Carpe Diem: Monday

[smallhobbit]

kat_lair has created a week of Squee and Creativity, so, since my plans for the week have changed I thought I'd play along.

Monday's child is fair of face

Produce something that focuses on appearance (of a person, a thing, a place etc).

At first sight Unit 2 Whitworth Court is just what it sounds like.  Just another warehouse unit in a group of such units surrounding car parking spaces.  Next door provides custom made doors and windows.  Across the car park there's a vehicle tyre place amongst other similar units.  Listen and you'll hear the sound of emergency vehicle sirens, because the unit which provides maintenance for ambulances and police vehicles backs onto these units.

Approaching the unit there is a standard roller door for goods in and out and a normal door for staff and public to enter and leave. There are glass panels in and beside the door so a caller can see if someone is coming to answer their ring of the door bell.  There's no difference between Unit 2 and any of the other units. 

Until one looks more carefully and sees a sign proudly proclaiming:



For this is the home of Gloucestershire Bundles. 

Enter the unit and one sees referrals lined up waiting for professionals to collect: pushchairs, Moses baskets, bags of clothing and toiletries.  Maybe there are boxes brought be delivery drivers containing more toiletries as a result of a recent appeal, and later in the year there will be toys for the Christmas appeal.

Up the stairs there is an untidy office, where all the finance and administrative tasks are undertaken, with the usual desks, chairs, printers, filing cabinet as well as items ready to be sold on Ebay as part of the fundraising effort.

Open the roller doors and there are travel cots full of donations of children's clothes which are waiting to be sorted.  Soon many of these travel cots will be replaced by wheeled dump bins making transportation easier.  Further inside the area is covered in racking, which is full of clothing sorted into age and type, toiletries, a myriad of baby/toddler equipment, toys and books.  One area of racking is empty, but this is only because it has been installed that morning and will soon be home to items that are overflowing their current shelves.

But that is not all.  At the back of the unit there are stairs which lead up to a mezzanine which is full of winter coats and other warm clothing and which will be swapped over with the summer clothing currently downstairs as the seasons change.

And amidst all this are the one part-time member of staff plus a few volunteers sorting items and preparing referrals ready for families who are struggling to provide the items every child needs and which no child should be without.

Comments

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

This is a lovely vignette about a very worthy organization!

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much. I was initially stuck as to what to write, and then thought I'd look in a different direction.

[wenchpixie]

Oh this is so lovely ♥

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much.

[kat_lair]

What a lovely descriptive piece of a location! I really could see it all and feel the atmosphere of the place. <3

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much. I'm so glad it worked for you :)

[margaret_r]

This was both lovely and sad. A lovely description of Gloucestershire Bundles and its volunteers, sad because of the necessity of it. You all deserve the Queen's Award.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much. We'd love not to be needed, but in the meantime here we are in our nondescript warehouse unit.

[pensnest]

That is fair indeed.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much.

[turps]

Oh what a fabulous response.

You described everything so well and I have no doubt you're all a lifeline for many.

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much. Just like the café you describe, we're a local response to a real need.

[debriswoman]

Very well put:-)

[smallhobbit]

Thank you very much :)