Welcome to our final blog of the week. We’ve loved looking back on the last two years and hope you’ve enjoyed reading our birthday blogs too. Today, we’re talking volunteers. Without this lovely lot, the hostel just wouldn’t function. Consider this a virtual round of applause for the people who give up their time to come and be part of our team.
We welcome help from Leeds locals and visiting travellers alike. Our volunteers range from 18 to 65 years old, from 18 different countries (Spain, France, Portugal, New Zealand to name a few)! Here’s an insight into hostel life from their perspective…
Our best bed
Did you know we have a dorm specifically for volunteers? Room 5 is a 10 bed dorm and it’s seen many sleepers over the past two years. There’s been much debate about which is the best bed in the room with position (corner/middle, top/bottom bunk) and storage seeming to be contentious criteria.
The “top bed”, also known as the “railway bed”, is a favourite among the volunteers, and you can consider yourself lucky if you manage to bag it. You can read more about this bed and East Street-er, Nathan Evan’s experience of staying with us here.
It is a sought after spot, often being passed on and agreed between our volunteers when people moved on.
Former volunteer, Bea says: “I was in the middle bed in the bunk that you see first when you enter the room for one month and then I moved to the ‘top bed’ and I was there for like four months.” She just didn’t want to give it up!
Whereas our Georgie was more bothered about getting into the highest bed in the room, the one that’s directly under the rooftop hatch which has bars which can be used to store things such as books, t-shirts and socks.
Sleep talking the talk
One of the joys of staying in a room with up to 10 other people is the funny things they say in their sleep; and we’ve had a great array of sleep talkers!
Gonzalo says he heard Bea “having conversations with herself in a mix of Spanish, English and bear sounds.”
Gemma said: “Well Kerstin often spoke in her sleep but I could never understand it because it was either German or Japanese! Someone did mention that I had once said ‘Andreea wins the tiger!!! Ssssssssssssssssss’ in my sleep too”.
One of our first volunteers Eliza said: “I heard John apologising twice during a dream, he was really worried about something. The next day we tried to figure out what would be but he had no idea what was about.”
Favourite place in Leeds (apart from the hostel)
Our volunteers love to get out and about in Leeds. How else could they recommend things to see and do to our guests? Our lovely Gonzalo recommends Roundhay Park and Martin loves Hyde Park – it’s student central so easy to make friends on a sunny day.
Gemma prefers a good night out at Key Club. Now she’s moved away from Leeds, she said: “Honestly I’m thinking of starting up my own one so I didn’t have to miss it so much”.
That’s a little glimpse into our volunteers. We’ll be profiling some of our volunteers over the coming months, so stay tuned to learn more about them. And if you’re passing by the hostel, pop in for a chat.