A Day In The Life…..Sarah Dobie (Team Leader at Making Days: South)

05.00 My alarm goes off (it’s currently set as Callum Scott, Dancing on my own). I randomly snooze this around 4 times. However in the meantime I will check my phone for any news, likes on my Facebook or new Anna Kendrick photos that may have been uploaded while I’ve been sleeping… wouldn’t want to miss out!!

05.30 I will be up, on to my breakfast which is either a protein shake or egg and toast. If I have no injuries (which is rare…accident prone!!) I will do either an 8 mile cycle or a 5k run. I live near the River Mersey in an apartment in Runcorn. Watching the sun rise and hearing the wildlife along the river is just awesome! It gets my mind in a great perspective for my day.

06.30 I am back home having fought with the lift and my bike, no doubt incurring a bruise or graze I’ll be sweaty and utterly disgusting but refreshed! I will have a protein shake and some water before its shower time.

07.30 Showered, dressed and preparing my lunch while dancing round, or lip syncing in the bathroom mirror to my playlist. I live for music!! Without it I would die. Dramatic but true!! Anything from KT Tunstall, The Spice Girls, Beyonce, Justin Bieber (sssssssssh can’t have everyone knowing,) I could go on and on and on.

07.50 I am on my way to work. I drive through Hale village which I love and never fail to jump out of my skin though when an aeroplane appears out of nowhere over my car! Got to Love John Lennon Airport for this daily reality check. While on the way to work I will have a morning phone call with my girlfriend Natalie. We normally talk about Wentworth the TV show or about our families and weekend plans.

08.20 Arrive at Making Days South and enjoy a coffee (normally supplied by Emma Mac, Julie, Emma, John or Lyn) I am an awful brew maker. Before everybody arrives we have a random 10 minute conversations anything from Celeb Big Brother to Spirituality! There is always a daily quote or upbeat song on the go before the day starts!! I check my emails and plan my day and its priorities.

09.20 I will go out on to the floor and enjoy interaction with staff and Service Users. I will be out on the floor until around 10.30/40 when all activities will take place. This section of my day is my favourite. The buzz about the centre and the atmosphere is just unlike anywhere I have worked before. It’s vibrant, fun, positive and well magic.

11.00 This section of my day is different on a daily basis. It may consist of meetings with Social Workers, Multi-disciplinary teams, and briefings with Team Leaders, Liaising with parents and carer groups. Support sessions, rota allocation, shadowing the referral process with Julie, organising presentations for university talks, supervisions, organising additional training for staff, a whole multitude of things really. I love the diversity my job role gives me. No day is ever the same!

12.30 I have my lunch with service users where I hear about what they have all been doing in their morning sessions and what they are doing in the afternoon. I always get asked what I am having for my lunch so I try to make it healthy when really some days id just love to revolt and have a big fat chippy lunch. Though I do love the daily lunch aroma of Emma Mac’s noodles and smokey bacon crisps wafting through the office, it beats the Victoria’s Secret room spray Lyn and Julie love so much!

13.00 My afternoon consists of much of the same as my morning does. With the impromptu interviews of David Pealing about what I’ve been up to and when am I setting up a Making Days South football team! Carol asking if I want coffee and Megan telling me about her caravan and how her shoes have given her blisters. There is music and singing from different groups. Our Making Days Mash Up consists of She’ll be coming round the mountain and Living Doll with some guitars and violins thrown in!!

15.30 This time of the day always is the loudest, busiest, and most chaotic. Simply because everybody is so excited to talk about their day with you and tell you about their weekend plans.

16.00 Some staff Team building, to ensure we finish the week on a high!!! This varies from quizzes, congas, water games, chair sumo…I do hold out hope of a lip sync battle at some point soon too!!

16.30-18.45 Catch up with Team Leaders and then dance or a sing song to whatever pops up on the radio and then on my merry way!!! It’s Friday which means not only is it time for a crunchie and super loud music in the car home and then an evening of organising my football team equipment for the next day as we kick off at 9am!!!

19.00 Off to spiritualist church this place is my favourite space to relax after a busy week. It recharges my batteries and provides me an opportunity to tap into my mediumship

21.00 Finally home, Pjs on, Pitch Perfect on the kindle and relax!!