Daisy Mitchell recalls her experience at the Charity Sector Formal on Thursday 9th May. She reveals the conversations she had with guests and her opinion on the panel and formal as a whole.
After a busy day of revision (or sunbathing, like me) John’s students gathered in the LRC lecture room with guests from throughout the Charity Sector to begin the panel discussion hosted by one of our international postgraduate students Shatakshi. Hearing from a variety of guests, the audience engaged in a conversation of the struggles faced by charities as well as the multiplicity of benefits for working in this vital sector. The panellists were brutally honest about their careers, revealing the difficulties they have come up against. However, one thing that stood out for me from the discussions I witnessed in the LRC was the passion of everyone on the panel for the work they are doing and have done throughout their careers. The desire for social change was intense and it was amazing to see the dedication each of the guests had to their charities and causes.
Sara Bryson, Assistant Director for Tyne & Wear Citizens, Citizens UK, was engaging throughout the panel discussion due to her clear, strong passion to end poverty. Her realistic approach to charity work was inspirational as she revealed that it is her own experience growing up in poverty that makes her so motivated to do the work she does and help bring people out of working poverty.
“The desire for social change was intense and it was amazing to see the dedication each of the guests had to their charities and causes.”
St John’s alumni, Zahraa Abadi, also part of the panel, was very thought provoking. With a calm demeanour, Zahraa’s strength as an individual was obvious as she shared how her and her family had been through the asylum system themselves, giving her the desire to help others out of gratitude for those who once helped her.
Sadly, the discussion was interrupted by the arrival of six o’clock and the necessity for us to move over to Crossroads for the drinks reception. The arrival of many more students and guests during the wait before dinner meant the formal was really underway.
Over a delicious meal cooked and served by the incredible catering staff, conversations flowed easily between students and guests. Looking around the room I saw that a lot of first year students had attended the formal, a wonderful sight to see as it proved the engagement of all year groups in these career formals and the desire for connections to be made across generations of Johnians.
The night proved to be very inspiring, with so many amazing guests and alumni encouraging the current students of St John’s to get involved with volunteer work, charity work, and listen to their passions for social change. The night definitely caused me to reconsider my future career and the jobs I am applying for – it even encouraged me to call my mum who works for a charity and discuss her own motivations for doing the work she does.
Overall the night was a successful one full of great conversation (as there always is at these events), great food (again, the catering team never fails to please), and inspiring advice from guests across the Charity Sector. A well organised and influential formal to be remembered.
John's Chronicle 