1 00:00:04,070 --> 00:00:08,330 Hello, everybody. Welcome to this week's broadcast. 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:16,910 I'm delighted to welcome our Ambassador Mahinda Ball, otherwise known to everybody as h. 3 00:00:17,090 --> 00:00:20,180 H. Welcome. Thank you. You like being called H? 4 00:00:20,500 --> 00:00:24,470 I do. Especially when I was four and I loved letter names. 5 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:29,150 Yes, it's. It's stuck, and I don't mind it whatsoever. 6 00:00:29,180 --> 00:00:34,729 And how many call you by your full name? Hum. I don't think my parents ever called me either. 7 00:00:34,730 --> 00:00:40,010 So very few people. But I am quite impressed with the number of people having the time to take and do get it right. 8 00:00:40,010 --> 00:00:47,120 So right. Low to level. Good, good. And H, you have been in college now for nearly a year. 9 00:00:47,570 --> 00:00:51,620 That's right. Yeah. First academic year nearly finished. So congratulations. 10 00:00:51,620 --> 00:01:01,580 We're very pleased to have you on board. And you will know from listening to other broadcasts that one of the reasons I'm 11 00:01:01,700 --> 00:01:06,320 keen to interview people is so that everybody in college knows who you are, 12 00:01:06,710 --> 00:01:15,200 knows what the home person does, and can stop you in the orchard or in the quad and chat to you. 13 00:01:15,410 --> 00:01:22,639 So tell us, what does the home person do? I think the home persons role touches so many parts of college life. 14 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:29,570 So I feed people, I let people sleep, I make think, I make conference and events take over. 15 00:01:29,570 --> 00:01:32,420 So it's it's quite a large remit. 16 00:01:32,420 --> 00:01:40,760 But at the end of the day, it's really to support the core purpose of the college and the students and or the fellows, the staff generally. 17 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:46,250 So I'm quite fortunate it's a wide frame and that it covers so much because I get to meet so many people. 18 00:01:46,370 --> 00:01:49,520 Hmm. And you have quite a big team. 19 00:01:49,550 --> 00:01:53,600 I mean, your team is probably the biggest team in college. It probably is, yeah. 20 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,719 And they're all wonderful people and they all work incredibly hard. 21 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,379 They have some tough roles and that must many of them, 22 00:02:00,380 --> 00:02:11,400 most of them are not seen by staff and students because they work odd hours or behind the scenes and they committed to doing like I do. 23 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:13,970 It's just been the support that for the rest of the college. 24 00:02:14,330 --> 00:02:21,110 You know, I often talk about the importance of one Worcester and how everyone in college, whatever their role, 25 00:02:21,110 --> 00:02:30,439 contributes to the success of Worcester College, but also the success of our tutors and our students, the ones who are less visible. 26 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,740 I'm keen to shine a light on on them. 27 00:02:34,010 --> 00:02:40,190 Tell us a bit about the ones that most people visiting college don't see and what they do. 28 00:02:40,370 --> 00:02:46,519 Yeah, so many of the scouts of the night team, unless you're actually here on site, 29 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:51,350 you probably won't recognise the faces or realise or recognise their names, 30 00:02:51,710 --> 00:02:57,710 but they're all doing the same thing, which is just helping students achieve what they here to do. 31 00:02:57,710 --> 00:03:02,810 And the students who may wake up late have come in late at night, will see the night porters. 32 00:03:02,810 --> 00:03:08,570 But those staff members who do a 9 to 5 role probably wouldn't because the shifts are 7 to 7 and things like that. 33 00:03:08,570 --> 00:03:18,139 So it really varies. But the one Worcester I'm fortunate with having a large team is these guys from what the duties they carry out there 34 00:03:18,140 --> 00:03:25,160 is fairly obvious to them what that means because they are always contributing with the students at the forefront of, 35 00:03:25,190 --> 00:03:33,010 you know, what we do and how we do it. And you know, we're not going hopefully we're not charging in 536 in the morning to go and clean trees, 36 00:03:33,020 --> 00:03:39,979 but we're a bit more sympathetic, you know, But I've heard nine, 10:00 still early for some, but that's totally acceptable. 