London 2012 blog

When I asked for work experience, I was given a placement in the ODA’s communications department. To get this straight, it was a good thing! I was -sometimes literally- lead by Tim Daniels from the ODA, who organised my days, buzzed me in every time I went through those annoying security checks and introduced me to the 20 or so other people I would be working with (or just sitting near!).

The most prominent memory I have of my first day, was the sheer amount of food that everyone kept by their desks - I almost wondered where all the stationary was! However, then I saw the special “store room”, which is more like a canteen for the paper-hungry, and all became clear.

I did actually do work after eyeballing such things! The Comms team kept me occupied with layouting documents and proofreading the exciting new website, but I generally just got to ask lots of questions, which was nice. I must have read every single page of the website and so know how much work goes on and I was also converted to a “logo-liker”!

On Thursday, I was invited to go to an event on the Olympic Park site to see the LDA officially hand over the land to the ODA. The greatest part of that experience, besides the helmet-and-wellies combination, was feeling part of something big.

On my last day, I went to the 2012 Roadshow at Waltham Forest. It was a great day for the people of Waltham Forest- to see local and national organisations working together for them. I hope that my own Borough catches on and invites Kelly Holmes along too!

At the end of the week, I couldn’t believe that I am not coming back. I am really glad I came here and it has been my best work experience out of four. That being said, I am fine with returning to “infuriatingly lazy layabout teenager” mode, purely because I know that in September I am being expected to get a job and stay at school and that job will probably not involve free doughnuts!