Week 1: Introductions and Scary Transport

Ella:

 

As a Kentish schoolgirl studying in her final years I felt particularly uninspired when presented with the idea of taking part in an extended work placement.

The process of selecting a placement seemed all too familiar: Fill out a form on a website and voila! – You have selected a second-rate placement, in the same area you’ve lived in your entire life, with people who seem like they’ve worked there their entire lives and be given the most inspirational job of photocopying and making endless cups of tea!

Unsurprisingly, I declined; and set about e-mailing and calling businesses and the (limited) contacts I had acquired with little hope of a response. I was referred to a member of The Building Exploratory team, and between us we arranged my placement. At the time I had very limited knowledge of how the charity functioned or how it contributed to the local community. I was also complete novice to the workings of London itself, and, if I am honest, daunted by the prospect of travelling on my own.

On my first day, however my journey was smooth and uncomplicated (as uncomplicated as travelling from Rochester to Hackney can be!). I was presented with a bright and interesting office and a small but perfectly formed team where everyone knew everyone- far away from the dull placements my friends had been forced to endure!

I was given an induction into the workings of the charity and was allocated time to wander around the website to get to grips with its purpose. I also had the chance to explore Hackney, visiting the ‘Scrap Project’, a charity who collect unwanted ‘rubbish’ from businesses and recycle them ready to be used by other charities running educational children’s art and craft sessions. We collected the materials for use in the next few children’s workshops on the calendar, one of which I was to observe in the following week. 

Despite my initial stereotypes of what work experience consists of, I have in fact felt part of a team and not entirely useless. The traveling really wasn’t half as scary as I had anticipated and I look forward to the next few weeks at The Building Exploratory with an open mind, ready for new experiences.