Work Experience as an adult

How did you get that job? Is something I've heard since I entered the world of work. I started working in care in 1988 and always knew I wanted to be in this line of work. I like helping people and getting results. But care work had a shelf life for me when I was injured in the work place. It happened more than once and affected me emotionally as well as physically.

I started moving away from care towards working with children and young adults. by volunteering with a Scout Group through a friend. I then had relevant experience to apply for a job as a Youth Worker in 1994 and then moved into being a Teaching Assistant around 2000. In between I worked in supermarkets and a chip shop to boost my income, before doing a NVQ through a training scheme and finally obtaining my Cert Ed around 2007. I continued working with children and volunteering to run the local football club.

Whilst training I worked as a Lecturer at the local college and finally combined everything to work as a Child Welfare Officer for the local English Football Association.

Then in 2011 we moved to South Africa and my career came to an end. I continued teaching in a volunteering capacity and became involved with a couple of charities assisitng with education and general support in several townships, from art projects to new buildings, with fund raising and obtaining donations.

On moving to Dubai I taught FS1 for 18 months in a paid capacity, using my recent experience in South Africa to show a range of skills and diversity. I had to pack that in due to a family situation but I then started volunteering on the DP World Tour as a Marshall, which turned into being offered some occasional paid work when the Tour was in the UAE. I let the Production Team know I was now in the UK, but sadly due to the fact I returned to paid work as a Teaching Assistant in a local Secondary School, I've been unable to take time off to date other than the weekend of the 22nd-24th July at the Cazoo Classic in Southport.

All of this has been achieved by hard work, putting myself out there, networking, studying and hours trawling the internet looking for jobs and opportunities. I've also accumulated quite a variety of sports gear/uniform.

The first week in August I was volunteering at the Commonwealth Games in the Athletes Village in Birmingham. I had an interview back in September through my application and experience and I was initially turned down for a role. But I'm guessing lots of people drop out so I was asked if I wanted to work with Cleaning, Catering and Waste, front of house in the Olympic Village Restaurant meeting and greeting athletes and associated personal. 

It's another thing to put on my CV as I continue to search for opportunities wherever they take me. Pay isn't the issue, it's the opportunity to do something new, different and exciting.

Post Comment Love - 5th-7th August 2022. The Commonwealth Games

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Lifeat139a and I.

I've had a busy week (as usual) with volunteering at the Commonwealth Games and packing for our holiday to Australia. The packing took less than an hour, but the cleaning has taken 2 full days. Fingers crossed when I get back there won't have been a water leak in the attic like there was last time we were away.

At the time of writing we're still waiting to hear about Peter's eVisa to be approved. Mine came through within an hour. Keep your fingers crossed for us that it arrives in time for our flight.

The dog and cat will be enjoying the company of house sitters while we're away, I'm sure they'll be spoilt.

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Volunteering at the Commonwealth Games 2022 Birmingham

I had a fantastic 2 days at the games and was fortunate to be asked to work inside the Commonwealth Village, where I got to hold a gold medal and meet so many athletes that I've been pointing at on the TV, saying 'I met hime, spoke to her and got their photo'

I was only notified 3 weeks ago that I had been awarded a role. Everything has been done online with no contact from anyone other than a generic email. I completed 3 hours of online training on all aspects of security selected my shifts from the portal. There was no venue trying available on dates I was available.

As I was asked late I only had 7 days that I was available to work, due to prior commitments and I selected 4 dates. I submitted my accreditation and my uniform was promptly delivered.

I arrived on site Day to collect my accreditation. No one said I had to or from where, and I was helped out by the police to reach the accreditation tent. It wasn't ready. Volunteers were unable to help and paid staff just said my role hadn't been assigned and that was that unless I could give them the name of my supervisor inside the Village. So 5 hours later I returned home. I emailed, I tweeted and received no response. Unwillinging to get up at 5am on Monday morning, I didn't go in, but Peter said I should make the effort on Tuesday.

Tuesday the police wouldn't let me in the inner cordon to reach the accreditation tent so I had to walk 5kms around the permitter to reach the tent and saw the same person who again said it wasn't ready and just shrugged. Now an hour late for my shift I told her I was leaving comments on the Facebook page about the situation and she suddenly assigned the role and printed my pass.

On entry to the village I was told to find a bloke called Lee, somewhere down there. Lee was located and when I asked him who was responsible for contacting volunteers and replying to their emails, he said he was, but he was too busy to do so. 

