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< Back Lynn Conley Community Outreach ​

OUR TEAM VALUES INSPIRE INTEGRITY INCLUSION COLLABORATION Read More OUR MEH FAMILY This is us. Our team. Our Family - working together to achieve what we strongly believe in - social change and inclusion. Our collaboration with multi-agencies and cross sector partnerships, enables us to deliver results and assist the individuals in society that need our help the most. Our training and development tools help us to raise awareness and understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion , as well as developing training and support through mentoring, personal development, career guidance and employment counselling. ​ Through our many projects, we have provided a range of community support services and training opportunities to the VCS (Voluntary and Community Sector). We work with groups and individuals from marginalised communities and provides routes to social inclusion. Meet the Team To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

< Back Anna Bellan Transnational Programme Manager Anna is the Transnational Programme Manager responsible for Youth and Migration at MEH. She designs, manages, delivers and evaluates programmes and projects at local and international level. As a sociologist, she masters techniques and tools of Social Research and has insight into multicultural contexts through her international work experiences. As a trainer of youth and adults she strongly believes in maieutic approaches and involves learners through creative and interactive learning experiences. Anna has strong interest in topics such as human rights, gender equality, youth development, sustainability, intercultural dialogue and social inclusion, and liaise with other stakeholders on coordinated advocacy campaigns. annabellan@expandinghorizons.co.uk

< Back Adam, 20, Ireland My 2 month European Solidarity Corps with Merseyside Expanding Horizons (MEH). I moved to Liverpool from Ireland at the beginning of October for a two month European Solidarity Corps with Merseyside Expanding Horizons (MEH). This was my first ever time living abroad and volunteering full time, so going into this experience, I didn't know what to expect and I was nervous. Voluntary Service International (VI) was my sending organisation and they helped me plan what I needed to bring and worked with MEH to make sure I felt comfortable going. When I arrived in Liverpool I went straight to the MEH Big Onion office. It was a great introduction to the organisation as I got to see the great work they do for social enterprises in the Bootle community, I got to meet the new businesses in the Traders Arcade and I met my colleagues who were working with Job seekers. For the first weekend I got to explore Liverpool City and I loved it. I immediately felt it was a friendly city with so much history. I enjoyed all the restaurants and bars it had to offer. I also visited the brilliant library and museums in the city. My favourite area was around the docks. I loved beautiful World Heritage buildings, especially the Liver Building. My first week at MEH was a little daunting as there were a lot of new terms and practices I had to learn and understand. My first task was to familiarise myself with our ongoing Erasmus+ projects by reading the project applications which were extremely long and monotonous. I then got underway with organising and facilitating focus groups for some of our projects. At first I found it difficult to find people for these events but then I learned how to best reach out to people. Back in Liverpool, I enjoyed cultural nights with my colleagues and fellow volunteers, I had some amazing food and went to the cities attractions such as their light trail. I enjoyed working in the office with the team as the environment was relaxed and fun. I also felt like the work we were doing was impactful and important to the community. One of my highlights of the volunteering was attending a barista training that MEH was organising. I learned lots about coffee roasting and about customer experience. I got to practice making great coffee and as someone who has never liked coffee. I unexpectedly enjoyed the final product. During the volunteering, the other volunteers and I had planned a trip to Montenegro as my colleague Anja was from there. It was an amazing travel experience to one of the most beautiful countries in Europe. I got to experience more great food and culture and learn more about the Balkans. Overall this short volunteering experience had a profound impact on me and I learned more about myself and about other cultures. I really enjoyed working with those in MEH and I hope to have more experiences like this in the future. Previous Next

