I’m a volunteer Policy and Advocacy Officer with the Medaille Trust. At the moment, I’m mainly researching issues faced by our clients and by us as an organisation. My goal is to use this information to campaign for a better way. Because of this, I need to keep up to date with the ever-changing political landscape that the charity works in, ranging from a national to a local level. I also need to have a solid understanding of what other organisations are doing to help combat modern slavery too.
I first heard about the Medaille Trust a fair while ago. My dad kept on bringing home pens, mugs and post-it notes with the butterfly logo on; turns out he’s the CEO! All joking aside, through my dad I’ve known about the charity’s work for a number of years. I’ve found it eye-opening to hear about the work done by him and the organisation to fight the very serious problems of modern slavery and human trafficking.
I started working with the Medaille Trust in April this year after I was furloughed from my job in recruitment. Although the two wouldn’t necessarily seem related, I think there are similarities between my job and my volunteer role. In both positions it’s essential to be both thorough and persistent. That could be while campaigning for change, or chasing down an excellent candidate. Perhaps most important though is the value in building good relationships. Both roles are very socially-focused and it’s important that I‘m able to work collaboratively and well with other people. I’m really excited to be using the time I now have and the skills that I’ve developed so far in my career to help fight for some of the most vulnerable in our society.
It’s early days, but a highlight for me so far has been using my research to help the charity apply for a significant chunk of government funding. That may sound boring to some, but I found it very rewarding to know that my research into national and local policy could help the Medaille Trust expand its efforts even further. Going forward, I’m looking forward to getting involved in more campaigns with the organisation. Knowing that the work that I do now can make a lasting change for people in this country is a really motivating factor for me.
Can you join Elliot and our #superstars in making a difference to lives of clients, potential victims and creating freedom and refuge from modern slavery. If you are interested please send us an email at: volunteers@medaille-trust.org.uk
