Here at the Millfields Trust and Millfields Inspired, we have a fantastic group of people who bring a wide variety of talent and knowledge to our organisation. Our ‘Meet the Team’ feature gives us the opportunity to showcase our amazing team members and today we’d love you to meet Keely.
Please introduce yourself to our readers
My name is Keely and I am the Development Manager for Millfields Inspired.
How long have you worked at Millfields Inspired and what do you do?
I have only worked at Millfields Inspired since April, so I’m still finding my feet! Millfields inspired is a part of Millfields Trust and we support our local schools in Stonehouse and Devonport with exciting and interactive sessions for their year 5 children in the hope to raise aspirations. We take children out of the classroom into the workplace to showcase the many sectors that are on offer in Plymouth and expose them to the endless possibilities that await them in the world of work. Additionally, through our Inspire Me programme, we bring the workplace into the classrooms for all the other year groups in schools to give them opportunities to explore those sectors. Millfields Inspired is growing and this academic year 23/24 we will be starting new projects and proactively supporting children and families in our neighbourhood through some new projects.
What do you love most about your role and working at Millfields Inspired?
Every day is different! I love that I get to meet our wonderful partners, talk about what we do and share our stories. Moreover, I get to look at what Stonehouse and Devonport families need with regards to support and design services around that need to support them.
What are you most proud of in your current role?
Well only being in role for 6 months, it is still early days. However, I am proud that this year we are offering over 80 Widening Horizons visits and 69 Inspire Me sessions to the schools in our neighbourhood. Moreover, after a pilot of our Intergenerational Project in June, I am looking forward to rolling out another 2 of these this year with Pilgrim and St Georges school. Our Intergenerational Project seeks to provide support in our community with connectedness so that both children and young people develop supportive relationships with others and build confidence, respect and resilience. This helps to foster skills, improves feelings of safety, and raises aspirations.
The socialisation of children with elderly residents through diverse and rich environments, helps to develop children’s social and cultural capital and broadens their understanding of the wider world, and themselves as individuals.
What is your professional background and what brought you to Millfields Inspired?
Well, that is a long answer! I started work at the age of 16 as a Support/Care Worker with adults with learning disabilities and stayed in this work for a few years after gaining my Foundation degree in Health and Social Care. I then went on to manage a small home for young adults with learning disabilities before having my first child. When my third child was 7 months old, I decided to go to university to do a degree in Early Childhood Studies.
After graduating my work took me into management of nurseries, working on Early Intervention teams, coordinating of early years curriculum in children’s centres, Parenting work and management of children’s centre workers in children’s centres. I then moved into teaching Health and Social Care and Childcare in an FE & HE provision in the city and decided to embark on a master’s degree in social policy at the same time, which fuelled my thirst for research looking at how interventions impacted children and families.
After a temporary contract working for Plymouth City Council as a Health and Care Coordinator, I decided to push myself a little further and in January 23 enrolled as a doctoral student part time. I saw the job for Development Manager at Millfields Inspired and felt that my studies would compliment my work in Millfields Inspired really well. I started my role as Development Manager on April 3rd 2023.
What do you like about being part of the Millfields Trust family?
In our office we have some very friendly, very smiley, very helpful staff. We all muck in to help each other and it makes my working day varied and joyful. As a charity we have a board of trustees who are supportive of my new ideas and want to see Millfields Inspired thrive. Additionally, I am lucky to have a very supportive manager who is the chairman of our charity which makes working for the Millfields Trust family fun and exciting!
What does an average day look like for you? What happens?
As I travel in from Cornwall each morning, I usually get in about 7.50am and am the first one in the office. I usually fill up the kettle and get a cup of tea and embark on my emails and to do list! My general day will consist of meetings with partners, visiting schools, coordinating our Widening Horizons and Inspire Me sessions, booking coaches, arranging events, and ensuring that I am moving the work I am doing along with our Prom Cellar, Intergenerational Project and Stonehouse Creek. Moreover, I am busily working away on secret projects too, having meetings and putting plans together. I finish at 5pm in the evening and then head back to Cornwall!
What are you looking forward to in 2023/2024?
I am really looking forward to a few little projects that I cannot yet talk about!
What do you like about The Millfields Inspired work in Stonehouse and the nearby local communities?
Our work really helps to make a difference to children’s outlooks. Having expanded to the Devonport schools over the last 3 years also, it has shown us that schools really value our trips and help with fostering confidence and aspiration in their children. I can see that we have much more work to do, and there are several projects we could run to support those living in our neighbourhoods.
What career did you want to pursue when growing up?
I wanted to be a Vet/Nurse and Teacher. I changed my mind quite a bit!
What do you love about Stonehouse?
Stonehouse and Devonport is a friendly place to be and work, with many up and coming business. There are a lot of good things happening in Stonehouse and Devonport that the community is benefitting from. We are also lucky to have the sea just a stone’s throw away from us!
What do you love about Plymouth?
As a young person I lived in Plymouth for a few years. Most of my working life has been in Plymouth and the roles that I have had, has given me the chance to meet some very aspirational individuals and also people who have really touched my heart in many ways. Especially working in the Health and Care sector. There really are good people out there doing good things, and sometimes we forget that when we are met with so much negativity day on day through social media and the news. Stay positive!
What is the best piece of work/ business advice you have been given?
Do something that makes you happy! If you do a job that you enjoy, then you will always enjoy going to work. Secondly – find something that you like to learn about and ask questions!
Do you have any local hobbies or interests?
I like to bake cakes and make celebration cakes in any spare time I might have. I also LOVE the beach in the UK and abroad and you will find me sat on a beach with a book, or snorkelling if I can.
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