By Hanna Wilcock, Learning Facilitator, Time to Shine

Hello, I’m Hanna and I am the new Learning Facilitator on the Time to Shine project.

You will probably be seeing me out and about over the next few months so I have written this blog to let you know a little bit about me and give you an idea of what I will be doing in my new role. 

The voluntary sector is all new to me as for the last nine years I have been working for Santander in their Learning department. This involved delivering and designing lots of different training programmes and academies for Santander’s new and existing staff. As much as I enjoyed the training side of this job I was really looking for a change to something I could get more excited about and involved in; hence my move to LOPF!

Within my new position as ‘Learning Facilitator’ I will be working towards delivering a programme of awareness sessions and training courses for both the public and paid staff who have contact with older people in the hope that doing so can help towards reducing loneliness and social isolation in the older generation. My role will be to provide training when needed but also to make people more confident in identifying the needs of socially isolated people and responding to those needs. 

I am hoping to work collaboratively with existing groups, networks and organisations in Leeds to make this happen and make these programmes of training and awareness effective.

In order to achieve this I will hopefully be visiting lots of different groups to get to know the area and see what is happening already. I have an 18 month baby at home so I normally, accidentally come staggering up with bags full of: nappies (not mine), dummies (also not mine), bottles (only mine if filled with wine) and biscuits (definitely mine).

Feel free to contact me at hanna@opforum.org.uk
 
Thanks for reading. Let’s hope we meet soon.