37 00:03:39,980 --> 00:03:46,370 I've got 217 year olds who would be quite with the idea of waking up later in the day. 38 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:52,880 And how big is your team. So I'm guessing I've over 40 members of of headcounts. 39 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,350 Yeah. And most of those will be in the housekeeping team. 40 00:03:57,350 --> 00:04:02,419 But again, we were the type of team that will contract and expand depending on business. 41 00:04:02,420 --> 00:04:11,780 So term time when it's the busiest for other parts of the college is the out of term time is probably the busier my teams. 42 00:04:11,790 --> 00:04:18,529 Yeah so I will expand the contract accordingly there whether that's from housekeeping to the catering staff because we got we have so 43 00:04:18,530 --> 00:04:26,440 much business over the summer period which obviously helps manage during term time in terms of finances and what we need to do that. 44 00:04:26,540 --> 00:04:30,650 So yeah, so most of our students probably don't see that business. 45 00:04:30,860 --> 00:04:37,100 Yes, it's probably worth reminding everybody, particularly students listening, that even after the end of term, 46 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:43,370 college continues to take over and that's when we make about a third of our income. 47 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:51,170 Yeah, So tell us a bit about that because yeah, it's often overlooked because what's not in front of you isn't that visible or memorable. 48 00:04:51,170 --> 00:04:57,139 So as the students depart for the summer and the Easter vacations at Christmas, 49 00:04:57,140 --> 00:05:03,100 to a certain extent less so nowadays, but you know we're reaching pre-pandemic levels of a. 50 00:05:03,210 --> 00:05:08,640 Come. We have lots more queries. If if we had more bedrooms, we had more spaces, we'd be able to sell them. 51 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:16,620 So we limited in that sense. But you know, the students leave and within days we've got other people coming in and all that income is just 52 00:05:16,620 --> 00:05:21,899 helping us manage the cost controls that the students then have to face during term time. 53 00:05:21,900 --> 00:05:28,229 So it's absolutely vital we continue to do that. It's painful for people to go home, you know, during those breaks. 54 00:05:28,230 --> 00:05:32,760 I understand that. But that's that's the majority of the work load for us as a team. 55 00:05:32,790 --> 00:05:36,540 And the students benefit from all that hard work. 56 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,890 Yeah. And why do conferences choose Worcester? 57 00:05:41,220 --> 00:05:46,799 I think it's several factors. One is the location, without a doubt. 58 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,490 It's the beauty of the grounds. And actually I'd even go one step further. 59 00:05:50,490 --> 00:05:53,940 We have a lot of repeat customers because they like the people they work with. 60 00:05:54,630 --> 00:06:02,010 They like the food that's they like the way they're served, which is not always the case in in other institutions or other venues. 61 00:06:02,370 --> 00:06:06,059 But, you know, if we had a large car park, it'd be even busier. 62 00:06:06,060 --> 00:06:11,070 If we had more conference rooms, it'd be busier. But you have to play with the costs dealt with and it works really well. 63 00:06:11,070 --> 00:06:16,980 What a beautiful place to come to. What kind of feedback do paying guests give you? 64 00:06:17,010 --> 00:06:22,589 You know, to be completely honest, and if I speak self-critical, it's not just the feedback from customers, 65 00:06:22,590 --> 00:06:27,120 but if I was a customer, put myself in a student's shoes or a confident guest use, 66 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:33,239 that there's investment needs within some of our buildings and some of the stock of bedrooms 67 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:38,399 and making sure they're a little bit more modernised than perhaps they currently are. 68 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:48,270 But equally, I get feedback where some of the people, some people staying in the really old rooms love the character and the history that that brings. 69 00:06:48,270 --> 00:06:52,889 So very confident on the quality of and variety of food that we serve. 70 00:06:52,890 --> 00:06:57,990 That's good. And without a doubt it's just the landscape, the setting. 