Learning Support Mentor

What do you love about working with bemix?

Working for bemix allows me to be able to meet amazing people who I am able to support to achieve things they would normally not be able to do. This allows me to use the skills I have and past experiences to be able to support in many different ways to suit the need of the person I am working with. I am also able to work alongside some impressive people who have developed a large range of skills and qualifications who treat you as part of a growing family within bemix.

How long have you been involved with bemix?

I have been involved with bemix since December 2014 when it was originally known as Skillnet Group before its rebranding. This is when I joined as a student within Head Held High, the employment coaching programme (now called Supported Internships). This cause enabled me to begin a work placement in the Pulse Cafe which later led to part-time employment as a Pulse cafe assistant and led to me developing my skills as well as training to suit job roles best suited to my abilities within bemix growing projects.

What is your role in bemix?

I've done lots of different roles at bemix, including supporting people in the cafe, working in the Eco Shed, working on Health and Safety, supporting within the Pulse adult projects in Sittingbourne and I was involved in work coaching young people in different work placements in the Sittingbourne and Medway area.

I now work in the Supported Internships programme as well as the Enterprise programme within Sittingbourne, but I have been involved in working on the same project in the Medway area. During Functional Skills sessions and Enterprise, I am the Teaching Assistant working alongside the young people. I have also taken on the role of maintenance of the Pulse, being part of the ordering of resources to use in the Supported Employment programme as well as keeping up to date with PPE supplies being stored in my workplace.

What did you do before you joined bemix?

Before I joined bemix I was involved in various types of volunteer work within charity shops as well as the Kent Wildlife Trust which enabled me to get out and about to socialise as well as work on developing different skill sets needed for a working environment. Due to past traumas and illness, I had been slowly working on improving myself but had reached an impasse which I was unsure of my next steps when I was informed by the jobcentre of the programme which bemix was providing.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not working?

When I am not at work I enjoy spending time seeing friends and family and being able to attend events such as geeky festivals, as well as music events of bands that I have an interest in. I also enjoy working on developing my skills around crafting items for myself and my business, Dwarven Wonders, which has been a long thought out process that has enabled me to be able to increase my knowledge and passions into different areas of interest.