Spotlight on.. our facilitator Bethany
What do you do for a living?
I am a facilitator for The Juno Project! As a part of this role, I run school and community groups for young women. I particularly like learning new things from the girls in these groups and often get humbled by how outdated my millennial terms are! A great part of this work is how different their chattiness is from week one to our last week. Taking the time to explore topics together like healthy relationships, body image and finding control is a gift I get to give girls now that I wish I had when I was in school.
I am also a Play Therapist working with children aged 3-16 in Worthing and the wider area. This means I work 1:1 with children or in groups using play and creativity to support them. Sometimes children come to a play therapist because they have been through something difficult or the adults around them are worried about their wellbeing. I have puppets, sand, clay, art tools, games and music available and children find a way to explore their world and develop social-emotional skills. I have been qualified since 2023 and have worked in schools, nurseries and children and family centres. The best part of my job is getting to know children and seeing them flourish over time as they trust themselves more and feel confident to take on new challenges.
What made you want to join The Juno Project?
When I was a Family Support Worker, I learnt about The Juno Project and often found myself on their website every now and then to see what they were up to. Then, when I left that role and started play therapy full-time I knew I wanted to be a part of a team and loved the message of The Juno Project. I am so grateful I applied because every team meeting, I feel so inspired by my Juno colleagues and what they are up to in my community in West Sussex.
What do you think are the biggest challenges our beneficiaries are facing?
All the typical and healthy parts of going from childhood into adolescence can feel clunky and uncomfortable. Let alone the landscape that the girls are navigating now with social media, the overwhelming news cycle and having grown up in a post-COVID world. I am also aware of how loud the conversations are right now in how boys and girls interact and how many dangerous influencers there are out there, and this is something that I think is very complex for both young men and women to navigate.
Having said this, when I get the chance to speak about these things with young people, I am blown away by the emotional intelligence of this generation. So, I am often left feeling hopeful that they will find their power to build the lives they want with these skills and protect the world they want to see.
What are your passions and concerns about the world?
It is easy to sink into worry for our young people. I am worried about the impact of governmental decisions around war and the environment. But also, more local than that, with provisions in our schools being good enough to support the areas we need them to. We don’t need to churn out Victorian workers to be on a production line anymore, so our education systems need to adapt and grow with the needs of our children now to prepare them for the world they will be adults in. We need a future of critical and curious thinkers! We need creativity and problem-solving! I am passionate about helping children to find their strengths and what feels good for them. For their wellbeing now and their future joy.
What do you do in your spare time?
I have a wonderful toddler who constantly surprises and entertains me. I love being out in nature and love that I am close to the sea. I like running and have booked in a few 10ks for this year. I love going to comedy nights when I can, when I can’t get out, I am a Taskmaster obsessive and am enjoying the new series!