Today five days until the Richmond Fellowship Enrich awards 2019. I’m very proud to have been on the judging panel to shortlist all of the nominations and to now be co-chairing the entire ceremony as well as taking over the Richmond Fellowship Tyneside Twitter account!
To keep up with all of the goings on, follow #EnrichAwards on
Twitter
Every day for the next week, there’ll be a new post of ‘60 seconds
with…’ someone involved in the Awards. I hope you enjoy!
Name and job title:
Will Fisher, Senior Practitioner, Midlands Locality.
How long have you
worked at Richmond Fellowship?
Five
years.
I
knew I wanted to work in mental health since about the age of 15. I had a tough
time in my teenage years and really appreciated the compassion friends and
family gave me. From then I knew I wanted to be that compassionate person for
other people. I started out as a Recovery Worker with the aim of getting
experience and moving on, but along the way I fell in love with the voluntary
sector. That’s why I’m still here!
What advice would you
give to someone considering a similar career?
Theories
and techniques are useful, but nothing is more potent than being with someone,
as a human being, during their darkest moments. Things can be trying at times
and it is how we respond to these pressures that matters. Stay true to yourself
and your values – the people you support will benefit and you will flourish as
a result.
How do you feel about
being nominated for an ENRICH award?
The
team at Leicestershire Life Links have worked really hard to make it the
outstanding success that it is. They have an amazing work ethic, endless
compassion and support each other greatly. I’m proud to have been part of their
success but this nomination really is for them. I’d have nominated them in
every category if I could have!
What does a typical
day at work involve?
Good
question! My role is really varied. Some days I’m in Leicester updating our
websites or helping develop training, other days I’m in Derby assisting with
specific projects. It all depends on what service needs arise and who wants me
when. I’ve recently had time to support people using our services, which is
something I’ve really missed.
What have you got on
today?
I’m
on the train back from some Hearing Voices Network training in London. It was
delayed (surprise) so I have a bit of spare time.
What is the best thing
about your job?
Working
across several services keeps things exciting and I get to meet so many great
people. I also get a sense of the strength of our locality and the amount of
people who have experienced recovery with us.
What is the hardest
part of your day?
Getting
delayed on trains! That or a lack of coffee – black, no sugar thanks.
What do you usually
have for lunch?
I’m
a ‘fussy vegetarian’. I don’t like condiments or weird chutneys or any of that
posh stuff. I usually stick to soup but might dare have an egg sandwich.
What do you do in your
spare time?
I
play a bit of guitar but mostly I’m an avid gamer, particularly anything Mario
related. It makes me nostalgic, my childhood was awesome!
What would your
superpower be?
I’d
be Spiderman – any excuse to wear spandex.