A Day in the life of... Leila Nicholas
We’re proud of our Bristol Charities team who support Stockwood Community Hub behind the scenes, and we wanted to take a moment to shine a light on the brilliant work that makes everything possible.
This month, we caught up with Leila Nicholas, our Community Projects Coordinator, to learn more about her role and the impact of her work.
Introductions
Can you tell us your name, job title, and how long you've worked at Bristol Charities?
Hi! My name is Leila and I've been at Bristol Charities since November 2025. I work three days a week as Community Projects Coordinator.
What team are you part of, and what does your team do?
I work as part of Stockwood Community Hub, based at Haberfield House. I also work at Stockwood Family Hub, where I manage our Food Club, alongside our wonderful volunteer team.
How would you describe your role in a sentence or two?
My role is to work alongside residents, community groups, and local organisations to develop and support projects and events that make Stockwood an even better place to live. I also manage the weekly Food Club and coordinate our fantastic team of Stockwood Community Hub volunteers.
A Typical Day
What does a typical day look like for you?
There isn't really a typical day, so to take last Wednesday as an example - I got to
the Family Hub for 8am, to finish setting up ready for opening Food Club at 9am. Volunteers start arriving shortly after and there's lots of chat and laughter as we get the space ready. We are a bit low on volunteers this session, as sometimes happens over the summer, so there's plenty to be done! I sit down with Neve, a new young volunteer on her trial shift to chat through what she will do.
It's a busy morning with many of our regulars arriving early. I support Neve welcoming members and giving food out from the fridges...not that she needs much support. She's soon chatting away with regulars. We had 24 members this week and the family forest session running alongside in the forest school space, so it's been busy.
At the end of the session, we pack everything down and get the space looking spic and span again. We sort the remaining veg, some can go in the fridge for next week and some will be transported to the community fridge in Bedminster. We rarely ever throw anything away at Food Club...and if there are vegetables we can't give out they can normally go on the compost of the growing group, Stockwood Growing Together.
I sit down with Neve to reflect on her trial shift and she completes some paperwork to become a regular volunteer over the school holidays. After that, it's a hot cycle over to Haberfield House. I have a quick chat with Rachel from the National Literacy Trust, who have given us some free books to give out as part of the National Year of Reading. The last few hours of my day are spent at my desk,catching up on emails and making progress on plans for this year's Apple Pressing event we are working with Stockwood Growing Together to organise.
Are there any daily rituals or routines that help you structure your day?
My days are very much governed by the needs (and whims) of two small humans. My sons are 5 and 2. During term time, mornings are dominated by the need to get the kids fed, dressed and off to school and nursery...and then doing it all again in reverse after work! It's fair to say that I rely heavily on my first cup of coffee to get me going in the morning! I also really value my cycle into work, especially the green oasis along the Whitchurch railway path. My commute helps me arrive ready to get stuck into work and helps me leave work behind at the end of the day.
What’s the first thing you usually do when you start work?
Unoriginally, I check my emails. Although that second (and final) cup of coffee is an important early task too.
What kinds of people or teams do you work with most?
I am lucky to get to work with lots of different people in this job, including volunteers, Food Club members, community groups and other organisations that are part of Stockwood Community Hub. The conversations I end up having over the course of the day can be quite varied and that's a joy! I also love the opportunities I've had to connect with interesting organisations with aims aligned to the Community Hub and to explore working together.
And of course, I work really closely with the rest of the Stockwood Community Hub team - Charlie, Lil, Sam, Ellie and Rachel, as well as Beth and Sue in the Housing Office next door
Highlights & Challenges
What’s your favourite part of your job?
I really enjoy working in Stockwood and having a focus on a geographic community. I have worked from home in previous roles and while that has it's benefits, I get so much joy from working in the community and from getting to know a different patch of South Bristol, not many miles from home.
What’s something people might not realize your role involves?
There's always a lot going on in the Stockwood Community Hub team and quite regularly something unexpected comes up. Back in January, me and a colleague spent half a day coordinating a team of corporate volunteers clearing the forest space next to the Family Hub.
What’s been a recent highlight or proud moment at work?
A recent highlight for me has been welcoming so many new volunteers to the Food Club team - Di, Helen, Kevin, Lucy and Neve. It's lovely to see the volunteer team grow and connections being made between volunteers who have been involved with Food Club for a long time and people who are getting involved for the first time.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your role – and how do you tackle it?
There's always more to be done and trying to make time for tasks that require more focus can be challenging when there's lots of distractions! However, working three days a week makes me pretty disciplined, and I rely heavily on task lists to ensure that I don't forget things, even if I don't get them done straightaway.
what matters to you
What motivates you in your work at Bristol Charities?
Before this job, I was off with my youngest, having taken voluntary redundancy while pregnant. I was quite apprehensive about returning to work and finding something meaningful that fit with family life. While I was off, I followed my interests and volunteered to set up an intergenerational playgroup in a care home and help out on a community farm. I decided whatever I did next would be about social connection and get me outdoors much more. This role ticks both those boxes. I get to work alongside interesting people and I'm outdoors a lot more than I have been in previous roles. Working from home in the past, I would sometimes feel quite distanced from the impact of projects I was working on. Here, the impact is tangible.
I love being at Food Club each week and have gone from not knowing anyone's name to being able to greet (most) people by name and remember at least something about them! Funnily enough, the farm where I volunteered with my baby is Lush Greens, who I now work with as they deliver vegetables for Food Club.
Is there a part of the charity mission that particularly resonates with you?
I am passionate about the value of bringing people together to effect social change and I have worked on social action projects throughout my career. I also strongly believe that collaboration is key - working with like-minded partners for greater impact.
Getting to Know You
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love being outdoors in nature. I walk (or bus, train or cycle) pretty much everywhere, which means I'm a fan of the journey! I love reading when I get some time for myself and eating good food with friends.
Do you have a hidden talent, hobby or fun fact you can share?
I grew up on a farm. OK, that's stretching it, but I did spend every summer holiday growing up on the family farm in Bishop Sutton and I have very fond memories of picking fruit and working in the farm shop with my uncle.
What is a film which had an impact on you recently?
Motherboard. It's a documentary made up of 20 years of footage of a woman and her son, from foetus to adult. I found it very moving.
If you could have a superpower – what would it be?
I would love to be able to freeze time, so I could have more of it! I could then enjoy cooking very inefficiently or getting fully engrossed in a book, without worrying about all the other things I 'should' be doing with my time.
What are you reading or watching at the moment?
I'm watching Four Seasons on Netflix. There's some very funny moments and it's nice, easy watching for the end of the day.
We have a CEO with particular tea-making requirements – what's your hot drink of choice – shaken or stirred?
I'm not a tea drinker but I very much enjoy a good coffee with milk.
Team Shout-out
Who in another team has really helped or inspired you recently?
It's really hard to single someone out, but I am particularly inspired by Sam. He's the Nature Activity Coordinator in Stockwood and he's someone who really deeply cares about people and nature. He is also very open and easy to chat to.
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