Speakers

"I work with 4- to 16-year-olds in our ‘To Care is To Do’ children in care program, and also with 16- to 25-year-olds in our program for care leavers. A lot of the young people I work with wouldn’t have the opportunities that we give them, so it’s great to know we’re making a positive difference in their lives. Of course, it can be difficult. At first, a lot of the children don’t want anything to do with the idea of being looked after. But I start by doing something fun with them, and when they come back, we can gradually build up a supportive relationship."

"My main role is to support people into the local jobs inside the stadium. We offer a variety of roles across areas such as hospitality, retail, security, stewarding and cleaning. I take pride in what I do. I've lived here all my life so I know the area, the different types of people and the mentality of the local community. Engaging with the youth and the local community is important to me. And one thing that I'm big on is seeing the developing personal journeys of the applicants I place in work. When I've got a candidate a role in, say, retail and then they've gone on to pursue a career in that area, it’s very rewarding. I'm an optimist. I'm very purposeful and practical. I'm big on impact and I'm big on positive change."

"I do exercise work with pre-and post-surgery cancer patients. I love exercise and I love working with people, so it’s great that I’m able to combine the two. Exercise can help mitigate the side effects of cancer treatment, but there’s more to my role than that. There’s a lot of listening involved because these people are going through a really, really difficult and complicated time. I think they find it helpful to be able to talk to someone who’s kind of outside the medical world, but still involved professionally. It can be tough, but to feel that you’re helping someone cope with distress is a really rewarding feeling. It’s humbling."

"I love people, and I believe health is everyone’s wealth. I manage lifestyle clinics for members of the community aged 40 to 74. It involves checks for blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes, that sort of thing. I advise participants on how community services can benefit them, such as encouraging them to join classes that can help them give up smoking or reduce their alcohol intake. I go to local community centers, supermarkets, the library or even pop-up clinics. Anywhere I can meet people and try to coax them to have a free health checks. It’s the easiest thing to do. I help people to nip things in the bud. It’s great to connect with people and take away their fears."

"It's fantastic to see people coming to our sessions and achieving something they didn’t think they could. That could be something they achieve in physical health, social health or mental health.Health and Wellbeing Programmes Co-ordinator"