Placements at Challenge 4 Change

Please see the testimonials from some of the people who have undertaken placements at Challenge 4 Change. If you are interested in undertaking a placement at Challenge 4 Change please email info@challenge4change.org telling us why you want the placement, for how long and what you hope to get out of the experience.

 
Name: Olivia Regan, 21
University: Sheffield Hallam University
Course: Sport, Culture and Society
About me: I am a dedicated runner and enjoy taking part in a variety of sports. I am a keen walker and completed the three-peak challenge in 2010. I love to socialise and enjoy attending music concerts and festivals. I hope to pursue a career involving helping socially marginalised young people to better their lives.
 
Name: Mark Knowles, 21
University: Sheffield Hallam University
Course: Sport, Culture and Society
About me: I am a keen sportsperson and love to play football, run and generally keep fit. I am also a loyal supporter of Manchester City and regularly attend games, both home and away. I enjoy going to see live music and attend various gigs as often as I can.
I hope to follow a dream career in the sports and community industry, where I can help the development of young people’s futures.
Olivia Regan
Concentration is key for Olivia

Why our C4C placement was valuable for our future careers?

Many of our modules involve the use of sport and its relationship with youth development and social inclusion. We explored various projects/charities, which we have seen to be appropriate to our course. However, Challenge 4 Change stood out from them all, which drove us in attempting to secure a work placement.

C4C is an excellent example of how social inclusion is achievable with a fun/educational approach, as the use of team challenges and communication exercises help individuals engage in various activities that can be beneficial to their futures. We would certainly recommend our C4C placement to any individual who wishes to pursue a future in youth development.

Mark Knowles
Mark secures one of our learners

What we've learnt?

We’ve had a very inspiring and enjoyable six weeks working with the C4C staff and the numerous visitors who have attended the centre. We have learnt how to communicate with individuals of all ages and backgrounds, as well as understanding the requirements to control large or difficult groups in a safe and enjoyable environment. Our C4C placement has also given us an insight into working with young people with disabilities.

This has been a very rewarding part of our time here as it has allowed us to gain experience in the importance of good leadership skills and clear communication. Our close relationship with the C4C staff enabled us to relax and learn from the fantastic ideas and activites that the instructors lead on a daily basis. Our training has provided us with the knowledge of the specific techniques and training methods used to operate a high ropes course.

Most enjoyable part of the placement

Mark: I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the whole of my six-week placement at Challenge 4 Change. Not only have I learnt from the staff’s creative ideas, I’ve developed some of my own views on how to improve the centre. There were many great moments to my time at C4C, which include, working with the energetic staff and learning how to develop my instructor skills.

However, my most enjoyable part of the placement was assisting a session with a partially sighted group. Not only was the session very rewarding as the group had a fantastic time, there were a pleasure to work with. I had no experience of working with a partially sighted group prior to this session but observing how the C4C staff led the group, I soon became comfortable with helping instruct them myself.

Olivia: Throughout my six weeks at Challenge 4Change I have learnt a lot about myself as well as meeting a lot of inspiring people, both staff members and clients. I have enjoyed working with people whose circumstances are very different from my own and learning so much from them. I have had the opportunity to work alongside children and young people who are visually impaired, autistic and socially marginalised, which has been both rewarding and enjoyable in all cases.

The most enjoyable aspect of working at Challenge 4 Change for me has been the chance to interact with people of various backgrounds and circumstances. I have developed my own social skills by learning how to communicate effectively with different groups. The Challenge 4 Change team has made my experience here unforgettable and they have been a pleasure to work with.