Team spotlight: Blanca

One of a series highlighting members of our team.

Blanca is our Nourishing Communities Relationship Manager, who joined the team in April 2025. It has been a busy few months – but we managed to catch up with her one sunny afternoon, when she gave this exciting insight into her role. 

Can you share a bit about your role within Inn Churches and what it entails?

I am responsible for leading the expansion of the Nourishing Community voucher scheme, which is a key initiative of the FoodSavers Network in Bradford. This project aims to assist families who experience food poverty, with a particular focus on asylum seekers and individuals with mental health issues who are at risk of food insecurity. By adopting a cash-first approach, we promote access to fresh and nutritious food, encourage healthy eating habits, and support the growth of the local economy.

My role involves conducting social research to amplify the voices of communities, enhance our services, and create sustainable impact. I also contribute to the co-design of the project and monitor indicators to evaluate outcomes. I engage with partners and seek out those who can help us further our impact. Additionally, I work closely with team members and community leaders to achieve our goals. I also participate in the Rotary International community by promoting the FoodChampion Challenge.

What inspired you to get involved?

I am from Colombia and came to Bradford as an international Rotary Peace Fellow. I remember that, since I was a little girl, I have wished to serve those who have not had the same opportunities that I have. As I often say, I was lucky because of destiny, but one of those people could have been me. That’s why I chose to focus my work on gender equality, as I have always believed in the potential of women. I also bring experience in understanding food system governance, because food is a fundamental human right. I find it unacceptable that while some people waste food, others die from having nothing to eat. Our earth provides enough to nourish us all, yet power dynamics create deep inequalities where some have more advantages than others.

As soon as I learned about this job opportunity, I applied because I am a multicultural learner with experience working in different countries. I was excited by the chance to serve through such an inspiring charity organisation that genuinely cares for people, especially in the city that welcomed me to the UK and where I have created many meaningful memories. This has been an incredible opportunity, and I am deeply grateful for it.

Could you describe a memorable experience or moment you’ve had whilst at Inn Churches?

I have been here for only five months, but I have already gained so many valuable experiences. One of my favourite memories was conducting research in the pantries, where I had the opportunity to visit and witness the real impact first hand. I was deeply inspired by the conversations I had, the passion with which everyone carries out their work, the strong sense of belonging, and the resilience of the communities.

What challenges does your role bring, and how have you overcome them?

More than the challenge of my role itself, I would say the challenge has been learning the cultural dynamics. Even though I already had work experience, I found myself in a continuous process of understanding power dynamics, ways of working and interacting, partner engagement, language, the diversity of communities and the many ways in which a charity operates in the UK. The best way I found to overcome this has been through research and, most importantly, by asking questions and learning from the amazing team at Inn Churches, who have always been there to support me 😀

Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives that you are particularly excited about?

Of course, the project I’m leading is the Nourishing Communities voucher scheme. We just held the launch event a few days ago, and now the real work begins. I am excited to make a positive impact on the lives of some of the most vulnerable communities in Bradford!

 How has being part of Inn Churches impacted you personally?

I am truly grateful for this work! It has allowed me to gain international experience, enhance my professional skills, build my confidence in public speaking, learn from successful initiatives, showcase my research abilities, participate in insightful conferences and workshops and expand my professional network. This work has had so many positive impacts on me.

If you could have a superpower to aid your work within Inn Churches what would it be and why?

I would love to have the superpower of speaking all languages. Bradford is a multicultural city, and its communities are incredibly diverse. Some people miss out on opportunities because they lack the confidence to ask for help, they don’t speak English, and we don’t speak their languages. That’s why it would be amazing to have the ability to communicate with everyone and truly bring everyone to the table.

Are you willing to share a quirky or interesting fact about yourself that your fellow team members might not know?

 I love extreme and nature-based adventures, especially water activities. Once, I went scuba diving in the ocean in Colombia, and because I was so excited and focused on the marine life, I lost sight of my guide. I only had ten minutes of oxygen left, and for about five minutes, I couldn’t see anyone, just the ocean and the coral. I decided to stay in one spot near the coral, and fortunately, my guide eventually found me. It was a bit scary, but an absolutely marvellous adventure!

Finally, if you could swap roles with another team member for a day, who would it be and why? 

I would love to swap roles with Iryna, to gain the pantry experience and build those strong relationships with the communities and volunteers. It would also be amazing to learn from their life stories.