Hello, my name is David. My journey with Hestia began in October 2019; I was looking for a career change from instructing children’s cooking classes to supporting vulnerable people. There was one problem…... I had no experience in the sector, and when I applied for the role at Hestia, I did not get to the interview stage.
I was connected to someone from the Phoenix Project, as they were able to sign me up to be one of their befrienders to a survivor of Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking. I was incredibly excited and remember feeling rather emotional after my first encounter as I had never really been one-to-one with a survivor of such experiences.
Fast forward six months and COVID hit. The befriending became remote, and I was given a mini caseload of survivors who I would call throughout the week. I would also have the pleasure of working more closely with some of the fantastic Volunteering Team by completing food drop-offs for the clinically vulnerable.
The volunteering team also gave me access to in person training such as First Aid and an intro into Modern Slavery. Combined with access to the online learning platform, I felt I was given all of the tools to apply for a paid role.
Thankfully, by June of 2020, I was accepted as an Advocate for the Modern Slavery Response Team. In September 2021, I became a Team Manager, and as of May 2022, I have become an Interim-Service Manager.
I continue to feel incredibly privileged to be in the role and doing work that I love. A constant THANK YOU to the Volunteering Team as I am eternally grateful for the support, opportunity and guidance I received during my time with them. A highly recommended experience!
