Making a difference in the creative industries – The Alfie Squires Bursary

The Bectu Sector Executive Committee of Prospect makes available each year the sum of £5,000 for bursaries towards trade union-related education for Bectu members. Bectu member James received one of the bursaries  this year. Here’s his story. 

I received a bursary towards my course fees for a Diploma in Integrative Counselling. I am over half way through the diploma and as part of my training, I work in a voluntary capacity with clients. It is rewarding to undertake this work and the bursary proved incredibly helpful in supporting me to meet the course requirements and become an accredited counsellor. I have also previously volunteered with a housing crisis organisation where I used listening skills. In the future I want to use counselling skills and experiences in settings which can be supportive of community groups and initiatives. Mental health and wellbeing is such a critical area for our industry.

I have been a Bectu member for around a decade and look forward to using counselling skills to support the union’s work wherever I can. I have enjoyed the training and information sessions organised by the union around mental health and that it can support members to become counsellors is testament to the unions commitment to the importance of wellbeing.

I am very grateful for the support I received and will use my training to make a difference whoever I can and continue to be an advocate for strong unions in the pursuit of solidarity, compassion and cooperation.