Here is an account of what Jonny Morris, a first year member, experienced over the weekend.
"I didn’t really know what to expect from Grantham; it was pretty strange being back at a PGL centre, I thought I’d left them behind in year 6! Friday consisted of the ‘Development Centre’, which was full of things about CVs, interviews, and how to find a job or a placement. Being a 1st year, it was a pretty daunting concept, and I’d only written the first draft of my first ever CV the night before. However, it was incredibly useful, and actually pretty fun – I learned loads, and even cheekily handed my CV to someone from SC Johnson who was giving me feedback on my presentation skills. As an Enactus member from Lincoln told me, ‘he who dares….’!
Meeting teams from around the country was a really awesome experience, and it fully dawned on me that I had joined a community of motivated, caring and passionate young entrepreneurs that stretched all over the world. There were far too many names and faces for one weekend! Hearing the way people talked about their projects made me excited to see how I could improve mine with the knowledge they shared. It also made it all the more fun when all these inspiring people (including a few from Enactus Sheffield…) showed off their best moves at Saturday’s inevitable cheesy disco. Winning an inadvertent dance-off with a Southampton executive and witnessing Kirsty’s obsession with S Club 7 manifest itself shows how little idea I had about what this weekend would be like.
As well as finding out about the wider Enactus community, it was great to learn about Sheffield’s heritage. Our projects were mentioned in quite a few of the seminars, and some of the sessions were also taught by Sheffield alumni. I’m lucky to be part of such a big team, with so many characters in it! The outdoor activities we did together over the weekend also showed that we’re pretty good at working together, even if there are some problems we can’t get right first time (see picture of me stuck handcuffed to Jo…).
Grantham was an exhausting experience. However it was so worthwhile, and I know I’ve gained loads from it to take back to my project team. I can’t wait to get going with everything I’ve learned; I suppose, as my elder sister warned me, I’ve become thoroughly ‘Enactified’…"
Jonny and Jo during one of the team building exercises:
Trish, another first year member, wants everyone to know how helpful she found the weekend in terms of inspiration for her project, and enjoyed the outdoor activities. "As university students, if throwing ourselves off a 15 foot high wooden pole first thing in the morning doesn’t appropriately convey our passion for social enterprise through Enactus, then nothing else will!" From the looks of things, Trish also particularly enjoyed trampling on the backs of some team leaders:
As always, Grantham was a hugely inspirational weekend, and despite the hideously early starts, everyone will be talking about the weekend for months (probably because of the hideously early starts). After this yearly event all teams go back to university with new ideas and ways of solving potential problems in the projects. Sheffield would like to say a big thank you to Enactus UK and the Enactus Alumni.
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