71 00:06:57,990 --> 00:07:00,630 No one's ever never heard a bad word. 72 00:07:00,870 --> 00:07:11,450 And your background, which really does qualify you to do this role because you've had various interesting jobs before you arrived here, 73 00:07:11,490 --> 00:07:14,530 immediately before you were at Brooks, Correct? Yeah. 74 00:07:14,550 --> 00:07:23,870 And so let's start with with Brooke's, because Brooke's is a similar higher education institution, but a much bigger one than us. 75 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:30,000 Yeah, it was the one of the differences. So I was at Brooke for 11 years in various roles, but the last one, 76 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:35,459 being like a commercial director, was a similar to the home best role, but on a much larger scale. 77 00:07:35,460 --> 00:07:44,580 And I guess the key difference there is what I love about the college is I know students by name and I recognised Brooke's is a is a numbers game. 78 00:07:44,580 --> 00:07:47,700 And when I talk about numbers, I don't know student names. I know student numbers. 79 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:55,290 There's a big difference that that but this is a much nicer place to work because it's more manageable and you can make a difference. 80 00:07:55,800 --> 00:08:04,560 That to me is the big difference for me is having the ability to influence students in their journey year on year to year three or as graduates. 81 00:08:05,070 --> 00:08:10,350 I can make a difference, you know, and however small that is, it's adding to that overall outcome. 82 00:08:10,350 --> 00:08:22,230 Prior to that, I did in the main some the noughties was rock and roll exhibitions for various companies in who owned sport in Olympia. 83 00:08:22,530 --> 00:08:32,969 And prior to that I helped build over 50 factories, 56 different catering outlets at the Millennium Dome as a project manager, which was up and down. 84 00:08:32,970 --> 00:08:36,209 But that puts pressure on you and I've never lost so much sleep. 85 00:08:36,210 --> 00:08:46,110 But that's but it comes back to where I originally started off as a chef, doing a degree in hospitality management and then just building up a career. 86 00:08:46,110 --> 00:08:49,380 I've been really fortunate where I've studied something. 87 00:08:49,980 --> 00:08:56,430 I've seen that whole career based around that, that that discipline of cooking and service. 88 00:08:56,430 --> 00:09:00,930 And I'm still able to do that as I, you know, 30, 40 years on. 89 00:09:00,940 --> 00:09:05,700 It's absolutely wonderful that I've been able to choose a career and and stick to it. 90 00:09:05,700 --> 00:09:09,960 And I think lots of people can follow that that passion. 91 00:09:10,110 --> 00:09:16,620 And whether it's from overseeing the running of the kitchens through to running a venue, 92 00:09:16,950 --> 00:09:21,340 you can dip down and understand the challenges of every member of your team. 93 00:09:21,630 --> 00:09:27,660 So yeah, absolutely. There's nothing that a member of my team in college does that I've not done myself 94 00:09:27,660 --> 00:09:32,670 before and I think they all recognise that and I understand the challenges to it. 95 00:09:32,790 --> 00:09:37,590 I think that generates a huge amount of respect and a working relationship. 96 00:09:37,860 --> 00:09:41,680 Some of the jobs that we have to do aren't the most pleasant, but they need to be done. 97 00:09:41,700 --> 00:09:46,679 They're long hours, the late nights, but they have to be done and they're done for the right reasons, 98 00:09:46,680 --> 00:09:53,480 which is for the benefit of the students who attend. No, that's a really powerful message and I think everyone appreciates that. 99 00:09:53,490 --> 00:10:02,790 Just going back to your life, staging venues, which was the most exciting gig or bands that you dealt with, I'm not sure if this was. 100 00:10:03,270 --> 00:10:08,490 Make it through to the final cut. But I did have an incident where George Michael approached me and asked me where the toilets were, 101 00:10:09,030 --> 00:10:13,990 and I said, I'll show him because it was quite a convoluted route. So that was one of them. 102 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:20,669 The other one was hosting the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and having to deal with 103 00:10:20,670 --> 00:10:25,049 police and rumours of what was going on in the green rooms in the dressing room. 104 00:10:25,050 --> 00:10:28,560 So yeah, they, they were great rock and roll days. 105 00:10:28,740 --> 00:10:30,809 Q On the production side next to them. 106 00:10:30,810 --> 00:10:37,230 So it's not as glamorous as it or as it perhaps sometimes that's because it's very much driven by health and safety, 107 00:10:37,380 --> 00:10:41,880 crowd control and safety matches which similar, funny enough, you know, 108 00:10:42,030 --> 00:10:45,920 we've got the, the ball, which I helped wait for, been helping to organise that. 109 00:10:45,930 --> 00:10:50,909 It reminds me of so much of what I used to do and hopefully this, 110 00:10:50,910 --> 00:10:59,489 this ball and that which hasn't happened for the last six years will be a memorable one and you'll be working with notation notation. 