'The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.'

AN EALING VOLUNTEER SAYS . . .

My name is Anthony and I have had an addiction to alcohol for 25 years.

I started coming to Build On Belief (BOB) in Ealing about a year ago and was amazed at how it helped me to change my view on life.  I have volunteered here at Ealing which I found gave me some structure in my day, I also met loads of other people with similar problems and experiences and I enjoyed sharing our journeys together.

I helped Barry one of the Managers at Ealing to set up a Warhammer workshop. Warhammer is a fantasy battle game using fine detailed miniatures of which we build then paint and then use them to play battles with.  This has helped myself and some others by letting us put our energies into something positive instead of something negative which was our usual way of doing things.

AN RBKC VOLUNTEER SAYS . . .

Volunteering here gave me responsibility which I take extremely seriously. This has had a positive impact on my son's fear of me never getting back into full-time employment.

A HILLINGDON VOLUNTEER SAYS . . .

I was introduced to BoB by my keyworker at the Recovery Café in November 2016. It was a Thursday afternoon and I walked into the room feeling alone and wondering what I was doing there. One of the BoB managers came over and introduced herself and took me into a side room. We chatted and I soon felt a lot better.

I was going to BoB on and off for about a year but I didn’t really take it seriously. In January 2017 I was arrested following an assault on some police officers whilst I was extremely drunk. This resulted in me losing my job; I was fined and faced 12 months of probation and a 6 months alcohol treatment programme (ATR).

Throughout all of this one of the BoB managers, Finola, both went to court with me and supported me throughout my journey with drink, and finally, sobriety. I have now been sober for four months and have survived challenges already without relapsing.

I am now a volunteer and I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for Bob I would hate to think where I would be.

P.S. It is wonderful being with like-minded people.

AN EALING VOLUNTEER SAYS . . .

Without BoB, I really don't know where I would be right now, if here at all. I detoxed at home, and throughout that period I used voluntary work with BoB as my rehab. The support and care I receive from BoB has saved me, and I write that with great passion.

A COACH HOUSE VOLUNTEER SAYS . . .

I have always worked in Finance. However, in 2017 I joined BoB as a volunteer in Shepherds Bush because I love the hope and positive affirmation it inspires, not only with the name Build on Belief, but also through the quality of service and dedication it provides to a section of society, who in the face of so many difficulties, still believe they can walk through the door and sort things out for themselves, with our help. The time I spend with the service users and the charity is enriching and eye opening. The camaraderie among all concerned, and under one roof, can only be described as very special. Paradoxically, it is my weekend refuge in a world that is real, raw and full of hope.

AN RBKC VOLUNTEER SAYS . . . .

I have been using the Bob Acorn hall weekend service for the past two years since I completed rehab in 2016. The first weekend I came back from rehab I was feeling pretty vulnerable and afraid as to how I would manage being back in the real world again. I went to Acorn hall as a friend from AA was going there and asked me along. In the beginning I was a little overwhelmed because the service was really busy and noisy and not at all like a typical drop in service.

However  volunteers were really friendly and welcoming and I soon felt very much at home there and instead of just going there to kill time at the weekends I began to look forwards to my weekly visits. After about a year of attending one of the volunteers asked if I had ever considered volunteering for the service as they were currently on the lookout for new volunteers.  To be honest I didn't ever think I could find the confidence to be a volunteer as I am fairly shy socially and I have a diagnosis for anxiety, but a little gentle encouragement convinced me to give it a go. It was the best move I have made and volunteering at Bob has provided me with a real sense of determination to make the best of my life  from now on; that life is not just about stopping drinking but is also about what possibilities I have to make a new life for myself in the years to come."

A COACH HOUSE VOLUNTEER SAYS . . .

I discovered  BoB's weekend service in Shepherds Bush by reading a poster in St Mungo's where I have lived for a few years. The staff there encouraged me to attend and I found a warm welcome and a bite to eat awaiting me.

I have struggled with alcohol misuse over the years and found the staff, volunteers and other service users to be  non-judgemental and helpful, One volunteer has recently helped me  purchase a computer and I now hope to enrol on a course with Turning point who work in partnership with BoB in the borough.

B.o.B is a great place to network, and my knowledge of the local area and my circle of friends has greatly expanded since my first visit. I have recently begun to work as a volunteer and have found this very rewarding.

I also turn my hand to art and have recently been attending Art Therapy at a local centre. I have also attended the art group at BoB's Ladbroke Grove service on a Wednesday evening and found it interesting and fun.

BoB's services have enriched my life and help keep me well, I wholeheartedly recommend it.   

AN EALING VOLUNTEER SAYS . . . 

 With no family history of or personal exposure to drug and alcohol addiction, I had little idea as to what to expect at Build on Belief in Ealing.

 Every Sunday since last July, people, both volunteers and service-users from all backgrounds, have warmly welcomed me into their BOB family, dispelling any nerves or fears I had at the start. It has at times been challenging for me, having to deal with situations which I have never come across. But such is the friendliness of everyone, I am excited for Sunday to come around, to catch up with people on the past week, to make a poor tea, to play dice and table tennis, and to practice defensive Tai Chi. 

Meeting all these people and the training that I have had, has taught me a big lesson: addicts are just normal people. People who are creative, enjoying football and music, and are intellectual. People who have simply hit hard times. 

Because of my experience at BOB, my understanding of addiction and those who suffer from it is clearer, but I know I have a lot more to learn.

An EALING VOLUNTEER SAYS . . .

I have been volunteering for about two years now and I have found it very rewarding to be able to give my time to help out in BOB. 

I also co-facilitate a weekly cooking group as I was a professional chef. It is good to be able to pass on my knowledge to the service users that join in, and it is also very satisfying to see the look of achievement on the faces of the attendees in the cooking group when they have done their dishes.

I have recently started to cook for the Welshore Community Hub on a Friday for a lunch group they hild..  This is great because not only are we getting BOB noticed in the community but we are doing our bit to help out as well.

AN EALING VOLUNTEER SAYS . . .

Hi everyone. I have been with BOB in Ealing since May 2014 and was press ganged into volunteering by Linda Chan shortly afterwards.  In the four years that I have been with BOB in Ealing the service has grown from some days when the volunteers outnumbered the service users (we thought we were busy if we had twelve to fifteen service users in a day) and we were only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to one point of opening seven days a week and then getting thirty to forty or more service users a day. (Our record being fifty four as I remember)

During this time we moved to a larger premises and we also expanded the activities and groups that we offer service users which include, Art workshops, Meditation, Acupuncture (with magnets) Scale model making, table tennis league,  asupport group for Anxiety, Stress and depression and more to come.

Volunteering for BOB has given me purpose to my life. Before joining I would isolate myself only leaving home if my wife came with me and now I find socialising and communicating with people much easier. I would not have been able to do this without the wonderful support that I got from fellow volunteers and Managers.

One of the most rewarding things that I find when I look back over the last four years is how much we have grown in the services and activities that we offer, and as well as the number of service users that we are regularly getting in.

This I feel is down to Build on Belief as a whole but also down to our Managers at Ealing, Linda Chan and Linda Rose, and not forgetting Barry Forest whose was here for quite a while.  Their pig headedness, determination and kindness has brought BOB Ealing to where it is today.

A VOLUNTEER FROM EALING SAYS . . .

Been with BOB from the very start

Two or three days to do my part

I’m here for them

I’m here for me

We can sit and chat

Have biscuits and tea

Not here to judge

Been there before

Lots of reminders

Don’t want it no more

When we close at three

We address our day

More often than not I go home in a great way.