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Meet Velma, First Aid/Health and Safety Trainer at The Source. Velma recently joined the team, training individuals and organisations across Yorkshire and helping to bring people in line with national health and safety and first aid requirements. This month, we quiz Velma on her new job and her recent Charity mission.
Velma, tell us a little more about your role at The Source.....
My role within the Source is as a Trainer assessor. My main areas of teaching are first aid, food hygiene, safe use of medication, PTTLS, and also health and safety courses. All the courses are accredited to various governing bodies and or approved by others.
What do your day to day duties include?
My day to day duties include the delivery of the training materials to learners of all abilities, ensuring they understand the material and where appropriate complete any written assessments, or practical assessments. In addition I invigilate on other courses as and when required.
What are you enjoying most about your role so far?
Every day is different.
What did you do before working at The Source?
My initial employment was as an apprentice hairdresser, which I completed, but then fancied a change and went into the catering industry working at Tapton Mount school for the blind, this was a residential school so we worked 7 days a week catering for children from 4 years of age to 11 years, at that point they moved to another unit. This was where I gained my catering experience. Marriage followed and a move to Germany I continued to work in the catering industry working in the NAFFI for the British Army on the Rhine. Upon returning to the UK I retrained in the leisure industry and worked for many years for Sheffield City council operating g various leisure facilities for them. Upon leaving the council I taught for a local college and continued to train in other areas and qualify in other areas for example being able to deliver medication training.
What skills do you bring to your role?
I feel I bring life skills, as being a mature person I have actually "done the job " not just gained a paper qualification, I feel that this comes across when I deliver a session as I can relate it to various types of industry, and as such making it more relevant for the learners.
And the million dollar question for January...a little birdie tells us you are about to take part in a very dangerous charity mission - tell us more...
I suffered a stroke in 2001 at the time I was not given a good prognosis at all, I was told I would possibly not walk again, however through sheer determination, and lots of tears, and more importantly plenty of support from family and friends I have made a reasonable recovery. As such I have where possible generated income for the "Stroke Association" who do a fantastic job with giving advice to both the person who has had a stroke but also valuable support for the family and friends of those affected by a stroke. This is a cause I wholeheartedly support, so when the chance came to raise some money doing something really off the wall it was an opportunity to good to miss, so I thought a fire walk would be perfect! I had to walk over hot coals for a distance of about 6metres. It was a very scary experience but I am really proud to have done it."
