My HeadStart Story

Qualities/Skills

Funny wicked sense of humour
Always supportive of others
Enthusiastic
Thoughtful
Good listener – Strong character

Role in HeadStart Newham

Rachel has been a long-standing member of HeadStart. She has been with HeadStart Newham since its conception, being a part of one of the first groups to be trained on More Than Mentors (MTM). MTM is a peer mentoring program that gives the opportunity for year 10’s to mentor year 7’s and support them through their transition process.

Rachel quickly became a prominent member of the HeadStart youth panel which is at the heart of our service, governing all we do as an organisation. Rachel has been involved in a number of activities such as;

• The HeadStart Champions Conference, which was designed to bring HeadStart Champions from schools across Newham together to discuss HeadStart’s priority areas. This conference was designed by young people and delivered to young people. Rachel’s one of the key members of the group taking time out to design the lesson plans and activities that were being delivered to all the young people in attendance, across Newham schools.
• Blackpool residential, which was an event designed for all the HeadStart teams to come together to develop and deliver a national campaign. This was an impactful event for all the HeadStart areas to work together towards one goal.
• Rachel was also involved in the International HeadStart Conference in which she was a part of the facilitation team delivering on the day.

Throughout her time in HeadStart, Rachel has put herself in many leadership positions and has excelled in every one. We are proud of all she has achieved and know she will continue to blossom in this new and exciting position.

Highlights from being involved in HeadStart Newham

One of the main highlights has been my involvement in the youth panel. Through this I’ve been able to develop friendships and have fun while completing projects within the community. I’ve also enjoyed being involved in the HeadStart Conference and National Residential with all the other HeadStart areas.

What prompted her to apply for the National Lottery Role?

The Co-Production Manager, approached me with this role and said she believed I was a great fit for the role. I really find it difficult to turn down volunteering opportunities and believed it was another good way to put myself forward. I was really excited about this one because it was on a national stage and I know I could reach out to many people.

What she is excited about, being involved

I’m really excited about being able to link in with other organisations and trying to make a difference within the community. I also like the idea of developing and delivering programs nationally.