A day in the life at Snowdrop
So much happens at Snowdrop each month, week and day. In our latest blog, we take you inside a day in the life at our busy Sheffield-based charity as we support survivors of modern slavery and exploitation across South Yorkshire!
Morning
As soon as our Children’s Worker, Honor, arrives, she heads to the room where we hold our weekly Toddlers Group to start setting up. Our Toddlers Group gives our clients the chance to meet other parents in a safe and welcoming environment, without fear of difficult questions being asked. It also gives our clients’ children the opportunity to play with others of a similar age and improve the speech and language skills. Each week, Honor sets out toys and games, and our clients and their children come along to spend the morning playing, singing and learning together.
At the same time, in our Community Room, some of our Casework team are setting up for our Snow Drop-in morning. These weekly sessions give our clients the opportunity to quickly access Casework support when needed, without having to make an appointment to see their Caseworker. In our Drop-in sessions, clients might ask for support with a range of issues including completing paperwork for a bank account, arranging a GP appointment or reading through a letter that they’ve received.
This week, we’ve also been busy completing our 104th renovation! When our clients are given permanent accommodation, it often needs a lick of paint at the very least. Our Renovation programme helps transform clients' accommodation into a comfortable and welcoming home. Snowdrop's clients also choose the colours of the paint, giving them ownership over the process and helping to empower them as they step into independent living. We usually complete one renovation per month over three days. There’s no way we’d be able to run our Renovation programme without our amazing volunteers. This month, we’ve had help from Leeds Building Society, the University of Sheffield Give It A Go Society and Irwin Mitchell. Thank you to everyone who picked up a paintbrush to help!
Afternoon
In the afternoon, our trauma-informed yoga teacher, Cat, has some one-to-one sessions with our clients. In these sessions, Cat follows the client’s needs – some individuals might want support with anxiety and leaving their home, some might have physical pain that they wish to ease. Each client can access a programme of four sessions to suit their particular needs.
Our team of Counsellors also have a busy afternoon of seeing clients. At Snowdrop, Counselling is tailored to the needs of each client to help them process the psychological impacts of their exploitation. The vast majority of our clients are in highly uncertain and unstable circumstances. They are also trying to process their trauma, which for most clients is so upsetting that they try to push it out of their thoughts. Our Counsellors work with our clients to help them feel calmer and better able to regulate their emotions. Our clients are always in charge of the speed of their Counselling, and they can decide to stop or pause Counselling at any time. Snowdrop provides free childcare and interpreting to clients who need these services, to enable them to access the support they need to feel better.
Later on in the day, our Fundraising team head over to Sheffield Hallam University’s Owen Building for a site visit ahead of Snowdrop’s Abseil Challenge on Anti-Slavery Day! Dolomite Training talk through how the day will run, before taking the team up to the roof to enjoy a spectacular view across the city. You can join us this October to help raise awareness and vital funds for survivors of modern slavery and exploitation. Plus, book your place before 30th June 2025 and pay a registration fee of just £25 (normally £50)! This includes your abseil experience, full safety briefing and support from Dolomite Training, and a certificate to mark your achievement. You'll also receive fundraising tips and support to ensure you reach your minimum sponsorship amount of £150. We only have 45 spaces available, so sign up now to secure your place and help build a future free from modern slavery.