It is incredibly hard to believe that we have already been in the UK for two weeks! From touring the Durham Cathedral, to attending the Miners’s Gala to beginning our work in our new placements, the first half of our time here in England has been action packed and filled with opportunities to learn about our new host community.
One of my favorite activities that we have participated in since arriving across the river was exploring Beamish. Beamish is known as “The Living Museum of the North” and is host to 300 acres of history. The museum contains a city area modeled after an early 20th century town, complete with a pub, dentist office and even a working bakery, a railway station, and a colliery village. We had the privilege of taking an underground tour of one of the mines. This trip was especially important to our understanding of the history of Durham county, as the county’s economy was built upon the coal mining industry, much like Durham, North Carolina’s economy was built upon the tobacco industry. Touring inside the coal mine gave us insight into the real day-to day experience of coal miners and exposed us to the dangers of the profession.
For my placement, I work with Abby and Jaiyu at the Waddington Street Centre, which offers educational courses, health services and courses, socializing opportunities, and a supporting environment to members of the community who suffer from long-lasting mental health problems. Though I was first apprehensive about my ability to work in a place targeted at serving people suffering from mental health problems, I now couldn’t be more happy and excited about my placement. The Waddington Street center provides an amazing work environment filled with people who are truly committed to and passionate about their organization. The centre provides so many opportunities for its service users, and it is clear that it is truly improving people’s lives. I have also learned a tremendous amount from the service users. I had the opportunity to speak with a service user who spent 15 years of his life working in coal mines. Hearing this first-hand account of life in the mines really added upon my understanding of this lifestyle that I had begun to comprehend during the tour at Beamish. Working at the Waddington Street Centre has challenged my view of mental illness and has exposed me to an incredibly vibrant, creative, and inspiring group of people. I am so excited and honored to be able to spend the next two weeks working in this great community!
One of my favorite activities that we have participated in since arriving across the river was exploring Beamish. Beamish is known as “The Living Museum of the North” and is host to 300 acres of history. The museum contains a city area modeled after an early 20th century town, complete with a pub, dentist office and even a working bakery, a railway station, and a colliery village. We had the privilege of taking an underground tour of one of the mines. This trip was especially important to our understanding of the history of Durham county, as the county’s economy was built upon the coal mining industry, much like Durham, North Carolina’s economy was built upon the tobacco industry. Touring inside the coal mine gave us insight into the real day-to day experience of coal miners and exposed us to the dangers of the profession.
For my placement, I work with Abby and Jaiyu at the Waddington Street Centre, which offers educational courses, health services and courses, socializing opportunities, and a supporting environment to members of the community who suffer from long-lasting mental health problems. Though I was first apprehensive about my ability to work in a place targeted at serving people suffering from mental health problems, I now couldn’t be more happy and excited about my placement. The Waddington Street center provides an amazing work environment filled with people who are truly committed to and passionate about their organization. The centre provides so many opportunities for its service users, and it is clear that it is truly improving people’s lives. I have also learned a tremendous amount from the service users. I had the opportunity to speak with a service user who spent 15 years of his life working in coal mines. Hearing this first-hand account of life in the mines really added upon my understanding of this lifestyle that I had begun to comprehend during the tour at Beamish. Working at the Waddington Street Centre has challenged my view of mental illness and has exposed me to an incredibly vibrant, creative, and inspiring group of people. I am so excited and honored to be able to spend the next two weeks working in this great community!