Each month we will bring you behind the scenes to put the well deserved spotlight on our staff that help us make a difference to communities throughout the North East. This month meet Liz Godfrey, Project Lead.
Can you give an overview of your role?
Last October I became Project Lead for Stockton Community Wellbeing Champions and now I also lead on Community Connect, a social prescribing project and a wellbeing project called Well Aware in Stockton Borough. I’ve always worked on Community Learning, Engagement and Development projects at PCP supporting people to improve their wellbeing, increase their confidence and achieve their goals. I’ve worked with individuals and groups delivering information, advice and guidance sessions, accredited and non- accredited learning.
My focus has been health and wellbeing and employability. I’ve coordinated and delivered various PCP over the years projects eg. Arts for Wellbeing, Health Trainers, Employability Mentors, Check 4 Life, Positive Steps, Growing our Community (a community garden project), Work for Health to name some of them. Six years ago I moved from the Pioneering Care Centre to Catalyst House and delivered Healthy Me, Confident Me on the Step Forward Tees Valley programme across Middlesbrough, Redcar and Darlington. During the lockdowns, moving from face to face to online groups was a huge but enjoyable learning curve for me.
I work with the general public, internal staff and external partners which is very rewarding. My days are Tuesday - Friday so it feels like a bank holiday every Monday! Previously I worked as a Cover Supervisor, in a secondary school and worked in a Drug and Alcohol Service.
Describe a day-to-day in your role
No two days are the same for me, we have a network of 70 plus Community Wellbeing Champions, from a variety of organisations and backgrounds so meeting with them is really interesting. I attend meetings with Public Health, we have Wellbeing Pop Up events, monthly wellbeing Net-Walks for the Champions and general public. Then of course there’s reports, meetings etc!
What do you like about working for the PCP?
In 2005 I joined PCP on a 13 month contract to deliver Learndirect (IT) courses, 18 years later I’m still here! I spent 12 years based at Pioneering Care Centre (PCC) then for the past 6 years based Catalyst House in Stockton. I’m lucky that I only have a small team to look after who are amazing (Tom, Leonie, Shelly and Vicky). We also share our office with Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees, another amazing team (Natasha, Lynn, Kathryn and Jan). We work really closely with them to ensure we offer the best possible service to residents of Stockton.
The teams are so enthusiastic and passionate about what they do. We work with a wide variety of communities eg. Ladies at the Asylum Hotel, a Wellbeing group in Billingham and a Lived Experience group at Starfish in Stockton. Seeing people achieve or raise their aspirations or become the best version of themselves is the most rewarding part of my role.
Memorable moments - too many to mention, so much laughter and friendship over the years but one that does stand out - dressing up as a giant carrot at a GAMP Forum and winning enough public votes to receive funding to deliver our first gardening project at PCC.
What is the most rewarding aspect of the role?
Seeing people I have worked with (staff and the public) achieve or raise their aspirations to become the best version of themselves is the most rewarding part of my role. Just watching someone do something they never thought possible is priceless. I’m very proud of the work that the Stockton teams do.
Has there been any additional training you’ve done since you started working for the PCP?
I’ve done tons of training with PCP. PCP encourage staff development. As well as all the mandatory training and First Aid, Food Hygiene, MECC etc the main ones I have achieved are probably: Cert Ed (Teaching Certificate to teach those over 16), IAG L4, Social Prescribing L3, Line Management L4.
If you are interested in joining our team, we have lots of opportunities across the North East and in sectors inclusive of health and wellbeing.
For more about what the PCP offers, visit www.pcp.uk.net, email enquiries@pcp.uk.net or call 01325 321234.