More Than Training: Strengthening Partnerships Through Volunteering at Creative Support

By Julie Taylor, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Realise

At Realise, we often talk about partnership being more than just training, but recently we had the opportunity to put that into practice.

Alongside my colleagues Zoe, Aron and Tony, I spent the day volunteering with our valued partner, Creative Support, at their Creativities Hub and Courtyard Café in Horsforth, Leeds.

As Creative Support celebrates an incredible 35 years of supporting people to live independent, fulfilling lives, it felt like the perfect time to step away from our day jobs and spend time with the people at the heart of everything they do.

Realise is proud to be Creative Support's education partner, delivering apprenticeships and professional qualifications to colleagues across England. We work closely together to develop their workforce, but days like this remind us why that learning matters.

Rather than talking about outcomes and qualifications, we were able to see those values come to life.

We spent the day baking fresh scones, getting involved in arts and crafts, chatting over cups of tea and, most importantly, getting to know some of the incredible people who use the hub. There was plenty of laughter, lots of creativity and a real sense of community throughout the day.

What struck me most wasn't just how welcoming everyone was, but how much genuine joy there was in simply spending time together. The Creativities Hub is exactly what its name suggests – a place where people can express themselves, learn new skills, make friends and feel part of something.

For us, it wasn't about volunteering for Creative Support. It was about volunteering with them.

Experiences like this strengthen our relationships in ways that meetings and emails never can. They help us better understand the organisations we support, the challenges they face and, most importantly, the incredible impact their teams have every single day.

As a Partnerships team, that's incredibly important to us. We don't want to simply deliver training; we want to understand each organisation's culture, ambitions and the people behind the services. That helps us provide the right learning opportunities while building relationships that genuinely make a difference.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Creative Support for welcoming us so warmly and allowing us to be part of such a special day. We left inspired, with a few flour-covered clothes, some new baking skills and an even greater appreciation for the work they do.

Here's to continuing our partnership and creating even more opportunities to learn from one another in the future.

Visit our Partnerships page here.