News
Social care graduate trainee completes Playtex Moonwalk for breast cancer charity
Katy Briggs, a graduate on the National Skills Academy for Social Care’s management trainee scheme walked a gruelling marathon distance in the dead of night for charity. She was one of thousands of people who took to the streets of London dressed in their bras to a ‘showtime’ theme, to complete the 26.2 mile Playtex Moonwalk in aid of grant-making breast cancer charity Walk the Walk.
Lambeth Lovelies complete Moonwalk for breast cancer: Sue Simmons, graduate trainee Katy Briggs, and Susan Harrison
Katy’s team of six women, the Lambeth Lovelies all work in Lambeth Council Adult Services, and completed the power-walking challenge overnight setting off at 11:30pm and finishing at a very respectable 7:30am. Katy said “the biggest challenge was the sleep deprivation; I had no idea how exhausted I would feel walking 26 miles overnight. It feels fantastic to be raising money for such a good cause, and the most moving moment of the night was the minutes silence before we set off. It really reminded me why I was about to walk the gruelling 26 miles!”
Katy’s team has so far raised over £2100, and hope to achieve £3000. In addition to asking friends, family and people in meetings for donations, Katy and her colleagues baked cakes, and passers-by even donated during the walk. She added, “people were inspired by what we were doing as everyone knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer in some way.”
Skills Academy chief executive, Liz McSheehy, said “we are so proud to hear that one of our graduate trainees participated in the Moonwalk. Katy and other graduates on the scheme already demonstrate their commitment to improving other people’s lives through their work in social care and Katy is going above and beyond in her fundraising activities for the Moonwalk.”
Editors’ Notes
- The Lambeth Lovelies are still accepting donations to the cause, Playtex Moonwalk 2010
- The National Skills Academy’s graduate management trainee scheme is the first of its kind in the sector, providing a year of leadership and management experience with a social care employer for graduates from various disciplines.
- Katy Briggs is one of the first intake of 20 graduates who joined the scheme in 2009.
- The Skills Academy has just recruited for 25 new graduates for the second intake of this pioneering scheme starting in September 2010.
- The scheme has been widely praised and aims to provide social care with the motivated and qualified leaders it needs for the challenges of the future.
- The Playtex Moonwalk, organised by Walk the Walk, takes place annually, see www.walkthewalk.org for more information.
- The employer-driven National Skills Academy for Social Care focuses on leadership, management and commissioning and modelling excellence in learning, in adult social care. Created by employers, for employers, from across the broad spectrum of adult social care, the Skills Academy’s role is to aid the delivery of improved care, in response to the needs of employers, employees and people who use services.
- The Skills Academy’s remit is to promote and support excellent learning and training for the 1.5. million workers and 35,000 employers in social care with a particular emphasis on small and medium-sized employers Demographic changes mean the social care workforce is expected to rise to 2.5 million by 2025.