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1st Step to A Better Life!
We recently had the pleasure of experiencing the impressive work going on at 1st Step Community Cafe in Linlithgow. The volunteers prepared a delicious lunch using fresh ingredients harvested from their beautifully maintained community garden. 
1st Step have two community food pantries (Bridgend and Falkirk), a warm space community hub, regular recovery meetings, as well as two workshops where volunteers and participants repair and service bikes. This can be extended to complete an OUTREACH course, which involves training in bike mechanics while working on a bike that the participant gets to keep on completion! They are then welcomed as volunteers as part of the team and can further extend their learning to Velotech Bike Technicians bronze and silver level.
This new Recovery and Connection Coordinator post has allowed 1st Step to increase its capacity opening more opportunities to support service users and communities engaging with their projects.
One of the striking things about the group is that almost all of their paid staff started as service users, working their way up from volunteers to developing and leading activities and becoming paid members of staff.
This is the path taken by the new Coordinator and she is very proud of her journey. The best people to offer meaningful support are often those with lived experience.
As we chatted with the volunteers and service users, it was clear that the charity's impact is significant and far-reaching. From supporting people with addictions to those facing poverty, isolation, and other challenges, 1st Step is making a real difference in people's lives. We were blown away by their innovative approach, and it was an honour to witness such meaningful work first hand.