More Than a Day Out: What Dorothy Parkes Taught Us About Community

Our Marketing Director, Toni Gibiino, recently joined a team volunteering day at Dorothy Parkes Community Centre. It was a powerful reminder of the value of community – and the impact of showing up. Here’s Toni’s reflection on a day that made a real difference.

I’m not one to shy away from slamming the keys on my keyboard when passion is stirred and I feel I’ve got something useful to say. Most of the time, it tends to revolve around the exciting (or not so exciting) workings of IT, AI and how your business would be so much better if you just listened to me.

But this write-up is a little different.

Why? Because how often do we really step out of our day-to-day world and actually see and feel, first-hand, what’s really happening in our local community? Yes, we can all say to varying degrees that we take a fleeting interest in the homeless guy propping up the closed shop on the high street, but for most of us, once the preprogrammed hamster wheel starts turning, we get on with our day and the real world fades behind the metaphorical shades we pop on.

Fortunately, I’ve had the humbling pleasure of working with some fantastic charities around the country over the years. One in particular dragged me out of the office last week and for that, I’ll be eternally grateful.

Meet The Dorothy Parkes Community Centre

The Dorothy Parkes Community Centre, nestled in the heart of Smethwick, Birmingham, has become a stalwart of the local community since opening in 2000. Over the past 25 years, it’s evolved into a true community hub, a place where locals unite and volunteers dedicate time and energy to supporting those who need it most. From mental and physical health to nutrition and environmental sustainability, the Dorothy Parkes team and volunteers have thought of everything.

And I can’t really articulate it any better than to say. ‘you just need to be there and feel it.’

Myself and nine members of the Birmingham RDS team were invited by Christina Murray (Project Manager) and Robert Bruce (CEO) to experience the centre and the incredible support it offers to the 950 plus visitors it welcomes each week.

Raising awareness is crucial to the survival of a charity like this, especially when there’s no government funding to rely on. Local takeaways and retailers donate food and smaller independent businesses club together to help. Who said the nation has lost its sense of community care? What we saw reminded me of the stories my grandparents used to tell about World War II era community support.

Welcome to the Garden of Eden

Armed with my inappropriate pink Hokas, shorts and a rain jacket (because let’s face it, the weather this week has been, erm, British), we arrived at the centre allotments. It could only be described as a Garden of Eden in the middle of a residential city housing estate.

Bursting with ripe fruits and vegetables, all grown naturally, this place was jaw dropping. Paul and Usha, the resident gardeners, humbly guided us through their sanctuary, a haven for goldfinches, dragonflies and more wildlife than you’d see in an episode of Springwatch.

They gave us a crash course in gardening that would’ve made Alan Titchmarsh proud. I’ve never seen so much focused attention from our team as they absorbed years of knowledge while harvesting produce for our next activity: lunch.

A feast for the eyes

Next up, we met two fantastic chefs from Food for Thought. Teaming up with Dorothy Parkes, Aairon and Dave brought their global kitchen knowledge to show us how to turn simple ingredients into a veritable feast, something even the most hedonistic foodie would admire. It’s satisfying to see two young guys pooling their experience in top restaurants, and giving it back to the community, through food nutrition and hands-on practical demonstrations (also very tasty).

After what could only be described as a MasterChef-style briefing, we split into two teams to reimagine the chefs’ dishes. I’m not exaggerating when I say: we had an incredible lunch and learned so much about each other in the process.

Team work makes the…

It still amazes me how much we don’t know about the people we work with every day. We’re so focused on our jobs that we often forget the humans behind the emails and Teams calls. Without it even being on the agenda, this ended up being one of the best team-building days I’ve experienced in decades. And no one even got food poisoning in the process!

It’s a long-lost art these days, eating together as a family or friends. There was a time when sharing a home-cooked meal around the table was the glue that held families together. I still do it today with my kids because it’s how I was brought up and it’s our chance to talk, without a phone. But modern life makes it harder. We reach for quick fixes, takeaways, energy drinks, 10 shots of espresso (that is me) and by the time we get home, the last thing we want to do is cook. But the guys at Food for Thought opened our eyes to how quick, easy and affordable it can be to prepare a nourishing banquet.

The art of team building

After lunch, we turned to arts and crafts, creating handmade cards filled with care, love and thanks. These would later be handed out to centre visitors who may need a quiet reminder that someone’s thinking of them. Some of the messages brought tears to our eyes. That little pause to reflect on life can be a tough reality check and I learned a lot in that quiet moment. Chiefly, that our warehouse manager and senior project manager can make some of the most beautiful, artistic cards you’ll ever see. Turns out they had a side hustle during the pandemic!

From breakdown to breakthrough

Our final session introduced us to an energetic gentleman named Carl, a man with a story that captivated us all. Carl came close to death. That’s not an exaggeration. The pressures of life had pushed him to a dark place, his health deteriorated and he reached 19 stone. Tests showed dangerously high markers.

He was a walking time bomb. But he turned it around. Carl changed his diet, started running, working out and rebuilt his life. Now, he leads fitness sessions at Dorothy Parkes and in local parks, helping others like him find their way back. His message hit home with a few of our team. I could see it in their eyes as I glanced around the room.

Carl’s class was perfectly pitched for a mixed group and even blooming, expectant mother Claire joined in. And yes, we ended with musical chairs to a rock version of the Muppet Show theme. It works. Trust me.

Dorothy Parkes: a reminder that we can all make a difference

As we said our goodbyes, I was reminded that making the world a better place doesn’t fall solely on governments or councils. We can all complain about how bad things are or we can be the difference. Just like the volunteers and staff at Dorothy Parkes. They choose to show up. They choose kindness. And that’s the most satisfying feeling for the soul you can experience.

So next time you’re running around the hamster wheel of life, stop. Take a moment. Ask yourself: What can I do today to make someone’s life just a little easier, even if only for a while?

Some takeaways

At RDS, we’re lucky to offer employees one paid day off to volunteer or support a charity. Does it impact productivity? Not at all. I left Birmingham completely recharged and motivated and judging by my colleagues’ energy the next day, the ripple effect is real. When you do good, you feel good. That energy spreads.

Every business is part of a community. We create jobs, supporting local suppliers from the sandwich shop to the coffee van and we have a responsibility to give something back. Find a local charity doing great work and get involved. You’ll be amazed at the impact they have and how readily they’ll welcome your help.

A huge thanks to Claire at RDS, who persisted in getting this off the ground. It wasn’t easy to get the numbers together, but we’re all grateful she made it happen. The experience was not only humbling and grounding, it was also an exceptional team bonding day. I’ve seen companies spend tens of thousands on flashy team building events. This topped them all and gave something back to the community too.

Final word

I know I’ve blown past any sensible content engagement time limit, so here’s the wrap up:
If you’re in the West Midlands and want to do your bit for the community, or simply bring your team together for a meaningful day out, get in touch with Dorothy Parkes. Rob, Christina and Jodie would love to hear from you.

Dorothy Parkes | www.dorothyparkes.org

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