Work Experience at SMH
At St Margaret’s House, we offer work experience and job placement opportunities to young people living and studying in the borough. This is often the first time a young person has stepped into a professional work environment. These placements can last from one week to once weekly for 10 weeks, with roles including assisting in our charity shop, Ayoka, facilitating activities with younger children, and exploring our archives. Our aim is that their experience with us gives those who take up the opportunity a wide range of experience that they can take with them into their futures.
We asked three of our most recent work experience students to share a bit of their experience, to give our blog readers an insight into what working at SMH is like. Read on to see what they said, including their impressions of what SMH provides for their local community:
Z:
“My first day was full of many rewarding experiences at St Margaret’s House. I spent the first half of the day helping with the charity shop Ayoka. I supported with things like sorting out clothes to their correct sizes, finding a price range for designer items. I also supported with making sure the shop was tidy for customers. I was met by a lovely team at Ayoka, making me feel welcomed and made me feel as if I could go to them if I had a concern or worry. Later, I had the opportunity to help with sessions for children and young people. The Hilarity group put on two shows that evening and it was very exciting to see the backstage experience before the show was finalised. Might I add that they're a hilarious bunch of kids. It was a great start to the week, interacting with amazing people and gaining valuable experience on the first day.
On my second day, I spent more time at Ayoka, continuing to help with organisation and the daily running of the shop. A few customers even approached me to ask about opening and closing times (I was very impressed with myself as I was able to answer this comfortably). I was also given the chance to take part in some woodwork at The Create Place next to Ayoka. Again, I was welcomed by such great people with different but amazing personalities as that is what creates such a nice connection and environment. Additionally, I created my own piece of work during the woodwork session, allowing me to bring back a memory from my work experience. Day one definitely gave me more confidence and assisted me to build on the skills needed for day two.
On my third day, my schedule had shifted from being in Ayoka to running important shifts around the area. I did stuff such as; changing posters and digitising the archive which was very tiring but also rewarding at the end. These tasks allowed me to understand more about the behind the scenes work at SMH. Later, I supported with another children's session where they had their end of term exhibition. I was able to help with this important and exciting event by designing titles for each project that the kids had completed throughout the term. Examples of these were; Picasso paintings, pop art, treasure maps and saltdough. This task meant that I got to bring out my creative side and contribute to their exhibition. Overall, it was another valuable day where I developed my interactive, creative and communication skills.
My fourth day gave me the chance to experience something different from my usual routine here. Instead of spending my morning in Ayoka, I was invited to The Create Place where I took part in beading and tracing activities (which I didn't know I could do). It was a new experience for me, as I discovered skills that I did not realise I had in me. I also enjoyed spending time with the older ladies there, who were very kind and welcoming (they made my morning). Later in the day, I helped support a music therapy session for disabled adults, which I found to be a very rewarding experience. It was inspiring to see how music can bring a group of many different individuals together, and how it puts a smile on everyone's face. Overall, day four was a very rewarding day, allowing me to experience many new things and build on my daily skills.”
S:
“My first day at St Margaret’s House was nerve-wracking as I wasn’t aware about what happens here but was curious to see how this organisation works. But, after meeting Beccy and the rest of the Arts and Wellbeing team for the first time, I realised that I had nothing to be nervous about as they were all so warm and welcoming towards me. They taught me so much about what St Margaret’s House really is, and how they try and encourage people to come together through offering these different activities.
During my week at St Margaret’s House, I experienced a variety of different activities such as crafting, woodwork, music therapy, as well as spending a lot of time in Ayoka, the charity shop. Whilst on my placement, I quickly realised that there are so many different activities and projects that St Margaret’s House offers which really do help others in the community. Throughout this week, it has been incredible seeing how these different activities and projects bring people in the community closer and I have loved hearing the different stories from some of the participants, understanding how much coming here has helped them, and their wellbeing. Coming here has helped me understand a lot more about making things more accessible for everyone, as well as how much they celebrate diversity here at St Margaret’s House. I have learnt that there are a lot of different approaches that help people.
