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< Back Felix, 24, France European Voluntary Service (EVS) is a great way to get valuable working experience abroad. Merseyside Expanding Horizons offers opportunities for people to participate in EVS, by sending and hosting volunteers. This article is part of the series, where we share the stories of these brave volunteers and interns, who have moved to Liverpool from other countries. In this article, our French team member Felix will share his thoughts about doing an EVS. What made you apply to a European Voluntary Service (EVS) project? At the end of my studies I still didn’t know what I really wanted to do. I’ve also never had a long term experience abroad and wanted to try and to improve my social, linguistic and professional skills thanks to a mobility project. When my sending organisation l’ADICE in France suggested this EVS in Liverpool I decided to apply. For me it was an opportunity because I’ve wanted to live in the UK for a long time, and it also gave me the opportunity to have a first professional experience. Which is your qualification degree and what encouraged you to candidate to MEH? Why did you choose MEH? ​ I received a Master degree (Master2) in Political science in 2018 at University of Lille. I applied to MEH because it gave me the opportunity to work in the field of social inclusion which I’ve always been interested in and which is related to my studies, and dissertation. Why have you decided to get an internship abroad? As I said, at the end of my studies I did not have a real professional project. I wanted to have an experience abroad in order to improve my personal, social and linguistic skills. I wanted to have a break, think about my future and enhance my professional skills by a rich and intercultural experience abroad. 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 England culture and your home country? This intercultural context is very enriching for me and for the work we do here. It is what I really expected to find here before coming. What is the thing you are missing most about your home country? I think the things I miss the most are small pleasures like food and drinks I cannot find in the UK, and of course my friends. What is the thing you like most and the thing you would like to change about Liverpool? Liverpool has a significant intercultural, social and politic history which is still alive and that you can see everywhere. There is a rich and interesting cultural background (music etc) which is really fascinating. I would like to change the weather and also some times the food I can find here. Describe MEH in 3 words Inclusion, non-formal learning, intercultural Do you think that your experience in MEH has changed something in your being? (Professional and unprofessional point of view) On a professional point of view, this experience is very useful for me. It allows me to discover a new work environment in which I would like to work; the third sector in the field of social inclusion and project management. What’s more I am improving my English skills and it will absolutely be very useful. Do you think that your experience in MEH will be useful in a future? (Personal point of view) On a personal point of view, it allows me to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds and countries, in MEH but also outside of work. It will be very useful, it really helps to increase my social network with people around Europe and the world. Of course it is very rewarding for me. Previous Next

< Back Bryan Walsh Employability Manager Bryan is our Employability Manager, he has 30 + years experience working within the public, private and third sector with expertise in Careers Advice and Guidance, Employability, Mentoring and stakeholder and Employer Engagement. Bryan is a talented trainer with a special interest in capacity building for employers, professionals and organisations, additionally he is incredibly passionate about creating and implementing projects on a Local, Regional, National, European and International level. Further to this Bryan is a gifted musician and was nominated for an awarded for composing and performing a song to promote the Blood Donor Service, an excellent example of combining his passion and core values together. bryanwalsh@expandinghorizons.co.uk

