Community
Giving back to local women in Liverpool
I applied to Partner Fund this time last year to support me in completing the massage specialism of my NVQ in beauty therapy. I could then hold regular relaxation mornings alongside local charities in Liverpool to support women who have been victims of domestic violence.
I feel strongly about volunteering my time in this way, because sometimes I don’t think women get the help they really need or deserve, and when they do it’s such a long road back to recovery. Every positive influence they get gives them that little boost they need. It’s unbelievable how lovely these women are, but at the same time how sad they are; they have lost all confidence in themselves and in the people around them. When you find out most of them have children that have been through this with them, and are living with them in the hostels, it’s heartbreaking.
From Newcastle to Peru – three partners’ journey of a lifetime
In July 2011 two store managers, and a barista from Newcastle decided they were going to raise even more money for a local charity by taking part in a trek of Machu Picchu in Peru. These dedicated partners are Laura Haigh, Becca Haigh and Stephen Langley.
Snow and Lights in action
In March 2011, I began my project Snow and Lights funded by the Starbucks Partner Fund. I was given £2000 so I could get the necessary equipment to help me create artwork that would bring together school children from around the world.
I collected 10,266 paper snowflakes from children at primary schools from the local area here in Hull, as well as in London, Switzerland, Namibia, Qatar, India, New Zealand and USA. These snowflakes were for a video installation that would be incorporated into Hull's Christmas Light Switch-On, 24th November. With more than 20,000 people in attendance it was a fantastic night for all those who were involved.
My Ghana Experience
I first decided I wanted to do some volunteer work abroad a few years ago, but quickly realised how expensive a trip like that could be. When I found out about Partner Fund just a few months before I left for Ghana, I thought it was such a great opportunity and immediately applied.
The programme in Ghana appealed to me because I would get to live and work with other volunteers and could take part in a variety of different projects without needing any previous experience. Most volunteers that I met had never taken part in a project like this before, so we were all in the same boat and that made the whole experience a lot less daunting and a lot more fun.
Starbucks Partner Fund took me to Sri Lanka
I was absolutely thrilled to discover that the Starbucks Partner Fund had agreed to help fund me to go and work on the southwest coast of Sri Lanka on the Kosgoda conservation project. The trip was an incredible experience. During the anticipation filled two hour drive to Kosgoda with Dudley, the project organiser, I realised how unprepared I was to see the damage that still scarred the coast from the tsunami seven years ago.
The Kosgoda turtle project was originally established in 1988 to monitor local sea turtle activity and conserve the local nesting sites. During the December 2004 tsunami, all the animals, buildings and years of work were completely lost. Since then, the country has slowly started to recover from the tragedy and Dudley has started to rebuild his life’s work; he relies on the help of volunteers such as me.
Dancing with Ultima Vez
I applied to the Starbucks Partner Fund in order to further my development as a dance artist and to take part in a four day workshop in Amsterdam led by Elena Fokina. It has always been an ambition of mine to work with Ultima Vez as they are the very reason I started my professional dance training. I find the work this dance company creates inspirational and the dancers seem to move with an exquisite fluidity.
Bringing children and art together in Hull
For as long as I can remember I've either painted or drawn and as many great artists have said 'art is a form of communication'. Through my art I can say who I am, where I've been and who I'm with.
My new project, Snow and Lights (www.snowandlights.com), is being funded by Starbucks Partner Fund. The aim of the project is to create a sense of unity by asking children from every primary school in Hull to create a snowflake cut out from paper, as you may have made as a decoration at Christmas time. The snowflakes will then be collated together as a single artwork, a light based sculpture that will be projected onto a high profile public space in Hull’s city centre.
How the UK Partner Fund took me to Africa
By Tim Olsen, Starbucks Partner
The Partner Fund allows Starbucks Partners (staff) to apply for a grant to realise a dream or improve their lives in some way. I had harboured a dream for years of going to Africa to volunteer with Mary’s Meals Malawi and visit Namasimba and Lumbira, the two feeding shelters I had helped raise funds for in 2008 and 2009. I also wanted to visit a coffee plantation and I realised that I could do both with the help of the Partner Fund.
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