New Supporter Care Assistant

My name is Cristina and I will be working as the Supporter Care Assistant in the PHASE Worldwide Bristol office over the next nine months. I am currently studying Politics and International Relations at Bristol UWE and am carrying out a placement year to gain some worthwhile experience before returning to university to complete my degree next year. The UWE Sandwich Placement Year gives students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience in their chosen industry in order to develop both key life skills alongside professional ones and to substantially increase employment chances once they graduate.

As a volunteer and through in-depth study of international development and women and gender studies at university, my eyes have been opened to the plight of vulnerable individuals. I have therefore decided to carry out my placement year with a charity for the opportunity to make a difference and be a part of creating a lasting impact where I can.

I found out about PHASE Worldwide after the director Tom took part in a Q&A during one of my university seminars regarding working within the INGO and international development sector. The enthusiasm Tom showed for PHASE Worldwide and for this line of work and seeing the fulfilment it seemed to bring both him and the communities being supported inspired me to make further contact with the organisation. After researching PHASE further, I noticed the work they do to support the empowerment of women and girls within Nepal and work done to limit gender-based social norms in Nepalese communities. With future plans to study a master’s degree in Women and Gender in Global Politics, PHASE’s work around women’s inclusivity particularly interested me to reach out to the organisation.

Over the past year I have been volunteering with Bristol based charity, Bridges for Communities alongside my degree. Through various events and programmes, Bridges offers support to recently re-settled refugees and asylum seekers in Bristol. My work with them involves assisting at community events and cultural awareness training sessions as well as being a volunteer for their B. friending service in which I meet an individual from the resettlement scheme on a weekly basis to offer one-to-one support. All the work I do with Bridges involves first-hand interaction with vulnerable individuals and is less about the workings of the organisation itself. Within my role as Supporter Care Assistant with PHASE across the next 9 months, I will be assisting across various aspects of the charity including its Administration, Campaign and Fundraising Support as well as gaining an overview of PHASE’s Project Management and Project Design. Learning about the inner workings of a charity will provide me with an in-depth insight into the international development sector and provide me with an array of new skills to take into my professional life.

Cristina Seaton-Reid, 2020