Welcome to our first ever ‘Day in the Life Of’ feature, in which Thrive Outdoors Fund Manager, Melodie Crumlin, talks about her first six weeks with Inspiring Scotland
What has a typical day looked like for you?
The work itself has varied from day to day. Some days have been spent connecting with the wider sector and others, reading and researching, and other days have been spent strategising and forward planning. The best days have involved visiting grassroots play charities, seeing all the different settings in action and listening to the voices of children and play rangers/the sector. Oh, and getting involved in some play, too! We have strong communication across our Thrive Outdoors and wider Inspiring Scotland team. We start our week with a catch up which involves sharing and planning, and we meet fortnightly as a very large team sharing insights and knowledge, as well as hearing from some of our charities or sector leaders.
What do you enjoy most about working with Inspiring Scotland ?
Like a lot of people within Inspiring Scotland, I feel passionate about what our organisation stands for and I like the fact that day in, day out I am contributing to our shared goals. Inspiring Scotland supports the voluntary sector in a way that amplifies and strengthens its impact, in turn having a transformative effect on the lives of those living in Scotland who otherwise may struggle to make the best of their lives due to circumstances, poverty, or other disadvantages.
What excites you most about the work of the Thrive Outdoors team?
Everything!! I’m in a fortunate position that our team is getting to support and champion the health and well being of children and Scotland through outdoor play. We know that Outdoor Play is needed now more than ever. It really can address the impact of so many challenges in our post-Covid society by bringing children and families together to reconnect, giving them a renewed sense of their communities, building relationships, improving physical, mental health and wellbeing, and increasing the primary care giver involvement in the lives of their child(ren) and local neighbourhood.
Find out more information on the work of Thrive Outdoors here.
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