Maisie just keeps breaking down barriers, and everyone at EMA is incredibly proud to share that she recently took home the Supported Internship Award at the Dorset Apprenticeship Awards hosted by Dorset Chamber.
“I feel awesome, and cool, and grateful. It is an honour to win the award!” – Maisie
Maisie is approaching the end of her Supported Internship with Dorset Community Action, where she joined the GreenCare team to continue developing her horticultural skills. GreenCare provides garden maintenance services across Dorset, and Maisie has been getting stuck in from day one, taking the skills she learned at college and applying them in a real workplace setting. From helping to clear gardens at people’s homes, to building and planting vegetable beds in Wareham with Seed2Plate, and keeping properties in Moreton looking their best, Maisie has consistently shown enthusiasm, dedication, and a real commitment to building her career.
“We are so pleased that Maisie has won the award. She has been progressing well and brings a smile and a can-do attitude to the team. Working with her colleagues and Green Care coach, Maisie has been learning how to use gardening tools, as well as how to plan jobs and allocate time to complete work. Recently, Maisie worked on a bramble clearance job for one of our customers, supported by her GreenCare coach. It was the first time she had needed to dig up bramble roots and she was tentative at first, but once she had been shown what needed to be done, she got stuck in and managed to dig up a couple of rather tenacious roots! We know she is also looking forward to her brush cutter training so that she can work with the team on strimming jobs. This will be another huge step forward for her.” – Lydia, Dorset Community Action
Maisie’s parents have also seen just how much she has grown during her time at EMA and through her Supported Internship.
“We are so proud of Maisie. We have seen her grow in maturity during her time at EMA, taking greater responsibility for everything she does and developing in both skills and confidence. EMA has facilitated so much of this and has worked closely with us, her parents, to support her. This support has allowed Maisie to explore and clearly communicate what she wants her future to include. Working as a student at EMA and on her Supported Internship with the GreenCare team has strengthened her love of gardening and developed her skills so much that she is now also a volunteer gardener for the National Trust. She looks forward to continuing to work with Lydia and the team, volunteering at Max Gate with the National Trust, litter picking for the town council – one of her favourite hobbies – as well as enjoying cinema visits, walks on her own and activities with EMA’s day opportunities in Dorchester. Maisie has enjoyed all of her time at EMA and will miss it very much, but the future is bright and she is looking forward to everything that comes next.” Fran and Rob, Maisie’s parents.
Everyone at EMA would like to congratulate Maisie on this fantastic achievement. Winning this award is a testament to her hard work, determination and positive attitude, and we cannot wait to see where her passion and commitment takes her next.
