Cofounded and managed Via Volunteers, focussing on ethical volunteer placements with non-profit community, conservation and wildlife organisations in South Africa.• Established Via Volunteers as one of South Africa’s leading volunteer organisations and arranged many hundreds of successful placements for volunteers from more than 60 countries.• Coordinator and Mentor for all international volunteers being placed with our community and conservation projects in South Africa. This included counselling, managing behavioural issues, and rarely, interventions.• Gained further experience and knowledge of working with volunteers with Asperger’s Syndrome, Bi-Polar Disorder, Personality Disorders and Schizophrenia.• Conducted regular online interviews and information sessions with potential volunteers and their parents via Skype, WhatsApp and Zoom.• Transported Cape Town based volunteers in our 14-seater minibus, driving them safely in otherwise hazardous road conditions and navigating around frequent protests, burning roadblocks and riots.• Facilitated long-term fundraising for various volunteer programmes including Fikelela Child & Youth Care Centre, Baphumelele Children’s Home and Nazareth House.• Website design and administration, including all content, text and images. • Designed the Via Volunteers mobile app which was listed on Google Play and the Apple store from 2018-2020. • Designed and created all volunteer guides, graphics, information brochures and certificates. • Filmed, edited and produced a wide variety of volunteering related videos.

Engaging with adult learners to assist with overcoming barriers to learning, providing pastoral support, delivering group sessions covering life & study skills, time management, wellbeing, motivations and other aspects of personal development.

Fikelela Child and Youth Care Centre is a children’s home in Khayelitsha which houses children that have been abused, abandoned, neglected, orphaned or combinations thereof. Many of these children had emotional and behavioural issues associated with childhood trauma, and learning challenges relating to ADD, ADHD, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder and low IQ. My wife & I focussed much of our work and personal time to this home and personally ran the full-time Monday to Friday volunteer programme.• Assisted with a weekly Enrichment Programme at Fikelela and provided IT support for all lessons. These lessons focussed on improving basic maths and English literacy, improving fine and gross motor skills, and improving confidence and self-esteem. Consisted of approximately 25 (English second/third language) children, aged 4-12 years old. Listened to stories, sang action songs, movement, learnt new things (gained knowledge), dealt with social issues etc. The 6-12 year old children stayed on after the 3-5 year olds left, to work on Maths (SA CAPS curriculum), Jolly Phonics and vocabulary. Other activities included: art, science, games improving social interaction, music & drama.• Organised, coordinated and accompanied Fikelela children and volunteers on numerous outings. • Served on the Fikelela Child & Youth Care Centre Steering Committee from 2018-2020• With approval from the Department of Social Development (South Africa’s Social Services), the Fikelela Social Worker and the Fikelela Management Team, my wife and I developed and ran a weekend sleepover programme at our home for the older children (6-12 year olds) at Fikelela from 2015 through to 2019. We hosted two or three children for one or two weekends each month on a rotational basis. We also taught and reinforced many skills such as social, communication, respecting self and others, participation, friendship and resolving conflict.

• Designed Microsoft Excel planning spreadsheets and a time-saving Microsoft Access database with multiple forms and reports to manage and track all processes and costs.• Designed and administered a website and managed social media and digital marketing.• Produced videos for volunteer programmes, which included interviewing staff and volunteers, and filming in a variety of challenging locations.• Travelled extensively within South Africa to evaluate new volunteer programmes, and to review existing programmes in remote, wild and often dangerous locations.• Provided advice on the structure and content of volunteer programmes, and best practices for volunteer management. • Sourced and vetted international volunteers for all programmes, coordinated each volunteer’s experience from initial enquiry, organised complex itineraries, arranged all accommodation, activities and logistics, and provided support for each volunteer during their stay. • Briefed all volunteers on health & safety aspects for each programme location and acted as an in-country mentor for volunteers aged from 16 through to 82 years.• Established and maintained long-term partnerships with volunteer programmes in South Africa and consultants in the USA and Norway.• Interviewed live in studio on 'Hectic Nine-9', South Africa’s daily magazine show for children and young adults.• Interviewed live in studio on 'Expresso', South Africa’s morning TV show, with an African Penguin and the CEO of SANCCOB to talk about the benefits of volunteering for graduating school leavers.• Interviewed live in studio on 'Bush Radio', Africa’s oldest community radio station.• Made several appearances on 'Mind the Gap', a South African TV show aimed at encouraging young people to get involved in volunteering in their local communities. Arranged programme visits for the film crew and coordinated itineraries and interviews on a tight production deadline.

