#BlackLivesMatter

#BlackLivesMatter

This last weekend, and into this week there have been protests after the murder of George Floyd by the knee of a policeman which laid on his neck for over 8 minutes.

His crime, selling cigarettes.

It’s not the first time this has happened, and looking at some of the images of police brutality since that day, it won’t be last. I saw an image taken just three days after George Floyd’s of another police officer with a knee on the neck.

Like many other privileged white people, I don’t understand. But it’s clear that standing with that statement will never change anything.

I feel helpless. I am from a majorly white area of the UK and my exposure to any different kinds of race and culture was limited to the one Indian and one Chinese restaurant in the town.

I am ignorant, and I don’t want to be anymore.

I’ve turned a blind eye as it hasn’t affected me and my bubble adversely. But that doesn’t promote anything. In my entire working life of over 10 years I have worked with one person of Asian descent. Other than, all white heritage.

One.

This is not reflective of the cultures and diversity in the city I live in.

This is the racism that is being opposed. The systemic blanking of any type of group that isn’t white. That we’re automatically favoured, subconsciously because of the colour of our skin because of years and years of teaching and education that buries the truth that we all equal.

We are all equal.

I have so much to thank for black lives and black culture.

I don’t want it subdued anymore, whether explicitly or implicitly.

I must do better. You must do better.

I am not just not-racist, I am anti-racist.

I will do my best.

I want to be like this guy: https://twitter.com/i/status/1266907736735956996

“let’s walk [together]”

Volunteering: the gateway to my present

Did you know that I owe most of what I know today from volunteering at a very young age?

When I graduated with my law degree I couldn’t land on my feet with a job straight away due to the credit crash. I deferred my place for further study and headed home.

At that time I still wanted to do law so started volunteering at my local Citizens Advice Bureau. I did this while also working the breakfast shift at a local fancy country hotel.

I would wake just after 5am, head to breakfast, leave at about 11 and head straight to Citizens Advice.

I stayed there for two and a half years. One and a half of those years as a full time paid caseworker specialising in welfare benefits.

I was exposed to so much with such a small dedicated team.

I learnt:

– How to work as part of a team
– How to talk to people who needed support
– How casework and organisation works in a service environment
– How to work with other organisations to make sure client needs were met
– How a varying number of projects worked

All of this learning and on the job experience for giving my time and working hard.

The principles and values from that time still live with me today and I want to share them with everyone as I believe they fostered a person in me to be more empathetic to the people around me which has helped more and more people come out of themselves and be who they truly are.

If you’re looking for a new perspective on life, volunteer somewhere near you. You won’t be disappointed.

Where will you go to help others and learn skills in the process?

Conference Poster in Real Life

I mentioned in a post last week that I loved speaking in public and was showed me giving a lightning talk at Public Health Wales conference in 2018.

I gave examples that posters are often provided to conferences if you can’t speak.

This is an example of such an example back in my ManVan days. That email address won’t work and the the ManVan is now something very different working with Movember UK.

I will forever be proud of being a member of that team and creating the impact we did for men and their families. Helping others live a fulfilled life stemmed from that project, and in particular, working alongside the counsellor, nurses and logistics officers – meeting new people everyday.

Best days ever.

How can you bring the days to your life while serving your purpose? How can you share this with others? It doesn’t always have to a poster at a conference.