< Back Janna, 26, Finland 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. First, we will introduce to you our team member from the cold North. Which is your qualification degree and what encouraged you to candidate to MEH? Why did you choose MEH? ​ I’m studying journalism at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland. I wanted to do my internship abroad and the UK was one of the countries I wanted to come to, so when I saw MEH’s ad at erasmusintern.org it seemed like a good and an interesting opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds so I decided to apply. ​ Helping people, especially the youth, has always been an important topic for me. MEH is an organisation that fits my values and I’m happy to participate in work that aims to do good. ​ Why have you decided to get an internship abroad? ​ I did my exchange studies in the Netherlands and I wanted to continue living abroad, so doing my internship outside of my home country felt like it was a good option. Also I want to learn about different cultures and get experiences I wouldn’t get in Finland. Doing an internship felt like a safe way to start working abroad. Going abroad also gives you so much. It is scary, especially when you’re going alone. At times it is also hard, but in the end it is worth it. I think going abroad just gives you something so special, that you wouldn’t get if you just stayed in your own country. Learning from people from different cultures also widens your own perspective of things. ​ MEH works in an international context with different employees around the world: how do you find yourself in this context? ​ I think that is one of the things that makes working at MEH interesting. We all learn from each other and I like working in a multicultural environment. Sometimes the language barrier creates funny moments and I think I’m slowly learning Italian, because I hear it in the office everyday. But the international environment is definitely one of the best things about working with MEH. Which are the differences that you noticed most between English culture and your home country? ​ I haven’t had any major culture shocks yet. The biggest difference is probably the left-hand traffic and I’m still confused sometimes about which way I should look for cars when I’m crossing the road. In general, I feel like my culture is not that different from the English one, but there are a lot of small things that I find funny or weird here. In Liverpool people are really friendly, which I found a bit strange at first. Especially after the rude customer service I got used to in the Netherlands, it felt weird at first to be called love by the cashier. What is the thing you are missing most about your home country? ​ Of course family and friends, but I think I miss my dogs the most. What I miss about Finland, is a proper shower with warm water haha. What is the thing you like most and the thing you would like to change about Liverpool? ​ I like Liverpool in general a lot, people are friendly and I like how the city centre is built. It’s not too big or too small for a city, so I really enjoy living here. Even though I’m still having problems understanding the scouse accent. What I don’t like is that everything closes so early during the week, for example museums. Describe MEH in 3 words ​ Positive, helpful, open Do you think that your experience in MEH has changed something in your being? (professional and unprofessional point of view) ​ I’ve only been here for a month so it’s hard to say yet. I know that my English has improved already and if things continue to go on the way they have, I think I will be more confident professionally after this. Do you think that your experience in MEH will be useful in a future? (personal point of view) ​ I think it will be. I get to do a lot of different things and my English is also improving, which is always a good thing. I also think that you gain something from everything you do and each experience teaches you and helps you to grow as a person. Previous Next

< Back Mohamed, 25, France European Voluntary Service (EVS) is a great way to get valuable working experience abroad. Merseyside Expanding Horizons offers opportunities for people to participate in EVS, by sending and hosting volunteers. This article is part of the series, where we share the stories of these brave volunteers and interns, who have moved to Liverpool from other countries. Mohammed has enjoyed his stay and here are some of his thoughts on EVS and life in Liverpool. What made you apply to a European Voluntary Service (EVS) project? At the end of my studies, I wanted to discover the associative world and also to do something that I have never done before to entering the world of work. I wanted to leave my comfort zone and to learn something new. What is your degree and what encouraged you to candidate to MEH? Why did you choose MEH? I have a Master Degree (Master 2) in Management Accounting in 2018 at University Lille 1. I wanted to have another experience abroad after my first in Bulgaria and also to improve my personal, linguistic and social skills. As I said, to discover new horizons before to enter in the world of work. ADICE my sending organisation in France suggested me this EVS in Liverpool, so I took the opportunity and applied. MEH works in an international context with different employees around the world: how do you find yourself in this context? Working in an international context with different employees around the world is rewarding and helps you to learn and to think differently. I’ve felt comfortable since the beginning. The work environment is really friendly. Which are the differences that you noticed most between England culture and your home country? The differences are the accent of Liverpudlians (scouse accent) and also this intercultural environment is very enriching for me and the work we do here. Furthermore, it is lovely the Liverpudlians people are like us the Ch’tis people in France , especially me because I am from Dunkirk (the northern accent). What is the thing you are missing most about your home country? I think the most are the food and drinks that I cannot find here in the UK. What is the thing you like most and the thing you would like to change about Liverpool? Liverpool is known for its historic past (football, Beatles, language etc…) which is still alive and in the hearts of the people of Liverpudlians and also it's amazing to see how they are so proud and it is something I really like. I would like to change the weather and also change the opening hours for the public places like museums since they close too early. The most thing I would like change it is the driving in UK because for pedestrians, we do not know where to look. ​ Describe MEH in 3 words Intercultural, inclusion, non-formal learning. Do you think that your experience in MEH has changed something in your being? (Professional and unprofessional point of view) On professional point of a view, I’ve learned a new skills, this experience is very useful to me. I discovered a new working environmental and new methods of working. I have improved my English skills and it will be very advantageous afterwards. Do you think that your experience in MEH will be useful in a future? (Personal point of view) On personal point of view, this experience allowed me to meet a lot of people from different backgrounds and countries during my European Voluntary Service. It really helped me to be more confident, to increase my social network with people around the Europe and the world. Previous Next

