Pathways to Independence

Dan has been a Keyworker at Pathways since April 2009. His interest in refugee issues stretches back to his adolescence, with Dan choosing to do his secondary school work experience placement at the Midland Refugee Council. After completing a ‘Combined Honours in Social Sciences’ degree at Durham University in 2008, Dan undertook a six-month youth volunteering exchange programme called ‘Global Xchange’, which is run by VSO. This particular exchange was between the UK and Nepal and entailed three months of community development volunteering in Nepal (in Dan’s case with the Nepal Red Cross Society), followed by three months of the same in Brighton. During the Brighton phase Dan became acquainted with Pathways through a team-mate on the programme who was volunteering there and instantly took an interest in the brilliant work of the organisation. Dan started working at Pathways straight after the Global Xchange programme ended.

As well as facilitating and encouraging Dan to undertake a number of interesting and useful training sessions (including applied suicide intervention skills, safeguarding children, mental health awareness, first aid, fire safety, etc.), Pathways have also supported him to complete a CPCAB Level 2 Introduction to Counselling Skills qualification.