Volunteer Profiles

International Volunteer (Italy) - Phil Brown 

Phil Brown studied Theoretical Physics at University College, graduating in 2003.  He was President of Sport for a year and now works for Barclaycard as their Commercial and Partnerships Manager in Italy.

Why did you get involved?

They say that the people you encounter while at University are among the most diverse and interesting you will ever meet and that probably you will stay in touch with a number of these for many years afterwards. In my experience this has been very true of Durham which, with its unique college system and hundreds of sports teams and societies, gives ample opportunity to build networks and make great friends. Indeed Durham is one of the few places where you can find yourself knowing hundreds of people by their first names and at the same time share something in common with them all ... a funny memory, a college song, wearing clothes with crests and Latin writing on them ... etc. The bottom line in all this is that Durham gives you a strong sense of being part of something big and also provides a structure in which you can meet lots of people, many of which will become your friends for life. The idea of the alumni movement is only an extension of this model and, for the majority of graduates, it's not only enjoyable to connect with new Durham people, but it's also a very natural thing to do. Fortunately, thanks to Durham's strong international appeal, it is also something that can be done all over the world.  

How long have you been involved?

I started to volunteer in my first year when I found myself being elected as a college captain in Castle with a remit of organising team fixtures and selections. From there I went on to hold various positions in University sport (Club Captain, Club President, Vice President, Treasurer for the AU) until in my final year when I was elected as President of the Athletics Union (DUAU) and stayed on for another year to manage the student sports office. Upon leaving Durham and becoming "alumni", I initially became part of the Friends of Durham Sport group until the summer of 2005 when I transferred to live in Milan, Italy. In Italy, I initially organised just one small event in 2006. However most recently, with the help of the Alumni Department we have begun to get some larger and more structured events on the move. This month, for example, we are holding two "aperitivo" style meetings - one in Milan and one in Rome.

What are the particular challenges you face in your volunteer role?

Every volunteer faces two big challenges - time (managing yours) and timing (managing that of the others for planning events)! There seems to be less of the "spare stuff" every year and finding a date when most people can make these days is a massive challenge. However, at the end of it all, it actually takes very little to get things going and I have always found lots of friendly alumni who have offered to help out and get involved.

What experiences have you gained elsewhere which you have found useful?

The organisational skills I learnt while at Durham working with the sports teams has undoubtedly helped me a lot in creating events and building up momentum in the idea. Outside of this, my other big passion, travelling, has helped a lot on the people skills and culture side (I like a good story and when you are travelling you often find yourself in strange and unusual situations).

How does your volunteer role benefit you personally?

Personally the benefit is in meeting and getting to know new people, something I have always found both interesting and rewarding. Generally speaking, one also finds that Durham people are very successful and adventurous and have gone on to achieve great things in their lives. To give only a few examples of Alumni that are friends from Durham: one is now a professional race team engineer, another is a writer of international cuisine books, one has created their own business from scratch and several would fall under the categories of International Athletes, Scientists, Teachers, Lawyers, Bankers, Artists etc... Who wouldn't want to get to meet and know these kinds of people?

DUSADA Chairman - Steve Gardner

Steve Gardner studied Chemistry at Durham and graduated from Van Mildert in 1983.  He is a Director of Credit Suisse Bank, and is now based in Zürich.  He has been Chairman of DUSADA since 2003. 

I got invited to the DUSADA annual dinners in London by a friend from Durham who had joined the committee. It was a good way to meet fellow alums and keynote speakers from the University such as the various Heads of Houses who back in the early 1980s were still more well known than the VC is today.

Having enough time to do Durham stuff is the greatest challenge; only by balancing my family and my work can I do it but both my employers have helped through a strong commitment to volunteering and charitable work.

My experience in accounting and finance is always useful in volunteering activities from planning an event to reviewing the University's capital budgets. I have learnt much from colleagues about choosing venues and organising events and have attended some great events spanning the 150th to the 175th anniversary celebrations of the University. 

I feel a great debt to Durham University for furthering my education and setting me off on my career. Like many others I feel very proud of our heritage in the North East and as I travel and experience more Universities around the world you really notice the Durham difference. It is always a pleasure to visit Durham and so I am happy to play my part in its future both as a fundraiser and through giving my time.

President of St Mary's Association - Liz Manning

I was persuaded by the retiring Principal of St Mary's to stand for election to the Presidency of St Mary's College Society last August.  I tease her that I was not her first choice! After a few days' thought, I agreed to stand and was elected at the September Reunion ‘unseen', as it were, as I could not attend the Reunion as it clashed with The Open University's Degree Ceremony in Versailles, which I was involved in. (It's not only Durham that has a splendid venue for such ceremonies...)

So I have only been doing this for eight months or so, having chaired two meetings of the Committee and attended College meetings when I can manage them. I am shortly to become a Trustee.

The challenges are mainly those of time. I am extremely busy in my work at the OU, where I am Head of Services for Younger Students, as well as Assistant Director in our Newcastle centre. It involves frequent travel to centres in mainland Europe and to our headquarters at Milton Keynes and I have to juggle the need to catch up with my day job on my return with the needs of the Society. I worry that I cannot give to the role what it deserves but comfort myself by thinking that I stated this when I agreed to take it on. The other challenge is to bring about change, recognising that the Society must appeal to recent graduates as well as to those very committed former members who have given so much over a lot of years. We have a new Principal with new ideas; the College saw its first male graduates in 2008, and there are new ways of communicating with each other.

I have a lot of experience in leading projects, where one needs to have ideas, listen to others, devise strategies for implementation and ensure that colleagues share ownership. Being President is like another one of these projects, and I'm enjoying it.

It benefits me because I feel I can try to give back a little of what I have learned in a job that I so much enjoy. St Mary's gave a lot to me as a student.