< Back Marta Läzaro Echavarren 23 years old, Marta, from Pamplona, Navarre in Spain talks about her personal experience and involvement with MEH and how she has grown and developed her skills. I can define me as a person interested in communication and human and social relations and have always been attracted to affairs related to Europe and the links between people, countries and communities. When I finished my law degree at the University, I was awarded a scholarship to do an internship abroad. I wanted to challenge myself, do something that would give me the opportunity to improve my work skills and my English, acquire some experience but also to grow from a personal point of view. I have always wanted to live abroad and experience new cultures, environments and meet new people. I really love exchanging ideas, opinions and habits, because they help you to think more about yourself and to gain a different perspective of the world. My final decision took me to the United Kingdom, specifically to Liverpool, a city full of things to do, multicultural and with people very friendly and easy to talk with, even if sometimes they are impossible to understand because of their scouse accent. This is where my experience with Merseyside Expanding Horizons began. With MEH, I not only did my first internships, but also had the opportunity to experience my ESC. Being part of VIEH, has been an amazing opportunity in all aspects. It has been a very big personal growth. It was my first time living in another country, alone, without my family and friends, In a different language and with a different culture. I have matured a lot in this period. I have known myself a lot, I have rediscovered a Marta that I did not know. Now I am independent in almost all aspects. As well, as meeting great new people, who I'll take with me forever when this will over. They have cared of me, and trusted me since the beginning, have learned a lot from them and with them. MEH has definitely changed me. It was literally a personal growth. MEH is helping me to enhance my confidence, to overcome my fears, learn about my strengths and weaknesses, and how to overcome them. Who was going to tell me, that even I was going to experience a global pandemic far from my home! At MEH I have discovered the passion for work. They are people who work to help others and it shows in the way they work. I am learning a lot from my co-workers, from their experience. Working in a multicultural environment opens your mind and enriches you a lot. The key for me to have learned so much is that they have trusted me a lot since the beginning, because they have allowed me to have responsibility. I have taken away the fear of speaking in English. I love that in this job, communication with people is so important. During these months I have learnt new skills and qualities that I did not even know to have. All the skills that I am learning here are helping me to clarify my ideas about my future Job career. I still have a lot to improve but I hope that the time I have left in MEH I can and know how to take advantage of it. I hope that I have left the best of me in MEH, as they have done with me. Thank you MEH Previous Next

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< Back The volunteering experience of Ellie in Croatia. We would like to share with you the experience of Ellie, a young person who through Merseyside Expanding Horizons took part in the EVS program. Ellie volunteered in Mreža Udruga Zagor ( Zabok, Croatia) for a period of eight months. The EVS project was called " Two Volunteers for the Local Community” and it was funded by the Erasmus + program. To best present Ellie, we bring you her article, which we report below: “Welcome to my post! I am Ellie, from the United Kingdom and I am 19 years old. This is my first time ever travelling outside of the UK so it is a very big step for me to take. I decided to participate in this organisation because I knew it would be a great opportunity to take up and it was something I could not miss. I had been in college for 3 years and I felt as though I needed a chance. I was put in touch with EVS/Erasmus through Expanding Horizons and from there it was pretty easy to get involved. Throughout college, I studied History, Politics, Law and English Literature. Since completing these subjects I still have a keen interest in them outside of an academic branch. I enjoy going to political lectures back home in Liverpool/Manchester. Also, I read quite often and have always loved reading. I will continue to discuss more things about myself in order to get to know more! My hobbies include watching films and going to gigs. I am very into cinema art; I watch at least one film a day because I am interested in casts and directors. My favourite films are Interstellar, No Country for Old Men, Lady Bird and Disobedience. Also, I watch foreign films like Dogtooth, La Haine, Roma and The Handmaiden. My favourite actors/actresses are: Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill, James Franco, Timothée Chalamet, Rachel Weisz, Léa Seydoux and Dakota Johnson. Some Directors I like are: Christopher Nolan, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch and Gia Coppola. Some gigs I have been to recently are: Gus Dapperton, Rainy Miller, Brad Stank, Hers and Mac Demarco. I have a varied taste in music as I like to listen to Grunge and old Rock quite often as well as alternative pop artists. For example: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Nirvana, Hole, Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin and Kiss. I used to listen to rap and hip hop a lot but that is only occasional for me now” Finally, after reading about my interests, I think what I am doing now in Zabok, Croatia, is a great experience and I am ready to take on new challenges and hopefully teach people some things we do in the UK or even bond over new things! “ Previous Next

