Interested in working with us? Find out why one of our Community Wardens applied and what they find so rewarding about their role:
Growing up in Ecuador, community work was always part of my upbringing; my parents were members of a volunteering organisation in my city and always taught us that if we all do our bit, we can make great changes in our communities. When I read the job description for the Community Warden Scheme, I felt that it aligned with my beliefs, and as student living in Selly Oak, I truly wanted to help make a difference and help as many other residents in the area as I possibly could.
What I like the most about the role is the feedback that we get from other members of the community that we have helped. There were instances where families took the time to email us, thank us for our work and let us know about the positive impact it had caused. Also, it is very rewarding to hear from fellow students on the changes they’ve seen in Selly, saying they feel it is cleaner, more organised, etc. It is very fulfilling to know that even though our work maybe hard sometimes, it doesn’t go unnoticed.
As a Community Warden, I have benefitted from extensive training provided by our managers and external coaches, such as how to communicate better and deescalate difficult situations, how to work with the police, waste handling, we provide self-defence courses for all university students that we can also take, and we have an upcoming first aid training, which I’m really excited about. Every day on the job you get to learn something new and further develop the skills we’ve been taught.
For any future applicants, my recommendation would be to take your time filling in your application: don’t rush, think about the skills you already have and how you can use them to help the scheme. The Wardens need people who are motivated to help and support our community, so in your application and interview make sure to let us know how you can help make a difference. Be confident in yourself, remember there’s no need to have loads of previous experience; I didn’t have a lot and still managed to get the job!