I was assigned as a 'Way Finder' and at 3pm I just went home.

Being a Way Finder meant I was to meet and greet athletes and personal as they walked from the accommodation block to the dining halls and ask if they needed anything. I was working with another volunteer who was extremely territorial and kept taking over my conversations, standing in front of me and actually putting her hand in front of my face to direct people. I just moved away and worked on my own. Eventually after she kept intercepting people I told her I wasn't interested in collecting PINS (badges) from the athletes and if I was given any, I'd pass them on to her. She left me alone after that.

Wednesday was a fun day. I informed Lee I didn't want to work with the volunteer again and explained why. He just laughed and said she was a bit like that, so I was given a scanner, introduced to another volunteer and spent the day outside the door of one of the restaurants to scan athletes and personal into the dining facilities. The day went too fast, it was such good fun, chatting to the athletes, asking them how their games were going, congratulating them and commiserating others.

I got to hold a Commonwealth Gold Medal and grabbed a few selfies with some of them. I'm glad I made the effort to go in for the 2 days as it was a great experience, despite the hassles actually getting in. It won't deter me from volunteering again either.

Mens 3v3 Basketball

James Hollis 100m Butterfly S10

James Guy 3 Silvers, 2 Bronze and a Gold.

Matty Lee

Olivia Breen 100m T38

Week 29 One Daily Positive and Project 365 Summer

We really enjoyed the hot weather at the start of the week, it was nice to have the doors and windows open, enjoy a cool breeze and benefit from the temperature difference in the shade and not be blasted with cold air from the air con.

Although temps did equal those in Dubai, the biggest difference was that ours were only for 2-3 days, not 2-3 months and the temperature in Dubai doesn't drop below 30c during the night. It's nice to experience though, but not to live in those temperatures full time, like we did.

196 Saturday Up early, dog walked and off to Bath for the day collecting MIL along the way. I was surprised at how quiet the M5/M4 junction was and Bath City Centre itself. Home around 5pm and evening spent watching the golf on TV.

197 Sunday We had a lie in till 8am which is good for us. I finished booking all our upcoming trips and sorting insurance out and did some general tidying up. We went out for coffee and a food shop. A friend came round in the afternoon/evening for a BBQ.

198 Monday A day of just pottering around and another BBQ for tea. I read a book and had a few cat naps. Took Bob down to the local stream in the evening.

199 Tuesday More pottering, packed for my trips away, started a new book, some blogging and was looking forward to the light rain in the early evening, but we only had 12 rain drops in an hour.

200 Wednesday Back to work via the swimming pool. It was enrichment day and I ended it doing some Bollywood dancing in the hall. Went to opticians for hospital referral for double and blurred vision. Evening spent round the neighbours folding their washing and popping balloons with the kids, then home to do the ironing and watch the tv.

My uniform for the Commonwealth Games arrived.

201 Thursday Last day of term and the whole school walked the Malvern Hills, I walked with a colleague, chatting to students along the way. We covered 20,000 steps and it took 4 hours. Home to collect bags and a 4 hour drive to Southport for the golf. I wandered down to the Pier and bumped into a guy from Dubai who works with the tour over there. he wasn't here for the golf but with his family on a day trip, small world. I ate fish and chips for tea and bought some fudge, was asleep by 10pm.

202 Friday  Woken at 4.30am by the seagulls, reminded me of living in South Africa with the Ha De Da dawn chorus. Back to sleep, then showered, out for a walk and coffee. I headed off to the golf early to collect my accreditation and sat and read my book until TV call time at 2pm. I finished at 8pm, soaked through and cold and had dinner at Wetherspoons, then back to the B&B showered and bed.

On the blog this week:

How much spare time I have and what I do in it.

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Working on the European Golf Tour for the Race to Dubai, during Covid.

I've been volunteering with the Golf in the UAE for 3 years now and have had some amazing opportunities from working with the anti drug testing, marshalling, as a spotter and working with the TV Production team with scoring and recording sound, which you can read about here.

However it's all been very different during covid, no crowds, just minimal hospitality, coaches, a few partners of the golfers and caddies plus agents and sponsors around the course, meaning it's been quieter than usual and with few distractions, I'm really getting to enjoy the experience a bit more.

An empty Village, normally full of food vendors, tv screens and bean bags.

Usually this space is open for viewing the 1st tee from the stands which aren't here this year.