I spent a lot of time working closely with Nigel and some of the volunteers in the Ayoka charity shop, and it was so lovely to see how much time and commitment they put in at the shop. I saw the different interactions they had with local customers and how much the customers enjoy coming into Ayoka, even if it is just to have a chat with Nigel! Whilst on my placement here and witnessing the different activities that are offered at St Margaret’s House, it opened my eyes and showed me how it is important to be adaptable after helping and working with people who may have specific needs. One of my aims when starting my placement was to gain more confidence, and the team here at St Margaret’s House have most definitely enabled me to do that by encouraging me to take part in the different activities that are offered here. I now understand how the work they do is so important and it has been a pleasure seeing all the hard work and effort the team here at St Margaret’s House put into these projects, making sure that people really do benefit from them.
One of the activities I experienced whilst being here that really stuck with me, was experiencing music therapy, and seeing the positive impact it has for people with specific needs. This involved some participants who are from the BPCA (Bangladeshi Parents and Carers Association). Before this, I had no idea that music therapy was a thing, and I had never experienced working with individuals with specific needs before, but it put a smile on my face, seeing how much they loved getting into it, engaging with the musical activities. Another activity that I received some insight from was woodwork, as speaking to one of the participants helped me understand how projects like this give people something to look forward to in the week, helping to take their minds off all the stresses they may usually have.
I especially enjoyed talking to participants of different activities and witnessing the meaningful relationships that they have all built with each other. Being at St Margaret’s house has helped me gain a deeper understanding of how important it is to collaborate as a team, and how volunteers are such a key part of St Margaret’s House! It was so lovely seeing how the team here include members of the community and encourage them to take part.
I have truly had such a wonderful week here at St Margaret’s House and have loved getting involved and understanding how the arts and using creative skills supports people’s wellbeing. Coming here has helped to push me out of my comfort zone, and I am so glad I was able to be here. I appreciate all the support and encouragement I have received here from the team here, and I am so grateful that they have allowed me to have this opportunity to really experience what it is like to be a part of St Margaret’s House.”
M:
“Completing my work experience at St Margaret’s House has been enjoyable and insightful as a young person exposing herself to the working world. I worked both in the charity shop, Ayoka, and in the St Margaret’s House office where I’ve identified and started to develop the skills needed to successfully work.
In the charity shop, I spent my time developing customer service skills. Learning how to manage the till and greeting/striking up conversation with customers is an important skill I picked up because it enables you to be more sociable and have genuine moments with people that you don’t always get to experience. The staff in the shop are especially able to help you with this as they have been kind and friendly to me from the first day and are the same with their customers. From when they first greet you at the door to helping you with anything while browsing to smiling and wishing you well as you leave, the staff have made Ayoka a welcoming space and demonstrate what a good work environment should be like. Another skill I have learnt is the organisational side in managing a charity shop: I’ve learnt how to sort and price donations which has taught me there is value to everything, even the small things we don’t realise.
In the office, I spent my time attending meetings where the staff also showed complete respect and treated me as equally as their colleagues. These meetings highlighted the operational side to how St Margaret’s House functions and the amount of planning required for such a creative space to succeed. What makes it different to other work experience placements is the freedom to express your creativity. They have The Create Place where there are classes such as beading or woodwork to develop being innovative and The Gallery Cafe which holds regular art exhibitions for artists to demonstrate the pieces they work hard on. In addition, I was given the opportunity to research St Margaret’s archives which not only developed my organisational skills but also gave me the chance to physically see the history of St Margaret’s House changing over time. Seeing how this organisation has provided help to the community over decades has shown me the importance of teamwork and how working together has a meaningful purpose.
Overall, I have really enjoyed my time here at St Margaret’s House and I am grateful to have chosen this place as my first experience in the world of working. I have no doubt the organisation will continue to inspire and help the community and I would recommend other young people to volunteer here.”
If you’re interested in work experience at St Margaret’s House, there is more information here.