09:00 Arrive at the pop up: It was actually 09:10, I just didn’t want to admit we were late in bold.
09:30 – 12:00 Greet visitors at entrance: Today was a little different for Gympanzees as Cerebral Palsy Plus had booked the whole day. As a result, Andie & I tag-teamed with some of their volunteers to greet the kids and their families as they came in. Unfortunately, the entranceway to the venue was pretty cramped, and 5 greeters made for tight conditions. It was a quick process to sign in, but if in cramped, overcrowded spaces, stress or anxiety aren’t uncommon feelings. After an hour or so, the Cerebral Palsy Plus team took some time to visit the café, which opened up the space a lot more.
One of my highlights from the day was seeing the excited looks on the children’s faces as they patiently waited for their parents to complete the sign-in process. Most had been to a Gympanzees event before and clearly couldn’t wait to access the space again. 
12:00 – 12:30 Lunch: This consisted of a short excursion to a small artisan bakery called Lidl (it also had a supermarket section), some deliberating over the nutritional benefits of vegan sushi, and eventually opting for a subpar & very soggy mini-fritata. Maybe next time I’ll get my lunch from the rustic deli next door called “Home Bargains”.
12:30 – 13:00 Duty Swap: After returning to the pop up, we were immediately given instructions to take over the café, where Matt and another volunteer named Ben had been operating. We arrived to see a packed café with the same faces we’d greeted over the preceding hours. Matt & Ben scarpered, leaving Andie and I with little to no instructions on the complexities of the café. In truth, I can’t blame them; a healthy lunch break is essential for energising us to get through a long workday and to prevent mid-afternoon slumps.
13:00 – 13:30 Baristas in training: Abandoned without instruction by our fellow volunteers, one of the first orders we got for a coffee naturally resulted in a “no hot water” signal from the machine. This resulted in a lot of confusion, pleas for help, and eventually stumbling upon the solution. It’s likely this lasted only 5 minutes, but it felt closer to 2-3 hours.
Thankfully, this was a particularly patient customer who was very gracious to receive what was, in all likelihood, a bit of a rubbish coffee! I honestly felt a bit stressed out by the maintenance issues, so the kind words of reassurance we got were appreciated. Remember, a few kind words can increase your sense of connectivity with others, combat a low mood, and help improve relationships!
13:30 – 16:00 All together again: We were reunited with our comrades, who returned from their lunch break like scolded dogs, no doubt holding in the guilt of having left us with no instructions. The four of us combined to man the café as efficiently as possible, which mostly involved some very excited children and parents making the most of the range of cakes, cookies and drinks we had to offer.
A few other memorable moments included one family making the most of the available treats and getting one slice of every cake, which posed a challenge to our lack of available Tupperware (fortunately some lateral thinking meant they could have their cake and eat it); one girl responding to being asked to get a water by grabbing a can of Fanta, shaking it, and putting it back (when asked a second time, she repeated the process); and one of us accidentally giving one child a glass of undiluted squash (which was promptly returned).
In the closing stages of the pop up, the café played host to two young lads with their carers. Both were wheelchair-bound, and one had Treacher Collins syndrome to boot. They reminded me of a couple of students I’d taught in my previous role who faced similar challenges. Nonetheless, to see the two of them chatting away with beaming smiles on their faces, as we started the cleaning up process was a joy to watch. As the two left, with plans afoot for the upcoming weekend, the sense of importance for spaces like Gympanzees was hammered home. These spaces provide a sense of belonging, fun & enjoyment, and skill development for children who may not get the opportunities to experience these things otherwise. These benefits are particularly important because they will support the development of other skills. When disabled children can participate in activities with others, everyone develops a better understanding of the full range of abilities. 
16:00 Closing time
To summarise the diary above, volunteering at Gympanzees’ pop up event was an incredibly rewarding experience, with a number of mental health benefits for myself and for the attendees. According to the Mental Health Foundation, evidence suggests that helping others can benefit our own mental health and wellbeing, allowing us to reduce stress as well as improve mood, self-esteem and happiness (https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/kindness/kindness-matters-guide). So if you’re considering getting involved in a charity, just volunteering somewhere for a day, or committing to some fundraising, remember that you stand to help your own wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of others.