VICKY & ANDREW PATERSON - VOLUNTEERS

Today we are featuring two volunteers together as they are husband and wife. Vicky Paterson has been videoing our events to help promote SATRO for a while now and having seen the passion and enthusiasm SATRO has for what we do introduced her husband Andrew to us. This is their story…

Vicky is a videographer and experienced marketing professional using video to help businesses communicate with their customers and utilise the power of online video. Videolynks create high quality, cost effective promotional video for use on business websites, YouTube channels and other social media.

“I initially got involved with SATRO through a networking event and volunteered to make several short videos to help SATRO engage people in the fantastic work they do and try to gain support and interest. It is a treat to film the young people and volunteers and capture their enthusiasm and excitement at the numerous inspiring events they run. The more I discover about SATRO the more I want to support them and now I also volunteer at the Career Speed Dating events.”

ANDREW...

“I heard about SATRO through my wife who had got in touch with SATRO via networking to help with video and my kids were involved in workshops at their school. Both were really impressed with the ambition and the ability to bring STEM to life and I wanted to help SATRO reach a wider and relevant audience and communicate what they had to offer.”

Andrew then got involved by offering to use his creative skills to re-brand SATRO’s identity: “by looking at their identity I wanted to visually and verbally convey the energy and excitement of all those involved.  We have really enjoyed giving SATRO a fresh new look and some ideas that will spark more involvement. We really believe in SATRO's vision in offering a wider view on what is possible for a career after school. As designers and creatives we are always looking for the latest and fresh ideas and we are glad to help in the search to inspire the next generation of engineers and creative thinkers” 

Andrew is currently Creative Director at Embrace (www.thisisembrace.com) and has enjoyed working with clients such as: The Arts Club, BBC Wales, British Airways, FIFA, GSK, ITV, JPMorgan, Microsoft (Ireland), NatWest, National Trust, Nestlé, O2, Panasonic, RBS, Royal Mail, Sainsbury’s, The O2, UBS, UEFA, Unilever. 

With over 19 years of working with brands, Andrew has been involved in their creation, revitalisation, and their protection along the way.

Having worked for leading design agencies such as Coley Porter Bell and Lambie-Nairn, and well known brands, Andrew has worked with various internal and external teams across disciplines ranging from identity, campaigns, print, on-screen and online. As a result Andrew has helped brands to evolve and thrive in local and international markets. 

IT'S NATIONAL VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATION DAY!

Today is VQ day, a national celebration of vocational qualifications for students, teachers and employers. Today we recognise the talented and skilled people in the UK who work and study in this field... a bit like the amazingly skilled students that our mobile classroom tutors visit on a weekly basis. SATRO's 'construction bus' has been visiting schools and youth organisations for over 5 years, introducing practical building skills to young people. Based in Surrey, it's fleet of tutors and vehicles is the largest in the country and teaches over 350 learners every year. Year 11's around Surrey are currently in the process of having their portfolio's marked - once this is completed, they are able to claim their Vocational Qualification. Good luck!!

CHARLOTTE TRENCHARD - VOLUNTEER

Charlotte is currently an Annuity Co-ordinator at Just Retirement and has worked in the retail and financial services industry for 8 years.  Was previously training to be a teacher at university but had to drop out due to family illness so never fully completed ambition. Charlotte started mentoring in October 2013 as part of Just Retirement’s sponsoring of a mentoring scheme and feels that this scheme has allowed her to continue working alongside students and helping them progress.

Charlotte says that she “wanted to get involved in the mentor scheme as I have done work like it before and have always found it a very rewarding experience, so when I saw that JR would sponsor such a scheme I put my name forward straight away. To see a mentee grow and improve their confidence, gain knowledge of what steps to take next and sometimes even improve their grades is very fulfilling. The support you receive from SATRO and the school is fantastic, and they are always willing to suggest topics to discuss or opportunities in the nearby area to offer to your mentee.

My mentee was very shy and had low self-esteem when I first met with her, and knew she wanted to be an accountant but didn’t think she could afford university or know which alternative route to take. Through speaking to another mentor who had knowledge in the area, I was able to find an achievable entry level course that would fund her all the way through university, which she is now aiming for with new found confidence.

Its great the company support the scheme, as its rewarding for both the student and the mentor, who I have found can both learn things from each other.”

