We were delighted to have a very special visitor in January at Genesis Centre. Routes to Roots was privileged to be one of the first stops on a visit to Poole for the Very Reverend Stephen Lake, following the announcement that morning that he will be the next Bishop of Salisbury. The Bishop Designate, who grew up in Poole, said: “It is such a privilege and a joy to be called back to the Diocese of Salisbury as Bishop. To be able to serve in the places that formed me will be something rare and special. I will enjoy visiting Dorset and Wiltshire today and look forward to meeting as many people as possible on this announcement day.” He was accompanied by our patron the Right Reverend Karen Gorman, Bishop of Sherborne.
Ben Sargent joined us at the beginning of this month in the new role of Genesis Centre Manager. Ben says: “I am delighted to have been appointed as the Day Centre Manager for Routes to Roots. Having worked for many years in housing and addiction services across Bournemouth and Poole, I have always been impressed by the fantastic work that R2R do and the care shown to those in need. With the upcoming move to Genesis Centre, I am truly excited by the opportunities it will enable us to provide to those people who access our service. I look forward to creating a community where people will feel supported, feel heard and have access to the support services they require.” Among other duties, Ben will be managing our volunteer network and is very interested to hear from anyone who might have some hours to help us. In addition to the usual drop-in food preparation work, we have many new opportunities arising from our move, in such areas as office and administrative, writing and fundraising, website and social media. He can be contacted at: Ben.Sargent@routestoroots.org