< Back Leonardo, 26, 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. Which is your qualification degree and what encouraged you to candidate to MEH? Why did you choose MEH? I have a Masters Degree in Local Development, which was focused on project management and sustainable territorial development. I started in MEH first as an intern from January to May 2018. ​ I chose MEH because the work of the organisation is in line with my background and when I had the interview with Anna (transnational programme manager) I became immediately interested in MEH's projects and Anna's enthusiasm was contagious. I remember that when I finished the interview, I couldn't wait to start! I also wanted to improve my English. Why have you decided to get an internship abroad? The internship with MEH was not my first internship abroad. At the time of the interview I was in Brazil carrying out an internship in a prefecture. But I had always wanted to spend some time in an English speaking country, to really experience the language. 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? ​ Ever since I was a child, my parents were always encouraging me to go abroad. I used to go in Germany for one week every summer and today I do feel very comfortable in an international environment. Besides, since I worked with international projects and my master was in international cooperation it's normal that I found myself in this environment and I really enjoy it. The difference that I noticed is that British people tend to be more "direct" than Italians. Work and personal lives are generally more separated than in Italy. What is the thing that are you missing most about your home country? ​ I am missing my family, including my cat, and the food: in particular the "parmigiana" (a bake with tomato, aubergine and mozzarella). I also miss the contact with the nature that I can't find here, because Liverpool is pretty industrial. What is the thing that you like most and the thing that you would like to change about Liverpool? ​ The thing that I like most is the fact that it is a very cultural, there are a lot of opportunities and things to do. It is also very international. I would like to change the weather, although the last summer has been warm..ish. Describe MEH in 3 words Motherly, inclusive and a bit crazy ​ 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? ​ Both from a personal and a professional point of view, this has been one of the best international experiences I have made in my life, because I learnt a lot, I had the opportunity to take responsibilities and develop my own projects. From a personal point of view, I have learned to be more open minded and to do things differently, for example to understand the different point of views of different people. Do you think that your experience in MEH will be useful in a future? (personal point of view) 100%! I have learnt a lot, and most importantly, I experienced different ways of working, and has helped me to develop my own. Moreover, I developed important professional and personal relationships, that I am sure will last a lifetime. Previous Next

< Back Nicole Belle EU coordinator & Trainer Nicole is our EU Coordinator and Trainer at Merseyside Expanding Horizons, based in Bootle, UK. With a Masters in international management and background in Anthropology, Nicole is well travelled and loves adventure. She advocates for inclusive and accessible outdoor activities and has a keen interest in social entrepreneurship, digital skills, leadership development, and the future of work. ​ ​

