29 Mar 2006 - A German social work students view.

How I came to Wellspring

Im studying Social Work at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, Germany. One part of that study is to pass two placements semesters of about 20 weeks each.
Since I began to study I had the wish to go to the UK and work there (in order to improve my English, but also to make some experiences on Social Work in Britain).
In Germany I was working with homeless people in a hostel, where we offered supper, a bed to sleep and breakfast in the morning during the winter time.

My contact person at Stockport College sent me to The Wellspring, because Im really interested in working on that field..
When I arrived, the members and the staff gave me a warm welcome.


But in the beginning it was really hard for me to understand the people and their accent. Im only used to clear English and so I had to practise my listening as much as possible.

The staff and the members were understanding about my language barrier and explained anything that I didnt understand, I found this helpful and positive.
As a result of this I feel happy (and received the feedback), that my English has improved.


At the moment Im working in the kitchen but I also have started to chat with the members and to get to know them.
For me being in the Wellspring is on the one hand very similar to my experiences in Germany, but on the other hand totally different from everything I have experienced before.
Everyday is different as what I will be learning and experiencing is varied.
Im very thankful to have the opportunity of working here and meeting so many patient and friendly people.


IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN DOING A WORK PLACEMENT AT THE WELLSPRING THEN PLEASE CONTACT THE PROJECT STAFF ON 01614776344 OR EMAIL thewellspring@btconnect.com