Finchley Foodbank chat with volunteer Begum

Begum, who volunteers at our client sessions, and has just successfully run her first session lead, talks about her experience and motivations.

Hello! Please tell us about how you started volunteering with Finchley Foodbank?

I came across the Foodbank in 2021 while searching for charities online and when I found out that it was on my local high road, I was genuinely elated —finally a place so close to home where I could give my time in a meaningful and manageable way. It felt like the opportunity I’d been hoping to find for a long time.

It’s great that you’ve volunteered with us for such a long time – what’s made you stick to it?

It has become an important part of my life. The experience is humbling and grounding, and many moments have moved me deeply.

What’s your day job?

I work as a civil servant in the Department of Health and Social Care, supporting the operational and administrative side of public health services including keeping the lab running smoothly, procurement, and administration for a team of scientists and managers.

I’m also a qualified fitness instructor and nutritional therapist, though I treat both more as personal passions than formal roles. I enjoy keeping up with continuous personal development around wellbeing. Overall, my background is a mix of steady public service and a quiet enthusiasm for healthy, positive living.

What do you get from volunteering?

I have a genuine love for supporting people in a practical, human way. For me, helping others is about showing up consistently, offering kindness, and making a small but meaningful difference where it’s needed. The Foodbank has shown me how much people carry with them. And how vital dignity and compassion are, and how powerful quiet teamwork can be.

Each session is different, with its own situations and challenges, and I find that every time I am there, I learn something new. It keeps me centred and helps me grow in ways I didn’t expect. I value the mix of real people, quiet teamwork, and the small moments that stay with you.

What skills are you developing by volunteering?

Overall, it has helped me grow in confidence, compassion, and emotional awareness, while also building practical skills that I can transfer to my working life.

This includes stronger emotional intelligence such as recognising when someone needs space and adjusting my approach accordingly.

Also, greater resilience and composure by staying steady when sessions become busy or emotionally charged and learning how to support others without becoming overwhelmed myself.

And finally clearer, more intentional communication — being polite, professional yet friendly, and adaptable in how I speak with clients, and who I’m speaking to, and I take the time to listen, clarify, and respond in a way that supports the person I am helping.

What would you say to anyone thinking about volunteering?

I would wholeheartedly encourage people to volunteer. It has a way of opening your eyes in the best possible way. The people you meet are genuine, supportive, and quietly like‑minded, and you end up learning so much simply by being part of it.

Every session is different, and you grow without even realising it. It is such a rewarding, life‑changing experience, humbling, grounding, and full of small moments that stay with you.

If someone is thinking about volunteering, I would encourage them to take that first step. It might change their life for the better, just as it has mine.