In the next part of our ‘Spotlight On’ series, we’re chatting to Tom, our Marketing Officer, who first travelled with African Adventures back in 2011.
Since then, he’s seen hundreds of groups head to Africa on life-changing volunteering experiences through his role with the company.
Away from African Adventures, Tom has also enjoyed success in the world of table tennis, and is currently completing a PhD in Sport Psychology. Read on to find out more!
What does your role involve?
As Marketing Officer, my role is often shaped by the demands of the department as a whole. From data collection to webpage designing and social media, my role really does change day-to-day!
What’s the best bit about your role?
I particularly enjoy the ever-changing aspect of the position. It means that I can collaborate frequently with different members of the company. Some of the most rewarding parts of the role stem from initiating the customer journey via data collection. The Marketing team often receive the initial enquiry from a group looking to travel with us, and seeing them go through the whole process (and then receiving photos of their trip ready to share on our social media channels!) is what makes the role so special.
Why did you choose to join the African Adventures team?
Having travelled to Kenya with African Adventures in 2011, I developed a real passion for the work we deliver as a result of the volunteer programme. I was eager to be involved in any capacity that would continue to see the volunteer programme grow and the work in-country increase – along came a Marketing Officer role, and I have never looked back!
Have you visited any of our partner schools or host destinations?
As mentioned above, I visited Kenya in 2011 as a naïve 14-year-old with my secondary school trip for 10 nights. I was fortunate enough to visit The Walk Centre, and to see how the school has grown over the past decade was inspirational!
Where would you like to visit next?
Next on the list for me is Zanzibar. The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programme, which has been a fantastic initiative to be involved with, has really taken off over there and it would be great to see the programme in action!
What’s been the proudest moment of your job?
Asides from beating our Head of Fundraising, Rachel, at table football on our lunch breaks, my proudest moment has to be raising over £1,000 for African Adventures Foundation by running the Bath Half Marathon in 2018.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Studying a PhD in Sport Psychology occupies a lot of my time, but you will often find me watching or playing any sport I can, particularly football and golf!
Tell us something interesting about yourself
I was once ranked third in Great Britain for under 16s table tennis along with three other members of my secondary school (including my twin brother!). I wasn’t joking when I said I will play any sport!
Check back soon for the next instalment of our ‘Spotlight On’ series, when we’ll chat to a new team member.
