"It’s such a fantastic part of my week"

With Volunteers Week on the horizon, Nyama Sethi-Walsh of Commercial & Institutional Banking in Manchester shares his story of volunteering with a local charity for people who are homeless. He sees a clear connection between the bank’s purpose and his own work.

‘I work with corporate real estate customers to invest in property – industrial, retail and leisure properties. I also provide funding to housing associations who build social housing and services for those in need.’

‘I feel it’s important to provide for those who are disadvantaged or have had a less privileged background. The work that I do plays a small part in that and I find it very rewarding and interesting. I’ve always especially enjoyed that aspect of the job, which aligns to the volunteering I do too.’

Moving to the city

Nyama credits moving to Manchester city centre as stoking his desire to help those in need.

‘When I first moved to Manchester city centre, I was shocked by the number of rough sleepers. It was a lot more than I expected and what I was accustomed to in Preston where I grew up. When you’re passing rough sleepers, you want to help everyone, but that’s impractical. So, I did some research online and that’s how I found Barnabus.’

‘They provide support for rough sleepers in Manchester – providing food in the morning, but also helping them get into accommodation, as well as advice on debt, addiction and complex mental health issues.’

Starting the week with a spring in your step

Having applied to volunteer, Nyama now does so every week.

‘I work with them every Monday morning before work on a weekly basis. I set my alarm for around 5:30am every Monday – a shock to the system at first, but you’re motivated by the good you’re going to do and it gets easier! I help prepare and serve the food we give to homeless people in Manchester on a Monday morning, a service we offer each weekday.’

‘You realise what you’re doing as a volunteer can have a massive impact on someone’s life. I’ve got good at making teas and coffees, and cooking bacon and sausage rolls, and cheese toasties!’

Based on his own experience, Nyama is keen to challenge potential misconceptions about working in the sector.

‘Typically, people may think working with rough sleepers is really gloomy and tough, But, Barnabus acts as a respite for rough sleepers in the morning, particularly on the Monday mornings after the weekend, when the number of services available in Manchester is quite limited.’

‘It’s a really positive atmosphere and the guests treat you really well. They acknowledge that you’re volunteering your time to help them and it’s actually a really positive experience.’

Nyama highlights speaking with the guests and hearing their stories as a highlight of his role.

‘My favourite thing about it is the face-to-face interaction and hearing the stories of our guests. Some people say someone that’s sleeping rough is there because they want to be. But our guests are highly motivated to leave their pasts behind and improve their lives.’

‘Just last Monday, one of the guests was telling me all about his interview prep and job interviews. He had an interview that day with National Rail and was so enthusiastic. It’s little stories like that which make you feel like you’re doing the right thing. It’s such a fantastic part of my week and really sets me up in a positive frame of mind for the working week ahead.’

Flexibility and support

With a demanding role at NatWest Group, Nyama has had the support of his manager and team to balance his work with his passion for volunteering.

‘My line manager and team are very supportive I’m very fortunate that my team is so flexible, so I can login slightly later on Mondays and work from home, so that I can be online sooner than if I had to go to the office on Mondays, like my other working days.’

Volunteering may sound like a big commitment, but every little helps according to Nyama.

‘It’s the bank’s purpose, culture and values that I really like. They align to my own, which has kept me happy here.’

‘It’s only a really small part of my week – about two hours – but it’s a great part of my week. I get there for around 6:45 and leave around 8:45 to head back and start my working day here at the bank.’

‘It’s a good start to the week, it’s really rewarding and you get to speak with so many people. You get to hear the success stories too. One of my fellow volunteers works at the Ralph Lauren store in Manchester and she had one of our previous Barnabus guests in the store – he’s now turned his life around and runs a successful business. It’s great to hear stories like that because you realise what you’re doing as a volunteer can have a massive impact on someone’s life.’

Looking ahead

Looking ahead to the future, Nyama is keen to use his three days of volunteering leave on more focused activity with Barnabus.

‘I spend two hours a week there, longer on Bank Holidays and I’d like to use my three full volunteering leave days during work time there too.’

‘I also hope to put my Community Cashback funding towards Barnabus. I did that last year and was really pleased that the bank recognised my volunteering by supporting my charity of choice financially.’

‘My volunteering is only a small part of my week, but it’s a very valuable and you can make it work around your lifestyle. I leave feeling a lot of pride that I’ve hopefully made a difference to someone’s life that day, no matter how small. I’d absolutely recommend it.’

‘Barnabus would love to hear from anyone who is interested in volunteering, fundraising or donating… no prior experience necessary… you don’t even need to be able to make cheese toasties!’