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Spotlight on our digital champions

  • finchleyfoodbank
  • Jun 6
  • 3 min read

On hand to help: volunteer digital champion Jonathan Baker-Bates at the Finchley

Foodbank.

When you walk into one of our client sessions, you will often find someone like Jonathan Baker-Bates behind a desk, on hand to help. Jonathan is a volunteer digital champion for the Finchley Foodbank. This means that when our clients arrive to collect essentials, Jonathan is a friendly face and a general helper to anyone who needs practical support with something other than picking up food. Maybe a client wants to know who they can speak to for help filling out a universal credit form, or assistance navigating an app on their phone, or even some advice on looking after a pet. Digital champions are here to listen, research, and offer suggestions.

It is important to us that our digital champions are well equipped to make a meaningful difference for our clients. Thanks to the National Databank, they are able to give out free sim cards which grant months of mobile internet access, as well as Too Good To Go vouchers from Barnet council to help with the cost of food. A big part of what digital champions do involves signposting clients to potential funds, council services, and any other available resources. Representatives from support organisations such as Boost and Age UK sometimes attend client sessions, so digital champions are often able to introduce clients to a valuable source of support. There is a lot of information out there and it is easy to get overwhelmed, but digital champions have access to laptops, a catalogue of local services, and leaflets to help them direct clients to the best available places to get advice. Jonathan notes that ‘we’re not experts, we’re learning as we go.’

 

Stefania Jardim is another one of our incredible digital champions who decided to volunteer at Finchley Foodbank because of the ever-growing need in Barnet. She recalls having the opportunity to observe a client session before starting out. Having had ‘a really good first glance’ at how the session was run, Stefania got talking with the volunteer behind the digital champions desk and felt encouraged to take on the role herself. Getting going was a smooth process as Stefania had access to training documents from Barnet council and support from her fellow volunteers: ‘You’re not going in blind. You’re always with another volunteer and there’s always the option to google something if you don’t immediately know the answer.’ Stefania normally attends client sessions on Tuesdays as a digital champion and assists with food deliveries on Fridays.


There are lots of reasons why volunteering as a digital champion can be a positive experience. Jonathan says that getting experience talking to clients in an empathetic, professional capacity is a great way to build transferable people skills, as well as an opportunity to learn from the people living in your local area. He also explains that the mission for Finchley Foodbank and the digital champions is all with a view to guide clients through financial hardship until they no longer need to come back to the foodbank. Jonathan believes that ‘if we can get [clients] to claim the benefits they are entitled to, if we can help them to apply for training and work, and help them to see the world in a way that might help them a bit better, that’s the ultimate win.’

 

Stefania adds that volunteering is a great way to use spare time productively and meet lots of different people. It doesn’t hurt that unloading food deliveries can do away with the need for a gym membership either. However, Stefania finds that the most rewarding aspect of the role is in a one-to-one interaction with a client. She says that finding financial support is ‘really difficult to navigate on your own. So just being that other person and being that listening ear can be a huge help.’

 

Could you become a digital champion? Maybe you’re tech-savvy and think you could offer some guidance with online research. Perhaps you have some experience responding to broad enquiries. It could be that you’re looking to hone your digital, problem solving, or interpersonal skills, and use them to support people in your community. If you want to get involved, you can find more information here: https://www.finchleyfoodbank.org.uk/volunteers-urgently-needed or email us at finchleyfoodbank@gmail.com



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Finchley Foodbank

279 High Road, East Finchley, Barnet, London, N2 8HG, UK

We've been supported by the National Lottery Community Fund

Thanks to National Lottery players!

Finchley Foodbank is registered with the Charity Commission. Charity No. 1200503

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