Liz Edwardes, SATRO’s Mentoring manager has said of Charlotte: “Hearing the feedback from Charlotte really demonstrated how being part of the scheme has benefitted the mentee and also helped use the skills of others from the Company to find out more about career options for her.  It was so rewarding to hear how the mentee has grown throughout the year and the school were delighted with the outcome.”

PETER BULLOCK - VOLUNTEER

Peter has just retired after a 50 year career in civil engineering construction as a Project Manager involved with bridges, harbours, roads, water supply and many other parts of infrastructure both in the UK and overseas. 

Peter joined SATRO in 1998 as a natural succession to the Engineering Council and was pleased to have the backing and support of his employers to take time off for this activity.  Over the last 3 years Peter has volunteered at 27 events giving over 150 hours of his time; the major part of this involvement has been based around the Primary Science programme but he has also participated in Careers events, Mentoring, Fun Maths and Mega-structures. He is a regular volunteer at our Problem Solving challenges and our annual SATRO Science Festival.

About why he got involved with SATRO Peter says “I volunteered with SATRO because I agreed so much with their focus on primary science and that they  provide such professional support to volunteers together with a real understanding of the educational needs that the schools find most difficult to deliver in the STEM subjects.”  Peter continues to volunteer time and time again because “I can see that the UK has such a critical requirement for qualified engineers of all disciplines and SATRO has an important role in bringing engineering to the forefront when students start making career choices.  It has been a challenge to find ways of engaging and communicating with pupils from age 5-18, but has proved immensely satisfying to see the effects of even simple experiments and perhaps opening a window to the world of science and engineering around them”.

FORCIBLE SCIENCE AT HURST GREEN

Today, a programme of exciting science workshops were held at Hurst Green Infant School in Oxted. 60  children took part in this event, in which they learnt about different aspects of science and technology - and how it works in the world around them.  A SATRO team of engineering experts were on hand to guide the pupils through the interactive workshops.  The Pulleys activity provided an opportunity for the Year 1 pupils to be  introduced Forces with a demonstration of how a pulley rig can lift a heavy object. Using the theme of 'Incy Wincy spider' the children made winding mechanisms to pull their spider up a Pringles tube drainpipe. Meanwhile, Year 2 explored movement through push and pull forces and how these work in everyday life, but particularly related to different playground equipment.  The children made roundabouts, swings and slides to illustrate how forces make objects move. 

This event was very kindly funded by Cllr Nick Skellett. 

JUDE EDWARDES - VOLUNTEER

Jude retired in 2011 from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the global business advisory firm.  Having spent most of his working life surrounded by lawyers, accountants, bankers and other such galacticos, he wanted to get back into the real world.  Luckily he found SATRO!  Jude spends 2 – 3 days a month volunteering in our mentoring programme, facilitating at business, science and maths games and helping out at our Science Festival and TeenTech event.   In fact since Jude started at SATRO he has volunteered at 43 separate events contributing a staggering total of 300 hours.

 Jude says “I wanted the opportunity to contribute to the community and what better way is there than helping kids achieve their full potential.  I am grateful to SATRO for the platform to enable me to do this.  They organise everything and all I have to do is turn up and do my thing.  As a firm believer that “Knowledge is King” I get a tremendous buzz from interacting with a child who is willing to listen and eager to learn.  More importantly, SATRO events offer us the opportunity to help those kids who perhaps lack the necessary encouragement elsewhere in their lives”.

VOLUNTEER WEEK 1-7 JUNE 2014

Volunteers’ Week is a nationwide annual campaign which takes place in the first week of June and celebrates the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK.  Every year, over 200 million people in the UK volunteer, donating more than 100 million hours to their communities every week.

SATRO would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our volunteers for their invaluable contribution to make what we do possible – quite simply we could not do it without you.  In 2013 we used 633 volunteers who delivered nearly 6,000 hours of work, which is absolutely outstanding.  These volunteers come from a huge variety of backgrounds and each brings a new set of skills from their experience in business to inspire and enthuse children by sharing their enthusiasm for the working world, with particular emphasis on enterprise and STEM subjects.

In order to show the diversity of our volunteers we would like to highlight a volunteer each day this week.  We have chosen these particular volunteers as each one brings something completely different to SATRO……………………..