Working is an important part of my life. I like coming to work, it keeps me busy, I might be bored if I didn’t come to work. I do a range of jobs in Social Witness. I get the post and record and date stamp it. I also laminate and photocopy and answer the phone. When I answer I say, “Good morning, Council for Social Witness, Kenneth speaking. How can I help you?” I like to answer in a professional way and I also meet and greet people at reception who are coming for meetings with Lindsay Conway – I shake hands and bring them up in the lift to our office.
My favourite thing about working in Social Witness is meeting everyone in the office, they are very kind and caring and I like being part of the team. I liked passing Assembly Buildings and it’s even better to work there and look out on a Wednesday and a Friday. The building is very old and lovely. I love Assembly Buildings and coming to work makes me happy.
I love to work and I always do my best. I also enjoy travelling to work. I go with my parents and they drop me off to get the bus in the mornings to get into work. I get the train from Great Victoria Street Station to Bangor going home and then take a bus to Newtownards. I enjoy travelling on my own and being independent.
Outside of work I love football. I have supported Glentoran Football Club from when I was 11 years old and I have a season ticket for the games. I enjoy walking my dog Ben. He is a border terrier and is 12 years old.
On Wednesdays I go to the Boys’ Brigade in my Church, First Newtownards Presbyterian Church, where I am a Warrant Officer. I help with the Junior Section which is good fun. I also play for Bangor Castle Disability Football Team. I am a striker or defender and sometimes goalkeeper, although my favourite is striker. I have scored seven goals this season.
I think it would be a good idea for other places to offer opportunities like the volunteer intern programme, working here is great. In PCI everyone knows my Uncle Colin from Helen’s Bay Presbyterian Church, he suggested me coming to Social Witness as a volunteer intern and I am very grateful for the opportunity.
I was delighted to work at the General Assembly and to work for an extra day that week, I usually work on Wednesdays and Fridays. I like helping at the conferences when the office is busy and sorting all the packs out.
In the future I would like to keep working hard in the Council for Social Witness and keep busy. I like getting good feedback from Linda and Lindsay and continue to be happy at work and at home. I have a niece who is two years old and I love her to bits. I’m very proud to be her uncle and I hope to visit her more in Glasgow in the future.
Kenneth Downes has been a Volunteer Intern working in the Council for Social Witness since 2011. At this year’s General Assembly, Rev. Peter Dickinson highlighted the fact that “Leaving Special School at 19 is a major change in the life of a young person and their family…Choices beyond transition for people with learning disability do not really exist.”
He called on the Church to help improve care and the provision of opportunities for those post-19. The following resolution was passed, ‘That the General Assembly, recognising the under provision of support services for those with a Learning Disability in the post-19 age group, encourage the Council for Social Witness as it explores this matter and, if appropriate, engages with the Department of Health in collaboration with the Council for Public Affairs.’ You can read the story here.