< Back ALM Interiors Everyone has those rooms in their home that they try to tackle and just can’t quite seem to get right. They might be a difficult shape, have an oddly placed window or are just too big to fill in a cohesive way. ALM Interiors was first born as a passion project for the founder, Abbi McKeown, from her love of beautiful interiors. It has since evolved into a love of problem solving for her clients all over the North West. Merseyside Expanding Horizons met her a few months ago and have been so proud to see her use her skill and focus to engage with feedback and challenges. She's a tenacious entrepreneur who has built her business from scratch and earned contracts through excellent networking and proving herself. Get in touch with Abbi to discuss any spaces that sound familiar and see how she can help: www.alminterior.co.uk Project Gallery Previous Next

< Back Terri Cashmore Big Onion Coffee Club Manager ​

< Back Vanessa, 22, Italy Merseyside Expanding Horizons offers opportunities to people from different background to get valuable working experiences abroad, by sending and hosting volunteers and interns. We want to share the stories of some of these brave people, who have moved to Liverpool from other countries. In this second article, we will introduce Vanessa, who is one of our newest team members. Which is your qualification degree and what encouraged you to candidate to MEH? Why did you choose MEH? I am finishing my Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations. The thing that drove me to candidate in MEH was that I considered this company a great opportunity to challenge my skills and my first chance to get involved in work context regarding my academic studies. Why have you decided to get an internship abroad? After my exchange program in Zurich, I decided to come here straight away, focusing on my Internship (mandatory for my Bachelor’s Degree). I come from a little town in Italy, so unfortunately there is low chance for young employees to spread their horizons in a work context, especially in my field of study, this is why I always loved the idea to living abroad. I would like to travel as much as possible in my life, because one of the most important thing for me is the possibility to come in contact with different cultures all around the world and work/study with them. Learning something new every day. MEH works in an international context with different employees around the world: how do you find yourself in this context? Which are the differences that you noticed most between English culture and your home country? As I have already said, for me the interaction with cultures from different parts of the world represents a personal enrichment, so in this sense it’s great to find myself in this environment that MEH reflects. The differences that I noticed most are that here, in the work context, people are less focused on “shape” but more on the content. In the sense that are less formal, while Italian people at work tend to be more formal, to follow specific schedules etc. In general, I cannot say too much about the culture itself because my permanence here is just about one month, but I can say that for the moment all the people that I have met seem to be solar and open, available in any circumstance. In contrast with the rumours that British people are rigid and unpleasant. What is the thing that are you missing most about your home country? Well, firstly my family and my friends who supported me in every moment during my permanence abroad. Secondly the food, especially the Italian coffee to which I’m pretty addicted. What is the thing that you like most and the thing that you would like to change about Liverpool? I like the crazy people who live here, I like the combination between the comforts that gives you a non-metropolitan city (not too big distances, not too busy, etc.) and the stores, utilities and internationality that usually are given by a metropolitan city. In my opinion, this is a perfect mix. A thing that I immediately noticed was the rubbish on the roads, that after 5 months in Switzerland where everything was super clean, was really impactful. Like, the fact that in the supermarkets fruit and vegetables are wrapped with plastic. This is sad, and all the countries around the world, not only England, should be more involved in the environmental sustainability. Describe MEH in 3 words Human, open, willing Do you think that your experience in MEH has changed something in your being? I have been here for only 10 days, but as my first experience in a real work environment I am satisfied and I am sure to think that will change something positive in my being both from a professional and personal point of view. Do you think that your experience in MEH will be useful in a future? In my opinion, a useless experience doesn’t exist. All the experiences in life give you something that will be useful in the future. Our life process is the sum of what we have learnt from each experience, this allows us to improve our knowledge and build our future. Previous Next

A BRIGHTER FUTURE Let's Make a Difference Putting Our Experiences to Work Merseyside Expanding Horizons (MEH) is a non-governmental organisation for positive influence and social change. ​ We strive to develop the skills of socially and economically disadvantaged communities in the Merseyside region, so that they are better equipped to identify their needs and participate confidently within society. Our multi-skilled delivery team is drawn from a diverse background that combines professional skills with lived experiences. Our collaboration with multi-agency and cross sector partnerships allows us to support and deliver a further range of targeted initiatives to achieve our goals in promoting and enabling social inclusion across Merseyside. ​ ​ Learn More Check Out What We Do Take a look at our projects past and future. Why not volunteer to be part of our growing team and help to make a difference to someone's life? Our Projects Latest News FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA