Department for Culture Media and Sport
Rochelle De-Terville's diary
Rochelle De-Terville 's summer work experience diary at GOE. Her placement was arranged in conjuntion with 'The Prince’s Trust'. The Prince’s Trust is a charity that believes in young people who often don’t believe in themselves. They work with young people aged 14-30 to help get them back into work, education and training.
Monday 24 August 2009
So far I’ve met my desk buddy aka the bubbly Jeanette, my opposite desk buddy Milton, got my pass, found my desk and had a nice cuppa tea and a biscuit and we also got to find out what project we will be working on: Sports Legacy, Volunteering Legacy and Cultural Legacy. I got given the Sport Legacy; Jeanette got Volunteering Legacy while Milton got Cultural Legacy.
I’ve just sat down and I have my own computer to use and my own desk. Nice and spacious. Took a while to log in as you had to have a password for everything practically. One to log on, to get through a door and to unlock the desktop.
Just had a meeting with the rest of the office on the same level as me-level 6-and heard about a department called cross cutting themes. Sounds confusing but they deal with mostly transportation and the security of the athletes and the public.
I like the environment I’ve been put in. It feels workable yet breathable. I’ve met some of the other people near my desk or they’ve just come up to my desk to introduce themselves.
I just went to the loo and I came back out and went towards a door...I swiped my card and nearly forgot the password to get in! : P luckily I remembered. Now I’m off home back to South. :-)
I just hope the public transport isn’t as bad as it is on the news.
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Tuesday 25 August 2009
Day 2 and I’ve made it back to my desk. The public transport wasn’t all that bad. I don’t see what all the fuss is about? Hmm I suppose it’s because the trains are always packed in the mornings and it feels like you’re stuck in a giant sardine can with wheels.
It’s about 10 to 10 and I’m early. Loving it! Now it’s time to log on with the hundreds of passwords I have to use. Its 1 minute to 10, Jeanette arrives, and Milton, he arrives a minute or 2 after 10. Not bad for day 2.
I’ve updated my slide show on Sporting Legacy and the computer has seemed to have malfunctioned. When I tried to write anything it came up as symbols and the full stop seemed to stop working. I had to get help as it was ruining my work. It turns out my font was on the Wingding setting. The worse setting you could possibly choose to write in.
We just had a meeting with the former coach of the GB men’s Paralympic basketball team who now works for GOE. We watched a slide show and he explained to use what he did and how they won a bronze medal. Also he told us how they transport the athletes to and from the games and how they train up to be in the games. This is all great to hear as I'd never really heard or seen anything about the Paralympics. So I’ve just been educated which is good.
Now to go to my seat and start typing and finishing work. Soon it’s going to be lunch time.
Lunch is over and now I’m feeling full up. Back to work.
Now it’s time to get a cup of tea as the air conditioning is making me feel cold but I’m not the only one. Jeanette’s feeling it too. Went to the pantry room and made a cuppa. It took me a while but I’m done. A few of the other colleagues came in and we had a little chat about what we do and if were enjoying it or not. I know that this is an experience I will never forget.
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Wednesday 26 August 2009
Today I’m going to the Olympic stadium!!!
Its 11.10am and I’m at Stratford Station.
First off we sat at a bus stop waiting to get on the Special Olympics bus which will take us around the park. What can I say? It was good to see work was well underway and we also had a look at the basketball section and also I heard that after the games it would be taken down and moved to a different location to stay as part of the legacy. I’m actually excited now about the Olympics. I think I may become an athlete. We had a look around the whole entire park. We took time out to look at the main stadium and our tour guide told us about what was going to happen to a certain part of the park and what was going to happen to it after a certain time. We had a look at the new aquatics centre and its being held up by 3 pillars only. It looks amazing. The roof top was so high from where I could see on the shuttle bus. Now were at the end of the tour and the tour guide gets off the bus just outside of the exit as he works there. We then carry on to Stratford station where we all make our own ways back to the station.
The train journey back wasn’t that great as it was busy as usual but we make it back ok. We head straight for the office through Trafalgar Square. I log back on and then head down to lunch.
After doing some more work, it’s 15:48 and it’s nearly home time. I’m looking forward to another great day tomorrow.
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Thursday 27 August 2009
I got up extra early as today we're going to the Houses of Parliaments. :-)
I’ve arrived at the DCMS and now I have to wait for my other colleagues to arrive before we all make our way to the Houses of Parliaments.
We leave and it’s only a short walk to our destination.
We’ve arrived at our destination, first we have to go through one person who checks letters to say who we are, then we make our way down round a metal trail of path, then we get to the bottom.
At the bottom we are met by a few police officers who then ask us to remove our coats and bags and put them in a tray and walk through the metal detectors. One of the officers said to me “you shouldn’t be smiling in here, you should be miserable like everyone else” I just laughed. We went round and then we had to sit in the main hall which was called the Westminster hall which was this huge room with a very high ceiling. We first go up some steps and in to a room with very expensive paintings. I even saw a chair covered entirely in gold where the queen sits. Haven’t seen that much gold in my life. I was like wow! I’ve also learnt that some of the paintings that I saw had either the wrong names given to them or the wrong person was painted. So in order to make sure it never happened again, William Wilkins invented The National Gallery in 1824.
We also learnt about an incident in which president Spencer Perceval was shot in the lobby the houses of commons by a named John Bellingham in 1812. He remains the only president to of been have been assassinated.
Time for lunch. We go for a seat on the steps outside The National Gallery at Trafalgar square and there are a lot of pigeons and we notice that they are starting to get a bit brave as now they come near us more when were eating. After lunch we go back to work.
Home time. Tomorrow is my last day. I’m going to be sad to leave as I’ve had a wonderful experience.
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Friday 28 August 2009
Today’s my last day and I can’t believe it. The week has gone so quickly. Just a minute ago it felt like it was Monday morning. I arrived early today as I know it’s going to be my last day and I needed some time to reflect on what a challenging but fun week it’s been. We’ve got a meeting at 10:30.
Just had the meeting. At the end of the meeting we were asked about how we’ve found this week and I said to the other two "who wants to go first?"and they just looked at me to say "you". So I told everyone how my week had been and what I enjoyed and learnt about the Olympics and Paralympics. I also said it’s vital to get more than 2 million more young people in all different types of sport as I think it is a vital point to helping maintain a vital lifestyle. Then Jeanette spoke then Milton. Then after that we went back to our desks.
I like the work atmosphere and I don’t want to leave. :-(
Just came back from lunch and it was delicious. That was to be the last hot filling meal I was to have with DCMS. I hope to return again soon.
Now it’s back to work.
We just came back from a meeting with the Head of UK wide legacy. He asked us about our week, how we thought it went and so forth. I asked him how he got into that role and I also asked how he coped. He makes it look so easy. He also explained to us before that he had a job with the home office before he started at DCMS.
It’s now home time and now I’m getting ready to leave but I make one more phone call to my mum to let her know I’m coming home.
Now it’s time to leave.
My time here is done. I hope to return here soon. :-)
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