In 2015 in collaboration with Be Accessible, CPIT and Ministry of Social Development we have employed our first ever Intern. Lilly Down came to us as a 2nd year Social Work Placement in April 2015. From this 10 week placement we discovered she had also dabbled in the past with personal training and so we encouraged her to ensure her registration was still up to date and kept her on for a few hours a week after her placement finished. In late 2015 Leap began collaborating in our local the community on a projects with NGO’s (Non Government Agencies) that would lead to a more accessible and early intervention exercise and wellness programmes. We felt strongly that the skills of a social worker would greatly enhance this work. It was a challenge to find the right fit as this was an out of the box thinking project, applying creative methods of engagement with a mix of new and traditional models. We then realised we had these skills under our noses and worked with the agencies to enable Lilly a full time summer internship at Leap.
Follow Lilly’s progress here each month.
Tuesday Jan 05 2016
Blog for Dec of Internship
While most of the nation’s attention has been on the wild weather patterns around the country and headlines of New Year’s celebrations around the globe; my focus has been mainly on my self-care, ensuring I get a holiday with my partner and friends, time with loved ones and spend some time appreciating alone time.
Over the break, I have developed a deeper understanding of how important these are for me and others to remain balanced and well. Especially in anticipation of heading back into full time work and a whole new year – who knows what it will bring.
The time I have allowed myself has given me a chance to reflect on the first part of my internship at Leap Fitness and Motivation Ltd. Despite having a few rough moments both mentally and physically, we got there, and I learned lots along the way. In my second week at the office I became overwhelmed with mounting tasks and my pain levels. Following a 30 minute break, Obie and my favourite music, I had a debrief with Cate and we decided that bringing a kit from home with essentials and taking breaks was important to ensure I worked effectively.
The next day, I arrived with my wheat bag and pain relief which I laid in my top draw in the case of needing it. I remained hydrated, took my breaks and communicated with my colleagues on how I was feeling in regards to tasks; and I had a much more productive and enjoyable day.
From this experience I learned, that in any work environment that you work in, discover your own way of managing yourself and ensuring you remain productive and happy with yourself, your workplace and your work. Before December, I would honestly have believed that if I took a break during work, everything would go down-hill as I would recognise the pain. Not the case at all.
Arriving back to work after a lovely Christmas and New Year break, we leapt straight back into work as Cate has been invited to do a joint venture proposal for the Ministry of Health, with Arthritis New Zealand. I have had the honour and privilege of contributing social work skills and perspectives on this forward-thinking, creative project. Who knows what next months blog will be like?
29th November 2015
Blog for Week 1 of Internship
Beginning my internship with the Leap Crew has been super fun and enjoyable in the first week of December. I have been involved in a range of activities and been empowered to work to my full potential. The weather has been roasting hot and normally this would affect particularly my self-care and motivation. Facing the long days, hot weather and busy times can be exhausting on my body and mind. The encouragement and excitement for this internship with Be. Employment has kept me going and I am feeling a great sense of satisfaction as this is a great step in my journey to a sustainable and successful career in social work. I began my internship with Leap as an entrant of The Press Summer Starter here in Christchurch; everybody completed either 4km or 10km with friends, family and dogs. We enjoyed hanging out in tent village in the Leap tent, sharing kai with Leap Stars and playing with the exhausted children and dogs who had also taken part in the event. What a cool group of people I get to work with and hang out with!
The values that Leap hold align with myself and any person who aims to have a manageable, satisfying and balanced lifestyle. I am still learning from the Leap Crew how to adopt the four main philosophies into daily life; live, exercise, appreciate and participate. It is amazing to understand these from a social work perspective; I guess it is like applying theory to practice. My tutors would be proud of that.
Heading into my third and final year of my social work degree at CPIT, I believe I will be well equipped with the tools I need to have an insightful and enjoyable time.
Here’s to these opportunities in life. Thank Leap Fitness and Motivation Ltd and Be. Employment.