ABOUT

So what do you actually do?

I co-ordinate our Media Movers projects - planning and organising peer supports and training. I also reach out to media professionals and support the Media Movers with any media work they may have.

What has your career path been?

While at uni I studied psychology and as I was coming to the end of my degree, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I knew I didn't want to continue in education so I was really conflicted about what to do.

At the time, I volunteered with on a project called Let Us Learn it was a project I was really passionate about and something I knew I would love to work on professionally if the opportunity came up. And it did! I became a part time Project Worker while I continued the job I got at uni which was Brand Ambassador.

After working there for a year my contract ended. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go next, but I knew that it would have to be a cause I cared about and an organisation I could really see myself fitting into, which is when I came across my role at On Road. I also in that time applied for a trustee role at another organisation because I felt it was important to build my experience and to be a voice of lived experience in an organisation that may not necessarily have that.

What is the best part of your job?

Simply put, it's the people. My colleagues make going to work everyday easy. They're such a supportive and encouraging bunch. And of course, the members of our Media Movers group. Seeing them learn about the media, using and discussing the communication strategies we teach them and being more comfortable within themselves and as a group makes it very worthwhile.

What inspired you to do your job?

My personal experience as a migrant and being a Media Mover myself, I knew On Road was an organisation I trusted, I really care about their work and the change their trying to make. Importantly, I also knew it was a role I could grow in professionally and personally.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

Don't be afraid about making mistakes or asking questions. No one will ever be perfect at a role, especially coming into it. Your colleagues will probably expect you to have questions and things you want to discuss. That's what they're there for!

And always keep in mind why you do the work you do. What purpose does it serve you and/or those around you. It'll help on particularly difficult days

Final words?

Working in the charity sector can bring up a lot of feelings, whether you're personally affected by the issue you work on or not. This is especially true if you work closely with people with lived experience of an issue. It can be scary, but don't be afraid to acknowledge and deal with those feelings. They can often be great motivators for you and even your team. More importantly, it's a moment for you to learn more about who you are and that can translate into how you approach your role.

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DAY IN THE LIFE

Since working from home, things have changed slightly, but...I typically am woken by my alarm at 6.30am. I then proceed to ignore it because this is my pre-COVID alarm that I have, for some reason, refused to change. Eventually, depending on the day, I may wake up at 7.30 or 8am and proceed to get ready for work. If it's a really good day, I'll do 30 mins of yoga or some other form of exercise.

By 9am, I'm usually at my desk. I have 45 mins of everyday dedicated to checking emails and prepping for the day. We have a project management tool, that I will usually check to see what tasks I've assigned myself and tweak deadlines if necessary. I'll also be having breakfast at this point, because I tend to take my sweet time getting ready for work.

At 9.45-10.15am we have a team check-in and this is my favourite part of the day. We generally say hello, talk about how our evening went and just general chat to make the working at home time feel less isolating. Sometimes there are work updates to talk about, sometimes we have a group exercise or creative - it tends to be a free flowing space.

Once that's done, it's down to the actual work day, which ends at 5pm. I may be putting the agenda together for a peer support session. doing research and sending out pitches for interactions with the media, have meetings or sector events I'm planning on attending, reaching out to Media Movers for various reason and a whole host of other administrative tasks.

In the middle of this, I'll have a lunch break at 1pm, which I always take, unless it's a really busy day and even then I will find time for at least 30 mins of rest because I know I will be feeling drained. My lunch is pretty boring, just eating and watching something usually. I essentially like anything that gives my brain a break, but I have been known to go for lunch time walks, which is actually a much better mental break.

For the Media Movers project we run our peer support in the evening from 5.30-6.30am, this varies on our other projects at On Road. If it's a peer support day, I'll take a 15-30 min break so I don't feel too tired while I facilitate the session. They tend to be full of check-ins, ice breakers, practical activities and media learning so it can be a lot at the end of the day if I don't take a moment for myself before hand.

If it's not a peer support day, 15-30 mins before the work day ends I'm usually wrapping up and identifying what needs to be done for the next day. Then, I turn off my laptop, place my work phone on airplane mode and go annoy my family for the rest of the evening or call a friend (usually both). In a pre-COVID world, I might have gone to the gym after work before heading home.

Outside of this, I also host a podcast so after work I may be recording or having a chat about upcoming episodes with my co-host.

By 11/11.30pm I'm usually laying in bed, watching Parks and Rec or TikToks or YouTube vids and getting ready to start the day again.