Contracted to create and teach a two-week computer and networking course for naval students and dockyard workers. The course did not exist when I was offered the position, and I was given only two weeks to prepare before my first course began.• Designed course outline, content, PowerPoint presentations and exams.• Designed and printed course manual.• Sourced a wide range of classroom props at zero cost.• Delivered the course approximately once per month over a five-month period. My students ranged from 18 through to 60 years of age. Although some of the students were already at Microsoft Certified Professional level, many had little knowledge of computers or networking before joining the course.

Selected by personal recommendation for this challenging six-month contract to plan, develop and administer an intranet-based Ship/Air Interface Database for use by all personnel within the Ministry of Defence.• Successfully completed all contractual requirements within budget and in good time to the complete satisfaction of Senior Management.

Responsible to the General Manager for coordinating administrative and logistical requirements for complex structural repair tasks, supporting 1st and 2nd line customers in the UK and abroad. Directed the allocation of work for 41 mobile technicians, liaising with clients and design contractors to consistently surpass customer expectations against tight operational deadlines.• Following company relocation to new premises in 1995, was selected to utilise and develop existing knowledge of computer systems to support 100 users of the newly installed NT4.0 LAN, developing practical IT solutions for the core requirements within the company.• Successfully designed, developed, implemented and administered a multi-user database which resulted in efficiency savings of £100k with an ongoing saving of £30k per annum. Gained a prestigious Ministry of Defence achievement award for making substantial savings.• Developed a management database for the Tri-Service (Navy, Army & Air Force) Stewards at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. The comprehensive range of reports and functions within saved an average of two weeks processing time for the 284 stewards attending the championship each year.• Reviewed and completely restructured existing system for gathering, analysing and presenting statistical data for the management board. The new approach aligned performance indicators to key business processes and reduced the time required from 4 days to 1 hour per month.• Evaluated and improved ISO 9001 procedures for the department, providing 100% traceability for all processes to satisfy strict airworthiness requirements.• Led the company’s welfare and social committee, successfully planning and organising all aspects of several major company events, notably a memorable inaugural reunion in July 2001, which attracted 330 staff past and present. Negotiated catering contracts, produced auditable accounts and ensured that each event remained within tight budgetary constraints.

Having been selected for a much sought-after exchange position with the Royal Air Force, I enjoyed a varied role leading a team of 8 technicians during a major rolling conversion program for 4 Sea Harrier aircraft.• Coordinated personnel and resources, programmed scheduled maintenance and supervised engineering tasks, successfully meeting firm deadlines for transfer of aircraft to industry.

Managed a small workshop, supervising a team of 2 mechanics in the servicing and repair of Sea Harrier explosive canopies, wing mounted fuel pods, and Seaking & Lynx helicopter gearboxes.

As part of a small team on the Sea Harrier Training Squadron, completed a wide range of aircraft engineering tasks.• Rapidly gained supervisory status and qualified to ground test Sea Harrier engines after successfully completing Simulator Training at the first attempt.• Established and maintained Squadron links with ‘The Elms’, a home for intellectually disabled children and young adults with cerebral palsy. Assisted staff and children on various outings and provided weekly support for care home activities.

Completed a demanding and varied apprenticeship covering technical & personal development in a wide range of disciplines. • Achieved 3rd place in a class of 11 students.• Field training included Lynx Helicopter squadron experience at Royal Naval Air Station Portland and a 6-month deployment maintaining a Lynx Helicopter in challenging sea conditions with the flight crew of HMS Brave, a Type-22 frigate.