Five minutes with…Thomas
Through September and October, as World Homeless Day approaches, we are sharing more about some of the more surprising sides to the work we do in local communities.
As well as our services to support people who are homeless, we also work hard to help people who are at risk of homelessness, working alongside them as they navigate through challenging times.
Our energy advice workers provide an invaluable service, supporting people experiencing fuel poverty and looking at early interventions to prevent poverty too.
In our latest ‘Five Minutes With…’ interview, Thomas, one of the energy advice experts from Caritas, explains more…
Tell us about your work…
My work involves aiding people across Greater Manchester and Lancashire experiencing fuel poverty.
This sees me mainly based within our services providing one-to-one support for people with issues such as energy debt or high bills.
I am based at Cornerstone day centre four days a week and at our Lalley centre in Collyhurst on a Friday.
We also do work with other community groups across Greater Manchester. This usually involves running information sessions and presentations educating people about energy related issues such as mould and damp.
When did you start working at Caritas and why?
I started working for Caritas in November of last year after working for a large energy company for a period.
While there I witnessed first-hand the pressure that the energy crisis was putting on people particularly the most vulnerable. I believed there was a real need for better education and support in this area and was really interested when I saw that Caritas was developing a new project in this area. I believed that the knowledge I got from working in the energy industry could be put too good use.
What’s the best thing about Caritas?
I really like Caritas approach of allowing the people who use our services to have a say in how they are run. Including people in decisions and getting their input makes what we do easier and makes people feel more included.
What do you most enjoy about working with Caritas?
I enjoy chatting with people and listing to what they have to say, Caritas services are diverse and people I work with come from all over the world. Getting to learn something new about someone or somewhere is always a highlight.
What surprised you about Caritas that you didn’t expect?
I am always really surprised about how old some our services are. Cornerstone has been helping people in Hulme for a very long time and the building has gone through a lot of changes. I also was really interested to learn that our work with the D/deaf community has been running for 95 years.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I’m a big fan of horror films and I like to catch one in the cinema when there’s a new one out. I also recently got into rock climbing as well.
I like cooking for my friends at the weekend with my partner and trying out new recipes.
What’s your favourite thing(s) to do in Greater Manchester or Lancashire?
Manchester’s horror festival ‘Grimmest’ is great and I have been going for six years now. It runs in October and shows lots of films – some great and some not so much, but all at least interesting.
What three words best describe you?
Personable, empathetic, reliable .
How would you sum up the difference Caritas’ work makes in a sentence?
We provide friendly support and assistance to those struggling in our communities.
What would you say to other people thinking of supporting our charity?
Supporting Caritas allows you to make a difference in people’s lives. You wont regret it!