Putting my breast foot forward!

Hello everyone!

As my first blog, I can't promise that this will be as interesting as some of the fantastic ones I've read below, but let's see how I go!

I started my official placement at Breast Cancer Care WA on June 30, but have been there twice a week since March. I started to look for placements before Semester One commenced, as I was really eager to gain practical knowledge in the public relations and marketing fields. This was largely motivated by the prospect of developing important skills that will make me more attractive to potential employers after my graduation.

Since starting my official placement, I've noticed a significant change in the nature of tasks I am assigned. Lately, I have been engaging in valuable networking and communications activities involved in the planning and management of events.

This is fantastic, as prior to the official placement, I was doing a lot of volunteer-type duties such as organising the storage room, making gift bags, mailing letters, and yes, I was once actually sent to get milk! I didn't mind that much though, as despite the nature of these small tasks, I was still exposed to a professional environment which required proper corporate communication, personal presentation and general corporate know-how.

For those of you who aren't overly familiar with Breast Cancer Care WA (BCCWA), they are a small, grassroots charity that provides personalised emotional, practical and financial support to WA women affected by breast cancer and their families. They receive no government funding, so rely solely on the generosity of the West Australian community for support and practical assistance in making their fundraising events a success.

One of the most important services they provide are allowing patients access to four breast care nurses of the McGrath Foundation, which work full time and do a lot of home visits, group and individual counselling sessions, among other things. As a young person who was formerly pretty cynical of charities, let me tell you, these women are truly inspiring.

Working in the Fundraising and Marketing Department at the BCCWA means most of my responsibilities come under event management. At the moment, I am assisting in the planning and coordination of the upcoming inaugural Breast Cancer Care WA Vintage Clothing Market, to be held in early September. It's a very unique and exciting event which will hopefully attract a lot of public interest!

One really amazing thing about working for a not-for-profit organisation is the challenge posed by the limited financial resources. Honestly, the main goal in organising an event is to get everything for free. That includes storage, venue, catering, security, toilets, decorations, MC's, guest speakers, corporate donations for the auctions....everything. Of course, this rarely happens because at the end of the day, everything has a price! But it's fascinating to spend a day calling local businesses and asking them to provide their product/service for free and actually having a 80% success rate!

You'd be amazed at the sheer generosity of average Australians. I am. Working for a charity is a really humbling experience, and I recommend it to anyone interested in public relations and marketing. It really broadens your horizons and frame of mind.

That's about all for now, but I'll endeavour to keep you posted!

Kind regards

Rebecca Schaus
Bentley Campus
14272149