By Ms Drapela (Careers and Sixth Form Administrator)

This week, we were joined by Poppy Browning, Children and Young Peoples Activities Co-ordinator at BDCPS. Poppy delivered a delightfully informative careers talk as part of our on-going Lunchbox Lectures, speaking with our students about charity work and how to get involved.

BDCPS is a small local Bedfordshire charity that supports people with complex disabilities and their families. There, Poppy has worked for just over a decade, having started as a volunteer and working her way up through various paid roles. She now works in the office helping to plan and run all the clubs/playschemes BDCPS offers. During her talk, Poppy shared with students her journey within the charity, having volunteered, gone to university, then coming back as she found her experience so great she felt drawn to stay.

It was great to hear Poppy speak of the work BDCPS does to help support people with disabilities and their families, and also how fondly she looks back on the people she has met and the activities she has been able to be a part of and plan. As Poppy played a few videos of BDCPS, you could see how supportive and meaningful the work they do is, from small acts to big events, the smiles on participants' faces were an indicator of a job well done. 

Before parting, Poppy left students with some important information on how to get involved, including volunteer roles, work experience and possible paid roles. She noted that students don’t have to have any prior experience or knowledge to help support the charity and participants and that by partnering with BDCPS they can earn useful experience, skills and on-site training. This was great to hear as students head into the summer months and are eager to locate alternative work experience.