Friday Coffee Morning Welcome Desk

The Friday Coffee Mornings are a key opportunity for both current and future members to connect, chat, make friends, and learn more about the many activities that Centrepoint offers. This article provides a behind-the-scenes look at the who, what and how behind the Welcome Desk Team that supports the Friday Coffee Mornings.

The Welcome Desk Team is led by Hassanah Simpson Schwarb as the Welcome Desk Coordinator. She joined Centrepoint in 2011. Being new to Switzerland, she started volunteering at the Welcome Desk and found it a great way to meet people.

She has held a number of volunteer roles over the years at Centrepoint: Welcome Desk Volunteer, Horizon editorial assistant, running two English conversation groups, and membership administration. After taking a break due to work commitments, she returned in May 2024 to fill the Welcome Desk Coordinator role. She appreciates that volunteers are the lifeblood of Centrepoint.

The Welcome Desk Team are fabulous ambassadors for Centrepoint, greeting prospective and current members, showing people around, answering questions (or figuring out who can), generally being helpful and friendly, and signing people in (this facilitates planning, identifying potential new members for follow-up, and ensuring that memberships have not lapsed). These team members shared their perspective on why they volunteer:

• Steve – I have British and Swiss nationality and have retired early to enjoy interests such as travel and hiking. I have met many friends at Centrepoint and enjoy giving something back by volunteering.

• Carole – Thanks to a friend, I learned about Centrepoint and became a member in October 2012. Soon after, I started volunteering at the Welcome Desk and continue to do so. Why? Although already many years in Switzerland, having left Scotland where I was born because I married a Basler, I became quickly a fan of this club.

• Steffen – I am from the Netherlands, and have been working in Switzerland for more than 20 years. My hobbies are bicycles and chickens, and I like being at the Welcome Desk at Centerpoint because I meet a lot of friendly people.

• Arianna – The Centrepoint Welcome Desk has been, and continues to be, a source of relief for me, where I meet new people every week. It’s comforting to know there are people like me, and when I need ‘directions’ they help me travel these foreign waters. My interests are: languages, philosophy, history, and contemporary art.

If you are considering volunteering, just give it a try! Volunteering on the Welcome Desk is a good “gateway” role to meet new people and try out volunteering at Centrepoint.  It often happens that people start on the desk and then move into other roles.

If you are interested, please e-mail Hassanah at welcomedesk@centrepoint.ch. Ideally, the team would be grateful for volunteers for one or two Friday mornings per month, but the opportunity is also open to those who are only available occasionally.  Perfect English is not needed – only a willingness to help people feel welcome!

For more volunteer ideas, have a chat with volunteers or board members or contact volunteers@centrepoint.ch. Some opportunities only involve a small commitment, and there are many options based on your time and interests. All volunteers are welcome: chatty and gregarious, or quiet and introverted. In the end, volunteering is rewarding and deepens human connections.  

Written by Roxane Baxter