There are two bubbles, one for the golfers, caddies, European Tour Team and everyone who has flown in for the event, which is called the inner bubble are all staying in the Atlantis Hotel. Us volunteers, who live locally are in the outer bubble. We have separate toilets on the course to use and restricted access to certain areas, our lanyard colours give indication as to who is inner and outer bubbles. We're also temperature checked every morning and have daily online forms to fill in, we can't travel on the golf carts and have a separate bus between the TV compound and the course.

The Race to Dubai has the World's top golfers playing for a share of $8,000,000 and is part of the Rolex Series. I'm walking round with the top players with a live TV crew recording the sound of the caddies speaking to the golfers, up close and personal on the tee's, fairway and edge of the greens. It's hard work, the kit weighs around 3kg with the battery packs, I have an ear piece to get instructions and to be able to radio back in for a ref etc, head phones so I can hear what sound I'm picking up, then add a mask, back pack with food and drink, sunglasses and a hat and I'm my own game of buckaroo or if you're older, I could try balancing a cabbage for my own episode of Crackerjack.

For the regular readers of my blog posts I know a lot of you don't follow the golf, so have no idea who I'm talking about, well I don't play golf either and I rarely follow it the rest of the year due to lack of access to the golf channels here in Dubai and the UK, but I'm learning fast. the rules, the players and even matching up family members and caddies now to the players.

A list for the day helps.

I know who plays the greens slowly and who takes their time with the tee shots. I know which players get a little upset when they hit a bad shot and those who like to have a laugh with their team mates when they're walking down the fairways. But it's a serious game, with a lot of money at stake.

There is little interaction from the players towards us, minimal conversation from them and barely a thank you at the end of 18 holes. I'm not sure many of them are aware most of us are volunteers though.

Recording sound is great fun, you get to walk right up close and personal with the players, it's rare to be within 2 meters of them anyway as you have to keep out the way of the cameras and quite often there can be 3-4 per hole. Trying to find your position to record the sound on the green, away from the cameras, out of the sight line of the golfers without walking on the green is tricky and I'm often having to sprint ahead to get into position, then they over hit and you have to just stay completely still and watch your shadows at the end of the day.

The worse thing that can actually happen is for a golfer or a caddy to ask you to move as you know you've got it wrong, thankfully that hasn't happened to me yet.

Some of the golfers and caddies don't actually realise how much you can hear with the mic. Quite often I'll laugh out loud and they'll ask 'did she hear that?' 'Yes I did'. I've heard some great stories as I've walked alongside, behind and even in front if the wind is blowing in the right direction. The sound is fed back to the studio, I point at their faces when they're lining up for a shot, the ground when they hit the ball, then the crowd for the applause.

I also pick up comments, personal stories, breaking wind and sometimes comments aimed at me in an attempt to knock me off balance and make me blush. (I'm the mother of 4 adult males, they must try harder) Some will deliberately swear so they know the sound won't be used and try to encourage me to walk with the other golfer. 

I won't be repeating the stories on here or social media, no one has ever told me I can't but ethically I know it would be wrong.

Week 49 - One Daily Positive. Back in Dubai and the Golf

Back in Dubai early hours of Tuesday morning, it's been a long week and all happened very fast, considering last Friday at 4.50pm I'd given up on my container ever being delivered. I will be sorting the issues out with the company here in Dubai, but I'm not hopeful anything will be achieved as everyone was passing responsibility back and forth. I'm really pleased I got back in time to work on the European Golf Tour, it won't be long before I resume working back in the UK and I really need to have some more areas of interest on a CV that has been fairly empty for the past 10 years.

334 Sunday Not a word from the moving company till 1pm 'we're on our way' from Greenwich. They arrived at 7pm, it took 2 hours to unload. The sofa that came out the house almost 10 years ago to the date, is now in the neighbours garage, because it won't go back in, they unwrapped the oven smaller sofa, fridge freezer and that was it. I'd paid for a full unpack and removal of waste on same day. But if I wanted my container now, that was the deal. Another complaint to add to my list.

335 Monday Up early, said good bye to the cat and dog. House sitters were still sleeping when I left. Caught the train into Paddington, which was so quiet, I could've cried. It's only when I travel that the enormity of covid really hits home, that and the 'Clap for Keyworkers' I'd booked the evening flight as I was unsure I could get to Heathrow for the earlier one, but I had plenty of time and transferred to the earlier flight. No fees payable to rebook during covid. I had a row to myself, an uneventful flight, got some sleep and had no anxiety at all.

