Room for a Zoom?

There’s no substitute for real human contact and connection, but we have been doing our best to keep in touch with each other through regular Zoom meetings, where we can see and hear each other in cyberspace.

We’ve particularly been missing our volunteers, and heard on the grapevine that it was mutual, so have organised some meet-ups with them. We’ve had two volunteers’ meet-ups so far and it’s been a tonic to find out what so many of them have been up to over the past weeks. Conversations have been wide-ranging, with issues like lockdown hair and favourite lockdown snacks competing with more serious matters like how to stay productive and find meaningful things to do. Staff and volunteers alike have been missing their days in Alvin Street and their regular time together, and it has felt good to be able to acknowledge this.

Technology has been a huge benefit in helping us to stay in touch and build an on-line community, but of course there are bound to be a few hiccups when a group of ‘digital-immigrants’ (that’s anyone born before 1985!) get together. We managed to overcome these with good humour and, in the end all could see and hear each other perfectly. Laughing together, even when we are miles apart, still seems to work its magic. We’re holding these meet-ups regularly now, so if you volunteer with us and would like to join in, please email kate.maisey@gloucestershire.gov.uk .