Congratulations to Dezzy on receiving the Award for Outstanding Volunteer 2021!

Sean Andrews, Lead Evangelist at Scunthorpe Centre of Mission, writes…

Derek is one of the volunteers who works with the team at our Wednesday and Friday Drop ins where we work with adults who all have complicated needs and issues to do with Substance and Alcohol misuse, people who have recently been released from prison or homeless.

Derek or Dezzy as we know him is 59 years old and originally comes from Wolverhampton and lives in Anvil House where most of our clients live. He has had a troubled life in recent years having to retire from work with BT after an accident at work which damaged his legs to the point where he couldn’t return to work. Derek in recent years has suffered through Alcohol misuse and has attempted to take his life on a few occasions but he is on the road to recovery which is hard but he continues to get better week by week.

Derek says that Volunteering with Church Army has given him purpose in his life again and gets him mixing with new people. He not only uses his volunteering skills with the people that come to the drop in at the Haven in Westcliff but this continues within Anvil House.

Derek is really thankful for the opportunities that volunteering with Church Army gives him as it has increased his self-worth and self-esteem, it has helped improve his confidence especially around people and he has become more outgoing.

The staff at Anvil House who provides his care needs have said that they have seen a great improvement and change in Dezzie because of his volunteering with Church Army and are really pleased with his progress.

The most exciting thing that has happened to him through his volunteering was when he found out that he was Church Army Outstanding volunteer for 2021. Sean and Paul who lead Scunthorpe Centre of Mission are really grateful and appreciate all that Dezzie does within the project and his involvement allows them to concentrate and do other things within the project.