Raleigh Development weekend in Southall
10th May 2010
Well what an introduction to our expedition. On Thursday evening I travelled down to Southall to meet up with the other volunteer managers for my impending expedition to the Malaysian Jungle with the Raleigh team. I knew I was in for a steep learning curve, but I wasn’t prepared for how emotional this journey was going to be.
I’m not used to emptying my soul to complete strangers, and I haven’t signed up for this experience to play around in the long grass, so in for a penny, in for a right good time.
I have spent a few more hours than I would have liked sitting around in training environments, mainly with colleagues few of whom wanted to be there, so it was really refreshing to meet up with such a positive group, the only common denominator seemingly that we are all at a crossroads in our lives.
Another positive which made the weekend for me was the trainer/facilitator Nathan who held the weekend together with incredible skill and tenacity. He really puts his whole self into providing the environment for team building and safe learning and the undoubted success of the weekend is in no small part down to him.
In fact all the Raleigh staff that ran the weekend need praise. I applaud them for their skills and good humour in providing us volunteer managers with such a positive experience.
We were given a brilliant overview of the mission by Mac, who is the field base co-ordinator, based out in Kota Kinabalu. His role is the organisation of the projects that we are involved with out in Borneo. More about them in a later blog.
It was also very useful meeting Yo, who is media liaison in country and a native of Borneo.
She was extremely useful in providing first hand information regarding Malaysian culture and what we are likely to face whilst out there on our expedition.
Kit requirements and medical matters were also addressed, and the gaps in my kit are all very apparent, so I can feel a trip to Cotswolds coming on. I love that shop! 75/80Ltr new rucksack is going to be my first buy, but I need some new longs and a big mossie net.
So a big thanks to all the Raleigh people, especially Dominy and Cat, who did all the cooking and are great dancers!
The weekend was full of exercises and energisers, designed to integrate us into the management team necessary to run the field base and projects whilst on expedition. All were really useful and I certainly benefited from the input. Thanks to everyone I worked with on these, especially Nathan, Dominy and Sarah on the shield exercise and Joyce, Emma and Sarah for coaching me so effectively.
I am now waiting for Mac to start a new facebook group for us all, so I can share the photos I took with everyone. Hope the guys like them.
What’s next then? Well I am really going to have to sit down and start to plan my trip, not only in relation to the physical elements that I need, but also in relation to what I need to get out of the experience. I can’t praise Raleigh enough for their approach and the professionalism of all the staff. This really is a first rate charity and my rationale for signing up has now been given a massive boost.
I am now very excited, not just because of the photographic opportunities that the trip presents, but also in having the opportunity to work with such a diverse and positive group of professional people. Bring it on!
Oh, and they seem to like my singing.
I’m not used to emptying my soul to complete strangers, and I haven’t signed up for this experience to play around in the long grass, so in for a penny, in for a right good time.
I have spent a few more hours than I would have liked sitting around in training environments, mainly with colleagues few of whom wanted to be there, so it was really refreshing to meet up with such a positive group, the only common denominator seemingly that we are all at a crossroads in our lives.
Another positive which made the weekend for me was the trainer/facilitator Nathan who held the weekend together with incredible skill and tenacity. He really puts his whole self into providing the environment for team building and safe learning and the undoubted success of the weekend is in no small part down to him.
In fact all the Raleigh staff that ran the weekend need praise. I applaud them for their skills and good humour in providing us volunteer managers with such a positive experience.
We were given a brilliant overview of the mission by Mac, who is the field base co-ordinator, based out in Kota Kinabalu. His role is the organisation of the projects that we are involved with out in Borneo. More about them in a later blog.
It was also very useful meeting Yo, who is media liaison in country and a native of Borneo.
She was extremely useful in providing first hand information regarding Malaysian culture and what we are likely to face whilst out there on our expedition.
Kit requirements and medical matters were also addressed, and the gaps in my kit are all very apparent, so I can feel a trip to Cotswolds coming on. I love that shop! 75/80Ltr new rucksack is going to be my first buy, but I need some new longs and a big mossie net.
So a big thanks to all the Raleigh people, especially Dominy and Cat, who did all the cooking and are great dancers!
The weekend was full of exercises and energisers, designed to integrate us into the management team necessary to run the field base and projects whilst on expedition. All were really useful and I certainly benefited from the input. Thanks to everyone I worked with on these, especially Nathan, Dominy and Sarah on the shield exercise and Joyce, Emma and Sarah for coaching me so effectively.
I am now waiting for Mac to start a new facebook group for us all, so I can share the photos I took with everyone. Hope the guys like them.
What’s next then? Well I am really going to have to sit down and start to plan my trip, not only in relation to the physical elements that I need, but also in relation to what I need to get out of the experience. I can’t praise Raleigh enough for their approach and the professionalism of all the staff. This really is a first rate charity and my rationale for signing up has now been given a massive boost.
I am now very excited, not just because of the photographic opportunities that the trip presents, but also in having the opportunity to work with such a diverse and positive group of professional people. Bring it on!
Oh, and they seem to like my singing.