An empty Paddington Station.

336 Tuesday On arrival had a PCR test and now playing the waiting game for results. Peter had his within 8 hours when he returned from Saudi the other week. I arrived during a busy time for transit passengers and it's a public holiday so I had to wait longer. Most of the day spent in bed, only had 4 hours sleep during the night, body clock in regards to meal times is confused. While I was having breakfast, Peter was already at lunch time and asking me what I wanted for dinner. I unpacked and got ready for the golf tomorrow.

View from the bedroom window.

337 Wednesday 1st day at the golf. I was assigned a spotters role, basically counting the number of shots made by a golfer on each hole and radioing the scores back into the TV studios to provide information for their live commentary. I was bitten whilst hiding from the TV cameras in the rough (long grass) and got sunburnt. Came home, showered and off to the Polo Club for dinner and pub quiz with friends, which we won.

338 Thursday More golf and another long day outside in the sun, The TV compound is off site so we found ourselves sitting by the driving range for an hour whilst there was a break in live TV, it was nice to have a rest. Some of the golfers, but mainly the caddies start to recognise us now.

We went to a small baby shower and BBQ for the evening

339 Friday Golf again, just one round of 18 holes walked today, TV finished at 3pm, so home early. We went for a walk along the beach, had dinner and an early night.

The pods are finally on the wheel.

340 Saturday Up early again, did some blogging and headed off to the final day of the golf for this week. I've been walking an average of 8 to 10 miles a day in a circle, round 18 holes of golf, I know the course like the back of my hand now. The afternoon was spent putting up the Christmas Tree and decorations.

More golf next week with the finale of The Race to Dubai where a prize fund of $8 million. This weeks Golf in Dubai Championship was a mere $2.3 million.

On the Blog this week:

The role of a scorer at the golf.

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Marshalling on the European Tour. The Race to Dubai 2019.

I'll start by declaring I don't play golf, know much about the players or even the game, but I do love being out and about, meeting people and volunteering.

Living as an expat restricts my ability to work. We've chosen for Peter to work and for me to support him and the family. This means taking on a permanent job is impossible, so instead I blog, write, have regular weekly activities in Dubai I take part in and volunteer when I can.

I've always volunteered, from school PTA, to the kids sporting and after school activities, to education projects in South Africa and more recently in the last 12 months at the golf on the European Tour in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Part of the European Tour is the Race to Dubai, which starts next week in Malelane in South Africa, there are points awarded for finishing and they accumulate to the final event in Dubai at the DP World Tour Championship. With a prize fund of $8,000,000 it's the biggest win available in golf.

The European Tour takes place over 48 events in Europe, Africa, America, Asia, Australasia. There are also 8 tournaments that are part of the Rolex series. As well as the prize fund for the tournament, the winner is also presented with a Rolex watch.

We started watching the European Tour when we lived in South Africa and visited Sun City in the event prior to attending the DPWTC, we added the HSBC Abu Dhabi tournament and the Omega Desert Classic to our list of events to attend and from there I discovered the marshalling.

On tournament days this is as close as you get really to the players, they don't talk or interact and a successful marshal is one who the player and caddie say hello to and thank you at the end of the round, anything else usually means you've done something wrong and I'm pleased to say I only got shouted at by one caddie for kids screeching and running around in the presence of their parents, I think he understood it was out of my control, he was just frustrated., so was I.

My view of Rory McIlory and Mike Lorenzo Vera, the leaders on Day 3 from my position on the 17th green.

Rory up close on the 9th green, we do get some time off to watch the golf, but as we're in uniform we're expected to help so taking photo's has to be quick and definitely not when we're marshalling.

There are so many roles that can be taken at the tournament from being static (manning a crossing) or travelling (walking the course with the players) I've done both. Walking with Sergio Garcia last week on the ProAm day to spotting the ball on the 17th green. walking with a group. All I had to do with raise a red flag if the ball landed in the water behind the green and inform the player if it went straight in or bounced first, so they knew they had to take a second shot. All the balls landed on, near the green and the two water shots were in the front so the players knew they had to take a second shot from the drop zone and not from the tee. I got to watch that hole up close and personal.

I don't actually get to see much golf as the static positions at the crossings, or manning the first tee or covering the 18th green mean I'm there to manage the crowds so my back is to the players and I rely on the crowds expressions to know how well the hole went.

