I joined Emmaus South Wales in September 2021 through the Government’s Kickstart Scheme that helps young people find work. So far, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know everyone, I’ve loved meeting the companions who are supported by the charity, and it’s great getting into the role and starting to think about how I can help.
Before Emmaus, I was at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David doing a Graphic Design Honours degree. I finished that with a First, which I’m pretty chuffed with. When I came out of university, I was having a look for some jobs when I heard about the Kickstart Scheme where you can get placements for six months at different organisations and companies. It seemed like a really good idea, and I thought it would give me a chance to have an amazing experience and put something on my CV.
I’m really into environmental work and into charities in general, so I thought it looked cool when a role as Digital Media Officer popped up at Emmaus South Wales. As a graphic designer, I love the branding of Emmaus. It’s something fun, colourful, and lively with a nice bouncy font and I wanted to work for them initially for that. I applied, interviewed, and was lucky enough to get the job.
Previously, I worked for Harris Printers, which is my family’s business doing a little bit of graphic design work. That was before I started university and it was only small jobs here and there, but it was a good way to get experience of graphic design and influenced me to do my degree. From that, I was focused on university and then came to Emmaus South Wales, so this is my first proper job.
As the Digital Media Officer, I’m doing things like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, helping to advertise the charity, get more followers and get people interacting and engaged with what Emmaus does. I’m also helping with any graphic design work that Emmaus needs help with along the way like posters and illustrations.
When friends and family ask me about Emmaus South Wales and what it does, I always tell them that it’s a homelessness charity that has a lot of different areas to it. There’s the retail side of Emmaus, where they have charity shops that sell items to generate an income for the Nant Lais community, which is accommodation for people who have been homeless. I really enjoyed meeting everyone, especially the companions because it’s interesting to learn about their stories and see how Emmaus is helping first-hand.
I feel like there’s so much stigma about people who are homeless, like people not liking them or saying that they deserve to be like that because they’ve done something in their lives. People shouldn’t think like that. Everyone goes through hard things in life and if someone needs help, you should help them. Emmaus is really great because they don’t judge anyone, and they help everyone they can to get back on their feet. Sometimes people need a little push and a little help, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
I’m really looking forward to working with Emmaus South Wales. I’ve got lots of ideas, I’m enthusiastic and young, so I think I can bring some fresh ideas to the role. When my placement is finished, I’d be happy if I got Emmaus South Wales into a better position with social media and graphic design, but I’d also like to come out with a better understanding of the working world, how to work within a company and charity, and to have more communication skills and confidence.