My CC Skills Experience by Danielle Edmunds

I went with a friend to a CC Skills open day for the Cardiff sector. I didn’t know anything about it and I wasn’t interested in it because the venues didn’t interest me. I spoke to Jo Esposti about other venues and she mentioned that the Newport sector would include Big Pit as a host venue and I was instantly interested. I have always had a very big interest in Big Pit from a young age because of my grandfather telling me stories and taking me to Big Pit as a child.

Once I thought there would be a chance that I would get to work there I took the opportunity. Even though not completely feeling 100%, I couldn’t leave the opportunity there so I applied. I got through and had an interview and I didn’t shut up about Big Pit through my whole interview because I was so nervous about doing it.

When I heard I got the job I was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to start. Within a week of working at Big Pit I had a lot more confidence and could easily talk more to the public and other members of staff.

Since I started my placement 6 months ago I have worked in all areas of Big Pit. When I first started I worked a lot in the Pit Head Baths and the King Coal: Mining Galleries Exhibition where I was interacting with visitors and meeting and greeting. I learnt a lot of facts about the pit that visitors often asked and wanted to know.

Then I started assisting with the educational workshop  ‘Servants of the Empire’  which is a lesson for key stage 2/3 pupils to have them learn about what it would have been like to work underground in the 1800’s, they have to find out about the girl that worked as a drammer girl underground. I was supervising the students in the second part of the activity where they have to draw a dram and feel coal, while the facilitator would be with half of the class showing them the clothes they would have worn, food they would have taken underground and the weight of the drams. I was helping them get the positions right for pulling the dram whilst making sure the children did not hurt themselves and help them answer the questions on their worksheets.

I have also worked in the office with Kathryn the Marketing and Communications Officer learning how Big Pit promotes itself and offers events and activities to the public to encourage visitors to come through the door. I have also worked in the reception, meeting and greeting people as they come into the museum, booking people in and telling visitors about the site and anything they want to know about the facilities.

I found working in all these different areas of the museum gave me a really goood idea of how the museum works and what goes on behind the scenes to make the museum run as it does and how the different departments work to keep the museum efficient and open to the public as expected.

Since working at Big Pit I have grown in confidence and, as a person from suffering anxiety and depression for 3 years, coming into an environment where everyone onsite is friendly and encouraging has helped me become a better version of myself.

I have really enjoyed my time working at Big Pit and I am very grateful to everyone who works there for their time and everything they have done for me. I am also very grateful to Paul Green, Deputy Mine Manager, who has been my mentor and who has been great and very supportive since I started.  I am glad that this was the first placement I had as it has given me the confidence to go to my other placements and feel at ease there.