On the last hole, as Marshals we sit on the green and get to enjoy the final hole, made even more exciting by Jon Rahm, winning the Race to Dubai, the DPWTC title and the Rolex series on his final putt.

You also get fab views like this of the Presentation.

The winner posing for photos with the marshals.

Next up is the HSBC Tournament in Abu Dhabi and the Omega Desert Classic back in Dubai, so if you like golf or just seeing if you can spot me on the TV, tune in. I'll be there.

Kameeldrift Trauma Support - Rape care kits

I'm sure you'd be more interest in this blog post if I posted about a cake. I did recently on facebook and received a lot of attention with likes and comments. I posted a photo of a rape care kit and I guess people just scrolled right past, pretending not to see it as they didn't know what to say.

Anyway I digress.

I'm visiting South Africa our former home and supporting friends who work with various charities and projects throughout the year. I'm no longer affiliated with any of the charities here, but I help out with things online and some fundraising throughout the year and when I visit, I tidy, clean, pack and physically get involved hands on.

Over the weekend my friend Lee-Ann, took me with her to a community in Pretoria North to hand out rape care kits on behalf of Kameeldrift Trauma Support, who she is involved with throughout the year.

These kits aren't handed out to women who have been raped, they are handed out to women for when they or a family member or friend is raped.

1:3 women have been or will be raped in South Africa, with 150 cases reported daily. Many do not report because a) it is a way of life for some and b) too many women are afraid of reprisals for reporting their rapist.

In the UK statistics for the same period were 1:200.

Of course these figures can't be relied on and they do not include the rape of men or children, nor do they include other forms of sexual abuse.

But the reality is in South Africa it is going to happen, just when is the only unknown.

So how can a rape care kit help women in crisis.

Each kit contains a brown paper bag to place underwear in, a plastic bag can contaminate the DNA. The advice is to put it in a freezer asap for the best forensic results.

There is also a note pad and pen to write down what happened in detail.

Everything else in the pack is for personal hygiene and comfort.

In the recent kits being distributed there have been donations from Isabella Garcia with facial wash and body creams and from Reitzer Pharmaceuticals glycerine soaps.

All other items have been donated by individuals by adding a few extra items to their shopping trolley each week and through cash donations.

This is not a sponsored post, I'm advertising the services of Kameeldrift Trauma Support as I believe and support fully the work they are doing. The two companies tagged will hopefully share this post on their social media and I'm hoping it will lead to further donations from them and other companies to support this worthy project.

How to be a spotter on the European Tour

The European Tour was in Abu Dhabi last week. I worked as a volunteer marshal. I had no idea what my role would involve, but I did have some experience from the Race to Dubai tournament back in November, where I worked as a travelling marshal in the Pro Am, escorting players around the course and managed the 1st tee.

In Abu Dhabi this week I took on a new role as a spotter as well as working as a crossing marshal and on the 16th and 18th tee.

A spotter's role is to move ahead of the players and estimate where the golfers ball may land, based on the average hitting distance and keeping a close eye on the tee marshal who indicates whether the ball has gone in a straight line or gone wide.

This means standing in the line of fire, in sight of the tee so the golfer can see where their ball has landed and marking the ball if it's gone out of play or in the water hazards. It's important to note where the ball hit the water and whether it bounced on the ground first and rolled in or not.

 Often the ball lands directly in the longer grass around the fairway and is difficult to find.

And if it lands in the undergrowth it can be impossible to find, in which case a referee is called for.

 
The group of golfers I walked round with spent a lot of time in the bunkers and the water hazards. I felt mean pointing to where their ball had landed, in bunkers, undergrowth, out of bounds and under cacti.

Play was slow on Wednesday and Thursday and instead of spotting I had to do 'listening' as the sun was low and I couldn't see the ball in the air, let alone know where it had landed and it was pot luck for one golfer that I guessed his ball had landed in the water.

I didn't actually see much golf being played, but I did see all the golfers either play through from the fairway or walk onto the tee. I was there to manage the crowd so had my back to the golfers during each shot.

I did meet some amazing people from around the world and met up with marshals who I recognised from Dubai.

Next up, the Omega Desert Classic this weekend, then I'm taking a break from the golf as it leaves the UAE until November. I may volunteer at the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City South Africa if I can time my travels. In the meantime I'm applying to the Rugby 7's and the Abu Dhabi grand prix as well as the special olympics and Expo 2020