High Peak foodbank looking for volunteers in the new year

At the beginning of 2021, Zink wanted to acquire bigger premises to move its existing services – High Peak Foodbank, employability and advice – into and to develop new services to support families and individuals who are struggling.

Paul Bohan CEO at Zink HQ said: “Fundraising activities took place to raise the £200,000 needed to open the new Zink HQ and, thanks to the support of the local community, businesses and trust funds, this had been raised by August."

The new HQ on Market Street car park in Buxton opened in September and High Peak Foodbank moved in in November.

Paul said: “It was important to include preventative work so if people were beginning to feel isolated, getting anxious, or were recently unemployed, they had somewhere to go to undertake positive activities.”

Zink HQ now offers support into work, an advice service to support people experiencing difficulties because of benefit, housing or finance issues as well as the foodbank.

Paul said: “Zink is about the community supporting itself. There are times in our lives when we all feel a bit lost; how to get through those times is individual to everyone so at Zink we have a growing range of activities that people can get involved in.

"Some are about accepting help, some are giving it and some are just fun.

"They’re all geared to enhance individual life experiences and resilience so that people can become or remain socially and financially independent.”

Plans for the new year include weekly guitar lessons; Zink TV – where people can get involved in writing, filming, directing, presenting or editing short films; a book exchange; walking, baking and board games, meet ups and a community café.

Paul said: “The café will be central to Zink HQ. It will be the place walks end, where work coaching and advice sessions take place and a place to go to get out of the house.”

Zink is now looking for volunteers to work in the café and on reception. Anyone looking to help out should email paul@zink.org.uk.

For more information about the baking, walking or board games meet ups, email liz@zink.org.uk.

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