A very important interview with our Animal Club Leader
by Emily Wastell on March 24, 2016
Our volunteers are so important to us at Success4All. It is they who bring a variety of skills and knowledge to the children and young people that we work with that makes Success4All so diverse. The Clubs that we run every year depend on the volunteers who come through our doors. This year we are lucky enough to have Lucy, a student from Newcastle University applied for funding via vInspired’s Cashpoint project. vInspired Cashpoint is an opportunity for 14 – 25 year olds to run a project that has clear community benefit. We caught up with Lucy to see how her Animal Science cashpoint project is going . . .
What Easter egg are you hoping to receive this year?
‘Galaxy!’
How did you find yourself volunteering with Success4All?
‘I had to undertake 70 hours of volunteering through University as part of my career development module, and whilst searching for an organisation to complete my volunteering with I came across Success4All. This organisation was of particular interest to me after researching what they did and I am also hoping to become a primary school teacher so this would help me to achieve this aspiration.’
What interested/inspired you to run the Club?
‘I have a keen interest for Animals and the way in which they function, hence the reason I am studying Animal Science at University. I am a tutor at The Millin Centre, which did not at the time have a current club; therefore, I decided it would be a good idea to share my passion for animals with the children at the Millin centre. Whilst teaching them the science behind animals, I have incorporated animal style arts and crafts into the club in order to make it fun and interesting for the children whilst also being educational.’
When and where does it run?
‘Every Wednesday at the Millin Centre.’
Do you have a pet?
‘Yes, Cat and Dog.’
Have you ever experienced a ‘You’ve been framed’ moment with any animals?
‘Whilst I was out riding my horse Brandy, he decided to buck me off and I landed in a duck pond!’
You’ve done 3 weeks of the Club now, how has it gone? Any interesting/funny stories?
‘I asked the children to create a collage of ‘british wildlife’ and one child produced a collage containing an image of a lion and a giraffe!’
What can we expect for the following weeks at the Club?
‘The following weeks we will be focusing on farm animals, ocean animals and mini beasts! We will be creating an ocean animal mobile which will display the food chain within the ocean. We will also be learning about where our food comes from – from farm to fork!’
If you were animal, what animal would you be and why?
‘I would be a horse – they are powerful yet graceful animals.’
Thanks Lucy! Good luck for the next half of the project, we’ll catch up with you at the end.