< 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 Joe Hemington Assistant Chief Executive Joe is our Assistant Chief Executive at Merseyside Expanding Horizons and acts in a senior role capacity at MEH. Joe takes a lead role in the strategic management and development of MEH, and also support the day to day running of both European (ESIF and Erasmus+) and locally funded programmes. Joe has successful track record of delivering and designing support programmes and initiatives engaging with individuals, professionals and organisations/enterprises promoting social inclusion and developing new programmes and innovations. In particular, Joe has vast experience of supporting at risk young people and developing mentoring and innovative employments and enterprise programmes for hard to reach groups. ​ Joe has been a board member of the Liverpool School for Social Entrepreneurs,and is currently a member of the Provider Alliance Voluntary Sector Leadership Group on Social Prescribing, and National Sector Consultative Group for Adult Education run by the Ecorys. joehemington@expandinghorizons.co.uk

< Back Nicola Daley Chief Executive Nicola is our Chief Executive of MEH and has worked at MEH for over 20 years, previous roles included project management and development in the voluntary and public sector with a specific focus on European and Transnational co-operation. Nicola has significant experience in business planning, strategic development, fundraising and financial planning as well as programme delivery and development of multi-agency learning, employment and enterprise programmes particularly working in the fields of Social Inclusion, Equality and Diversity, learning and employment, Social Enterprise and Health at a Local, National andEuropean Level. Nicola has served as a trustee board member for several local organisations and is currently a Director of the Josep Lappin Centre, the community Hub where MEH are based. Nicola has also been accepted as a mentor for the girls network. Nicola is passionate about active living, health and well being and is a dedicated runner and yoga practitioner. nicoladaley@expandinghorizons.co.uk

< Back Luca, 29, Italy A day in the Life of an MEH Project Manager. I deeply want to thank Merseyside Expanding Horizons for the big opportunity they offered to me, and for helping me to grow up individually and personally. Thank you for the support and for making it possible for me to look out over the charm of the city of Liverpool and of the United Kingdom. Thank you to the whole team who made me feel safe. Thank you for all the knowledge I have acquired. Thank you for teaching me that life is rough and that I must not be scared to face changes. Thank you to make me personally stronger despite any difficulty. Thank you to make me realise that I can dream everyday and that we can always improve committing to be better individuals. I am sure we can do much more for reaching a major impact on the communities and Merseyside Expanding Horizons can do it better. A massive Thank You! My day-to-day responsibilities were co-ordinating with different departments and partners of projects to ensure tasks are done on time. Furthermore, keeping track of and reporting on project progress. Completing any tasks assigned by the Project Manager in an efficient and timely manner. I worked on the preparation of application forms for the Erasmus + projects. For the ongoing projects, I worked on maintaining communication with the projects’ international partners. I attended project development & management meetings. I updated and published the social media profiles for the ongoing projects and also prepared flyers for the recent training and piloting events of the projects. I worked on the 'RADart' and 'INCLUDED' Projects: 'RADart's' project aim was to develop creative and artistic tools for youth workers and using art as a vehicle to improve their competencies in order to prevent the risk of radicalisation among young people. I conducted research for the need analysis in the UK. I worked for creating an EU Manual for Youth Workers (Creative and digital methodologies to recognize and prevent radicalization processes), I attended project partners’ meetings online regularly. I have participated in 5 days of Learning and Training Activity events in Poland organised by the project’s Poland partner. I prepared agendas before meetings and after I shared the keypoints and decisions taken during meetings with all partners. I wrote a European Research Report based on the survey carried out by young people about radicalisation in collaboration with partner organisations. I conducted a pilot training session with my co-worker with 8 participants from different NGOs and organisations in Liverpool and the Bootle area. 'INCLUDED' targeted the priority “skills development and inclusion through creativity and the arts”. It aimed to design and implement an inclusive sexual education curriculum for high-school students and a model to foster a whole-school approach to sexual education, both based on theatrical techniques and positive psychology. I did the need analysis of the UK for future project outputs of INCLUDED. I kept track of project progress and communicated with project partners for deadlines. I contributed to creating a curricular inclusive sex-education training program. I attended the project progress meeting and took notes of key points and shared them with partners afterward. Now, melancholically, I say goodbye, and happily I say good luck lovely people! Love you all x Previous Next