Beth Mather - Change Agent - YMCA Bolton.
Here is my blog about my recent experience of Change Agent training in Zurich, Switzerland. I'm sure there will be many entries giving you a detailed account of what we did and discussed, so I will try my best to focus on what stood out the most to me in my wonderful experience.
As I finished work at my YMCA the day before my departure to Switzerland for my first international round of Change Agent training, I was filled with nerves, excitement and most of all curiosity. Having attended a few international trips in the past, I was sure I knew the basics of what to expect - as you'll read further down I was definitely wrong.
My journey was surprisingly hassle-free, travelling on my own for the first time I was sure that I would miss a flight, or end up in a different country entirely! But I made it! Albeit, a sleeping bag short, but that was sorted relatively easily.
When I arrived in Zurich, I was greeted by some fellow Change Agents from YMCA England - Jess and Hannah - and we made our way to the YMCA Centre in Zurich. This actually turned out to be the first test of the trip, turns out none of us were that capable of following directions, but at least we got a nice look around Zurich!
Arriving at the centre, we were greeted by Adi, from World YMCA, and scouts from YMCA Switzerland, and had the opportunity to say our first hellos to the other change agents. Looking back it's surprising how quiet everyone was, that certainly didn't last long!
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| Our beautiful camp! |
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| Amazing new friends <3 |
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| The whole group - what a beautiful bunch of people!** |
Then began the first hike. Now, I like to think of myself as quite the capable hiker - I walk around an hour a day for my journey to work and also go on walks through the weekends, but the extra weight from my over-packed bag may have tipped me over the edge a little (or maybe it was the few too many beers I'd treated myself to at the airport... oops). Regardless of my near heart failure - I made it! And the camp was absolutely breath taking! We were able to put our bags down, and then were split in to groups to either set up tents, collect firewood, or complete other tasks that would keep the camp up and running.
Throughout the rest of the trip we had the opportunity to get to know each other, the work YMCA's from across the world do, and discuss how we can all work together to fight youth injustice and make the world a better place for young people.
We did this mainly through talking whilst we hiked, which was a great opportunity to get to know people we hadn't yet had the chance to speak too, and also learn from each other and become inspired through the struggles and triumphs we all face in our work.
There are two particular moments which really stood out to me in this trip, and I would like to share them with you.
The first was our hike and experience of the lake in Zurich. I was able to talk to some extremely inspiring and fascinating people during this walk, learning about issues young people face around the world and the amazing work the YMCA is doing to ensure these young people have the best lives and experiences they can possibly have.
At the lake we had a barbeque and also had the opportunity to go for a swim! Well, I paddled due to my lack of confidence in my swimming abilities. I like Switzerland and everything, but drowning there didn't seem that appealing - so a paddle was fine. Whilst we were eating, I took a look around the scene that surrounded me. Here I was, in one of the most beautiful places in the world, surrounded by people who were all extremely passionate about and united by one organisation - the YMCA. There is something incredibly special about that for me, passion is a very strong thing to have, and once you find a passion I believe it is important to hold on to it with all the strength you have, because true passions are few and far between. The gratitude I felt then was incredible, I couldn't believe that I had been given this opportunity, and I was (and still am) so so thankful to everyone single person who played a part in to getting me to where I am today. Particularly a youth worker from Bolton YMCA who met me 10 years ago, full of teenage angst and ridiculously coloured hair, and who showed me (and still is continuing to show me) just how amazing the YMCA is. I do not think I will ever be able to thank him enough for this.
The second moment of the trip that really stood out to me was the 'friendship fire'. In this exercise, we sat around a fire and each had the opportunity to get a stick and three leaves. Each person stood up on their own and dedicated the stick to someone who wasn't there, and who had helped them in their journey. The leaves were meant for people who were in the circle with you, and who had really made an impact or inspired you over the past 5 days.
At first, I found this exercise incredibly difficult - I had met so many amazing people... how could I possibly narrow it down to 3?! It seemed like a truly impossible feat - so I sat and watched as people stood up and expressed their own experiences from the weekend (I did eventually complete the task, had to split a leaf in half though!). Noting people who had made an impact on them, and most importantly highlighting the strong friendships that had been formed in a matter of days. It was incredible to see, and so emotional. I watched people who had struggled with their confidence towards the start, stand up in front of 50 people and talk about their experience and emotions, feeling a sense of wonder that so much can happen in 5 days.
Now, 5 days can seem an awfully long time when you're having a bad week at work, or even when you are faced with 50 strangers from around the world, but by the end of those 5 days it's clear it really is just a drop in the ocean that never seems to last long enough. There will always be one piece of work left incomplete, or one person you wish you could have spoken too more. But that is the beauty of being a Change Agent in the YMCA. In September, we will all meet again to laugh and create memories, but we will also meet 150 other people who will also share this incredible experience, and I am eternally grateful for this opportunity.*
* As a side note - Any one who has met me and spoke to me knows I ramble - it really is a talent - a talent that clearly comes across in blog form as well! Either way, I hope you enjoyed my account. I thought it better to stop writing before my global link post rivalled war and peace in size.
** Cannot for the life of me sort these pictures out, so apologies for the awful layout!
Thank you for reading! Big love to all, God bless 💕
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