My Time at the Guide Dogs
Hey All, Just wanted to let you know about my time at the guide dogs for the PR393 unit. I started several months back and knew it was going to be a great time from the first time I met the crew there. From the start I was thrown in the deep end and had to write a few media releases for various activities going on. I will just write a list of the main activities below
• I helped write another media release on Devina Leroy who was getting ready to row in the rowing masters championship. She is legally blind yet still manages to compete on a high level with her rowing. She is an inspiration and is a good example of not letting anything get in her way as she also has several degrees and is currently studying for her masters as well as the rowing.
• Former ALP leader Kim Beazley as mentioned previously is the ambassador to the Association and this offer came about when Mr Beazley was at the Association recording his father’s autobiography onto an audio tape. Mr Beazley decided he would read his father’s autobiography to add a personal touch and he found it a great honor. As part of my internship I was asked to interview Mr Beazley in relation to the reading.
• The Association’s mini dog program manager, Anna Bienvenu asked me to help her with the mini dog collection. The task required us to travel to various shopping centers, such as Joondalup and Ocean Keys to check on the collection. Not only were we required to collect the money and report the takings but also talk to the clients and find out any relevant information. This was taken as an opportunity to do some PR for the Association to ensure they are aware of how to dogs help the Association and therefore the community.
• The Association was awarded the 2009 Western Australian Safer Community Award in the non-profit category for their ‘Safe Without Sight’ workshop. What this workshop is designed to do is teach vision impaired clients how to protect and defend themselves both physically and psychologically from dangers. Not only will the develop skills to help protect themselves but it will give them confidence and encourage them to get out and enjoy life to the fullest. When the Association received word that they had won this award they asked myself and another team member to create a media release that we could send out to local community newspapers.
There were many other things that I was given to do but they were some of the main ones. I found this to be a very enjoyable unit and gained a lot out of the experience not to mention some great contact. I did find it hard however to fit 20days full time without pay into my schedule but looking back was worth the extra effort. Hope everyone else enjoyed their time. Steven Richards
1 comment:
Hi there!
My placement was also really full-on right from the beginning, and it is really hard to devote at least 20 full days. I found myself struggling to fit in as much as I could into my days not occupied by the 2 or 3 days of placement a week. It was increasingly difficult to carry on with work, other uni commitments and responsibilities like looking after my grandma and it all didn’t do too much for my health, unfortunately.
But even though it was hard, I too can honestly say that the experience was worth it. I’m glad that my placement was filled with so many public relations tactics and activities each day. I was also writing media releases and helping out with activities for upcoming events constantly. In building up these skills, each day was as mentally challenging as the next. Through this, I know my public relations skills have definitely improved and that is a fulfilling feeling.
It sounds like you had a really interesting placement, too. It's great that public relations can be used for a good cause. During my placement at the Department for Communities it felt great to promote activities that I knew were helping communities in need.
I also like that in public relations you get to co-ordinate your activities with people in the public eye, like Kim Beazley. I was busy helping in an event for the Youth Minister, Donna Faragher (see my post titled “Planning the obvious and the not-so-obvious”) and I found that a really cool opportunity.
Thanks for your post, I enjoyed reading it.
-Alana
Curtin University, Bentley
(Note to blog authors: Please excuse this late blog submission as I am still recovering from being sick and have had problems accessing my account).
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