationships you build are fantastic. In the last financial year we provided over 3000 emergency three day food supplies of which from that figure, more than a 1000 went to children.
What’s the worst part
of the job?
Unfortunately you get to hear all too often the stories of people living in cars or without basic provision that most people take for granted. It can be quite heartbreaking.
What advice would you
give to someone who was looking to do this as a career?
Take
up voluntary work and get experience on the ground as well as making the operation
work behind the scenes. Work with charities who support the community. Get used
to talking with an audience. Or help organise events with charities and get involved.
About the interviewer:
David
Walker spent over thirty years working as a technician with the Theatre, Film
and TV industry before deciding to change career and move into journalism. He
studied with the BCJ and received his Diploma in 2016. Now he works freelance
covering online, print and radio broadcast. His specialist areas are
Motorsport, Travel, The Arts and the Mars One Project, although he is never
afraid to try anything new and relishes a challenge wherever possible.
Click
here for David’s LinkedIn profile.
Click
here if you want to take part in this blog.
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