Media

Martin is one of our enquiries and grants officers. For many people, he is the first point of contact when enquiring about support.

My alarm goes off…

…between 6:30 and 7am. I’m lucky to live close enough that I can walk to work, which takes around 45 minutes. It’s a really relaxing start to the day, and it’s nice not having to squeeze onto the train with other commuters!

I start my day at work…

…by having a big glass of water and making a cup of tea. The first thing I do once I sit down at my desk is check the emails and voicemails we’ve received overnight, flagging anything urgent as a priority.

A typical day is…

…busy! We get a lot of calls and emails every day, which are always extremely varied and often from people who are very distressed. We support people of all ages who can be facing a wide range of sometimes very complex issues, and so we need to have a large amount of knowledge to ensure we can respond appropriately to everyone’s unique situation.=

We take it in turns…

…to take a break from answering calls. As well as talking to people on the phone, the team also needs to create records, assign them to other members of the team and process applications. The schedule helps us to focus on people’s enquiries individually, particularly where someone is in real distress and needs support urgently.

At lunchtime…

…I always make sure to get away from my desk and switch off for an hour. It’s an emotionally-demanding job so I try to take care of myself by eating something healthy and taking a walk outside.

We try to support people’s emotional and mental wellbeing…

…by offering access to our counselling service. Often people will call with one specific issue, but as we talk, it becomes clear that they aren’t coping very well and could benefit from counselling. We might also refer them to a member of our Advice & Support Team, who are very knowledgeable about what mental health support is available locally.

If someone rings who doesn’t have a connection to a freemason, we will signpost them to other organisations including Mind, which is an excellent mental health charity.

My most memorable moment…

…was my first urgent enquiry. It was a family who were facing an eviction notice, and the mum was also going through chemotherapy. The whole situation was also having a massive impact on their mental health so it was vital that we provided support as soon as possible. Fortunately, we were able to help.

The hardest part of my job is…

…giving bad news. Sometimes people are facing hardship, but they don’t qualify for support. We always try to signpost them to other organisations that can help, but it’s still hard to say no.

The best part of my job is…

…being there for people when they are in need. When someone loses their job or has a health need, their emotional and mental wellbeing also takes a hit. When we pick up the phone we aren’t just helping them apply for a grant, we are also providing a listening ear which can be comforting in itself.

After work…

I enjoy Samba dancing, which is incredible exercise and releases plenty of endorphins!