Being a Project Coordinator for Discovery
Jack Finn-Kennedy, one of our digital media volunteers, interviewed outgoing Project Coordinator (PC) Jarren Coates about what it has been like be a PC.
Jarren, originally from South Africa, has been studying education studies for the past three years at Swansea University, and has just graduated. Jarren has been a volunteer with Discovery since her first year at University. I asked her why she was so interested in this type of work and what had she gained from her volunteering experience.
Jarren wanted to develop her leadership skills as she hopes to enter the Police Service as a Police Officer and she believes leadership skills are important for this role. Jarren felt she needed to gain confidence and learn how to be assertive if she was to be the type of Police Officer she hopes to be. Jarren feels strongly about helping those who are disadvantaged, she understands that not everyone has the same opportunities in life and therefore a sense of social justice and inclusion is at the centre of her passion for volunteering.
Jarren found out about Discovery volunteering opportunities through the University and was attracted by the training and the support offered to volunteers. She felt she could commit herself to giving up of some of her free time to help others while gaining vital training. Jarren completed first aid training which enabled her to gain knowledge and skills to keep calm during emergency situations and confident that she was able to put her learning into practice if it was needed. Jarren said this training is valuable and recommends that we all should do it. Jarren also talked about safeguarding training; learning about how to look out for vulnerable people, for example – to look out for issues of bullying and how to address these issues safely, sensitively and with confidence – she believes that children’s welfare is at the forefront of all of the volunteering work she has undertaken. Jarren said she felt supported by Discovery, and highlighted that she was encouraged by other staff and coordinators to do well, to take time over her learning to make it worth it for the people she was working with, for herself and the charity.
Jarren originally started off as a general volunteer and said she really enjoyed it – from this, she decided to apply for the role of project coordinator. Jarren said “I felt passionate about organising different projects and really enjoyed the idea of leading a team.”.
Learning about how teams work well, how to support others to make the most of their skills and strengths, while developing her own, really helped her understand how she could make a difference to people’s lives, and by doing so, she said she was able to make a difference to her own life.
Jarren recalled that her favourite aspects of the job where three-fold: working with children, meeting new people, and having fun while gaining vital training, work experience and essential life skills.
Jarren told me that her experiences with Discovery have helped her “massively” with enhancing her own employability. She told me “it has helped me gain loads of experience at university, without actually having to get a job alongside doing my degree- its the culmination of all of my endeavours as project coordinator for Discovery that have helped me grow as a person.”
This she said, would stand her in good stead for her future working career. Jarren advises and wholeheartedly recommends a stint of volunteering with Discovery. She said that as a volunteer, you get back more than you put in because it changes you for the better. Her advice to others is simple: Go for It!
Discovery is currently recruiting for Project Coordinators (PC) for 2020-2021. If Jarren’s interview has inspired you email discovery@swansea.ac.uk for information about how to apply to be a PC