111 00:10:59,490 --> 00:11:07,290 Alana And yet all the team, the committee members we meet far more regularly now the exams are coming to an end, 112 00:11:07,290 --> 00:11:16,379 but it's those final bits of detail, final bits of paperwork and I've been really impressed with the ball committee's approach, 113 00:11:16,380 --> 00:11:24,540 their attitude, their desire to get it right, their desire to be inclusive, especially with the local community taking on feedback, 114 00:11:24,540 --> 00:11:28,830 seeing the local community, which is really thoughtful of them because I do. 115 00:11:28,950 --> 00:11:32,820 Having spent a bit of time at St Barnabas earlier this morning, 116 00:11:33,150 --> 00:11:41,760 it's fairly obvious that college and community had a bit of a separation and it's good to be able to be part of 117 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:47,879 that effort to build that back up because they're so integral to what we do and we're entitled to what they do. 118 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:54,870 And I think we've got to be know, be mutual, respectful of each other's aims and continue to thrive on that relationship. 119 00:11:54,870 --> 00:12:03,599 I'm delighted to hear that because you came with me to the grilling that I received and seven of us from Jericho Community, 120 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:07,570 and you and Simon in particular were very supportive, centred, appreciate. 121 00:12:07,620 --> 00:12:12,810 But the good news from what you just told me is that they are much more positive. 122 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:19,350 They obviously hosted a number of local events in the Gardens Haven in the conference 123 00:12:19,350 --> 00:12:24,959 centre and I think event managing that and supporting them and just raising their spirits, 124 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:30,150 that we are here to not just pay lip service to what they want but actually work with them and, 125 00:12:30,420 --> 00:12:36,059 and have the bowl committee attend one of the functions just to show real interest. 126 00:12:36,060 --> 00:12:39,180 And we do care about you as a community. Sorry about the noise. 127 00:12:39,180 --> 00:12:44,760 Sorry about the mess that happens, you know, on Friday, Saturday nights and you know, it will happen with the ball. 128 00:12:45,090 --> 00:12:49,530 I just think that the tolerance levels just increase because they feel they've been heard. 129 00:12:49,650 --> 00:12:52,920 Yeah. And that goes a long way. Good, good. 130 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:56,820 And so they will be relaxed. When we have 3 minutes of fireworks. 131 00:12:56,850 --> 00:12:59,790 The pets will be more relaxed than the previous years. 132 00:12:59,940 --> 00:13:04,559 But, you know, the ball committee have been dealing with the production, the firework discovery, 133 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:10,590 just to reduce the amount of noise and have more interest in light and fall and the artistic point of view. 134 00:13:10,590 --> 00:13:13,400 So it's great that I'm really impressed with their efforts. 135 00:13:13,430 --> 00:13:19,560 It's really nice to work with the like, say, Alana and Evie and Ralph as well, that the committee members have been interesting. 136 00:13:19,710 --> 00:13:25,800 And I know you'll be on duty. Yes. Which bit you're looking forward to, you know, when you actually can. 137 00:13:26,070 --> 00:13:30,719 I'm looking forward to some say the morning. 138 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:35,610 Well, because I've got to take one of my boys to an open day, Warwick. 139 00:13:36,060 --> 00:13:40,410 So I'm hoping to just get in the car and take him. I might actually tell it to come and meet me here. 140 00:13:40,410 --> 00:13:44,540 It might be easier, but now we will make the survivors photo. 141 00:13:44,700 --> 00:13:49,190 Oh, I might wait for that, but I don't know. 142 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,549 That's. I just want to get it open. I want to see the flow of people. 143 00:13:53,550 --> 00:13:55,090 I want to see people happy. Yeah. 144 00:13:55,500 --> 00:14:02,250 And you know what will really help is a bit of good weather, but a good organisation, if that all happens or clicks in place like we want to. 145 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,340 Yeah, then it'll be happy throughout. Good, good. 146 00:14:05,970 --> 00:14:09,450 Now that people understand what you do in your team, 147 00:14:09,750 --> 00:14:18,720 do any messages you'd like to give to students in particular and also, you know, other members of staff and to Yeah. 148 00:14:19,380 --> 00:14:21,390 Tutors, any, any key messages. 