Ever wondered what it takes to run a thriving community space, juggle food deliveries, plan impactful programmes, and still have time for a cup of tea? In our “A Day in the Life” series, we go behind the scenes with the people powering Bristol Charities’ mission.

This month, we catch up with Zoe Williams, our brilliant Community Hub Manager at the Vassall Centre, to hear what a “typical” day looks like (spoiler: there’s no such thing!), what inspires her work, and how she brings joy, energy and purpose to her role.

Section 1: Introductions & Role

1. Can you tell us your name, job title, and how long you’ve worked at Bristol Charities?

Zoe Williams, Community Hub Manager, almost 3 years.

• What team are you part of, and what does your team do?

I’m part of the Community Hub Team at the Vassall Hub in Fishponds. We engage with local people to help build our community here, provide activities for people of all ages to come together and provide some targeted services to give people a helping hand, such as a family support team, grants to individuals and Food Club.

• How would you describe your role in a sentence or two?

In our team we provide a welcoming atmosphere for people to come in and join a session or speak to us about something they’d like help with, so there’s lots of lovely conversations happening a lot of the time. When I’m at my desk I help plan what we have on in the hub going forward and how these fit into our strategy, how we provide support to people using tried and tested models, and how we might envisage new ways of working, partnering with groups and organisations to make the best projects possible.

Section 2: A Typical Day

• What does a typical day look like for you?

A typical day is a funny word in the hub! There’s never the same two days, but there are patterns across the week due to running sessions like food club on Thursdays and Lunch Club on Tuesdays, where we get to see the regular people who come in and catch up with what’s going on for them. Mondays and Fridays tend to be quieter, so I put ‘quiet jobs’ in on those days so interruptions are less likely, and we often have our meetings when the whole team is in on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

• Are there any daily rituals or routines that help you structure your day?

Always a cup of tea in the morning! Then at 3pm I’ll try to walk around before I get into the last things to do for the day. The middle of the day is often busy so getting a chance to take a breath can be important.

• What’s the first thing you usually do when you start work?

I probably shouldn’t as I’ve read otherwise, but I tend to check my emails when I first come in, then make a rough plan for the day – things often change with people dropping by so you can’t always stick to the plan!

• What kinds of people or teams do you work with most?

Our hub team is a wonderful group of expert women who support our community in different ways for families and the wider community here. We work closely with partner organisations and other groups or charities who run sessions in the hub too. We’re all here to support the community in the ways they need it most and be directed by them in terms of what they’d like to see happen here.

Section 3: Highlights & Challenges

• What’s your favourite part of your job?

The best bit of my job is seeing connections and friendships being made that otherwise wouldn’t have happened without the hub. When volunteers go for coffee together outside of their shifts, when people who meet at a session keep in touch, and when I walk down the street I see people waving at each other, that I know met here.

• What’s something people might not realise your role involves?

I always end up doing weird things at the hub! I spend a lot of time making sure surplus food doesn’t go to waste. Once we ended up washing 100 huge pumpkins for our Autumn Fayre as they’d arrived very muddy. I’ve manned bouncy castles, taken kids on summer trips, and dressed up in various costumes. There is a serious side of things too though, and lots of planning goes into that. We put a lot of effort into making our sessions be as impactful possible and want to support local families flourish as much as they can.  

1. What’s been a recent highlight or proud moment at work?

A proud moment was our hub launch event which we ran last November, it was amazing to see the whole community turn up to engage with us after all the hard work – it was very busy! It was also around this time that our hub team had started in their roles, they got stuck right in and made the whole thing a success from the get go, and I was really proud of them.

1. What’s the most challenging aspect of your role – and how do you tackle it?

The hardest thing is when people are really struggling and seeing them depressed, or having problems at home because of all sorts of reasons outside of their control. It’s difficult to keep positive about politics and systems we must use when we see people having such a hard time on a daily basis. I tackle it by noticing the moments of magic that happen every day too – someone will often drop in to brighten your day just at the moment you need it most. Or someone who was struggling might be feeling a bit better than they were and will come in to tell us.

Section 4: Personal Perspective

1. What motivates you in your work at Bristol Charities?

Working with people who care about others and building relationships in the community to make change where it’s needed most. People around here grow up with less opportunities than others, so it’s offering a helping hand into a better situation.

1. Is there a part of the charity’s mission that particularly resonates with you?

Working in partnership with others to do more than one charity can do on its own – buildings networks and aspiring to make change in Bristol.

Section 5: Getting to Know You

1. What do you like to do outside of work?

I’m always at an event or dinner somewhere I can get dressed up. I love music, theatre, dancing, and food. Chopping vegetables with a good podcast calms me down and helps me unwind.

Do you have a hidden talent, hobby or fun fact you can share?

I love keeping a neat fridge, using up leftovers and making tasty meals from what seems like nothing!

1. If your job was a film title, what would it be and why?

Yes Man – because I’m always on hand to help and staying positive is important.

1. If you could have a superpower – what would it be?

Freezing time, so I could get more done in a day!  

1. What are you reading or watching at the moment? 

A book of short stories called Stranger Things by Kelly Link

We have a CEO with particular tea-making requirements – what’s your hot drink of choice – shaken or stirred?

Tea – always, stronger than most people have, just the right amount of milk.

Team Shoutouts & Tips

1. Who in another team has really helped or inspired you recently?

Jasmine our comms wonder woman is always on hand to help and does brilliant things getting people to hear about our work.

1. Any tips or advice for new starters at Bristol Charities?

Be yourself! We want a happy thriving team, so let us know your passions and goals, let us know how you’re feeling day to day and make real friends, not just acquaintances.