149 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:29,129 I mean the key message for me is, and I always keep this in the forefront and I encourage my team to put themselves in the shoes of students. 150 00:14:29,130 --> 00:14:33,420 Think about let's say she might could think of the students because the impact it 151 00:14:33,420 --> 00:14:38,190 could have could be and amplifies that impact in a good way and in a bad way. 152 00:14:38,190 --> 00:14:44,970 So think of the student first. That's why we're here. And that takes time to change hearts and minds of understanding, 153 00:14:45,580 --> 00:14:50,219 just reminding people and that people are getting it, that people are thinking like that. 154 00:14:50,220 --> 00:14:58,650 And it's good. And I just from a student perspective, we're all here to wish you well, but sometimes we all need a bit of a helping hand. 155 00:14:58,650 --> 00:15:02,610 We need someone to chat to. We need just need a we're having difficulties whether that. 156 00:15:03,110 --> 00:15:12,319 Financial law with house may system talk to us you know come and talk to us we worked in colleges or institutions where what you're 157 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:19,490 going to tell us probably doesn't surprise us and we probably can help in some way because we're only here to help those students, 158 00:15:19,490 --> 00:15:24,080 you know, to graduate and to finish their studies. And they're so lucky. 159 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:30,680 They've got world leading tutors of fellows, you know, impressive bunch of people I really do admire. 160 00:15:30,860 --> 00:15:38,299 Having been able to sort of socialise with such intellectuals, it's really quite inspiring as opposed to just a chef like myself. 161 00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:47,450 But, you know, but I, I do find I do find it just fascinating to sort of work with that community and I just want to be part of it. 162 00:15:47,450 --> 00:15:55,819 So and in a way that just makes the points that we all contribute to the success of our students and academics, 163 00:15:55,820 --> 00:16:05,870 because this community wouldn't function as you just demonstrated in this chat, without everybody working hard to deliver their respective bits. 164 00:16:05,870 --> 00:16:08,930 And we all are helping our students flourish. 165 00:16:09,140 --> 00:16:16,040 Yeah, and this is where I do believe our, you know, our aspirations to really live and breathe the one. 166 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,369 Worcester It can't be done overnight and take time. 167 00:16:19,370 --> 00:16:23,030 But when, when we as a team, as a community get that, 168 00:16:23,510 --> 00:16:27,530 it would be really powerful and people will recognise and they'll remember it for years going forward. 169 00:16:27,710 --> 00:16:39,020 And I think the is getting forward is incredibly important because you meet all members when they come in and I spend a lot of time with them and yes, 170 00:16:39,020 --> 00:16:45,740 this is a place that's important during the student years, but actually when people leave as well, they love coming back. 171 00:16:46,010 --> 00:16:49,219 They have this incredible affinity with the college. 172 00:16:49,220 --> 00:16:55,940 And yes, when they come back in, that's an equally important part of being part of the Worcester family. 173 00:16:56,060 --> 00:17:02,540 And I'd want even students of today to be able to come back in years and decades in the future where 174 00:17:02,540 --> 00:17:07,990 they feel as welcome and appreciate the beauty of the grounds as as all members currently doing. 175 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:16,520 It's been great talking to you. Thank you for all the work you do, but also to everyone in your team as ever. 176 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:27,620 If anybody would like to come to see me at one of my drop ins in the same way that you can stop H and chat to him around college, 177 00:17:27,860 --> 00:17:34,820 many of you already do. But those of you who don't come and talk to me, always keen to get feedback to hear how you're getting on, 178 00:17:35,090 --> 00:17:38,810 but also to ensure that you're having a good time. 179 00:17:39,020 --> 00:17:42,320 So thank you for listening. Good luck if you're still doing exams. 180 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:49,880 And for those who are able to go to the ball each and I look forward to seeing you on the 23rd of June. 181 00:17:50,330 --> 00:17:51,650 Thanks very much. Thank you.