A range of new faces have joined CYCJ in 2023. In this series we take the chance to get to know a little bit more about who they are, and the nature of the work they’re doing. Next to face the music is Sally Howard, our new Events and Admin Assistant.
Q1: Can you a tell us a bit about your background and interests, and how they’ve led you to CYCJ at this point in your career?
My background is predominantly in live events. I have worked with Glasgow Life in a ticketing and admin capacity for 10 years and this has provided me with valuable experience within the events industry. I have been involved in projects such as Celtic Connections, Aye Write Festival, Glasgow Mela, Scottish Open Snooker, LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships, BWF World Championships of Badminton, and the UCI Cycling World Championships. This has given me varied experience to different types of events.
Outwith my working career I enjoy many creative outlets including mosaic, upcycling furniture, music, traveling and photography. I also try and attend as many exhibitions, festivals, theatre shows, live music and comedy events as I can. I hope this gives me an enriched approach to event planning.
In 2022 I graduated from the University of the West of Scotland with a First-Class BA Honours degree in Events Management. I knew I wanted to experience a different side of events and thought that this would be a good foundation to get where I wanted to get to. This combined with my previous experiences I hoped to pursue a career in events doing something that I found interesting and something that would challenge me.
I think events are incredibly important for improving people’s mental and physical wellbeing. I knew that I wanted to work with an organisation that would challenge me, and an organisation that was working towards something meaningful and making change for the better, and CYCJ seemed a perfect fit.
Q2: What’s the nature of the work that you’ll be doing with CYCJ? What do you think the biggest challenges will be? How are you settling in so far?
I joined the CYCJ team in July 2023 as an Event and Admin Assistant. I will be assisting the team in the delivery of events which will include the National Youth Justice Conference. My job includes administration, events, logistical support and interacting with a range of stakeholders.
I would say one of the biggest challenges will be around some of the terminology used and learning all the acronyms. This may be an initial challenge, but the team have been very supportive and have been able to catch me up on the lingo used in the industry.
I am really enjoying working with the team and looking forward to my first webinar and in-person event to really get a sense of the great work the team do. I have a passion for helping people and believe that I can play my part by organising the events for CYCJ.
Q3: One of the things that makes Events an exciting industry is that no two days are the same. Could you tell us about some of your highlights from your events experience to / any that you’re looking forward to?
It is hard to pinpoint a few highlights. I have worked on so many exciting events in and around Glasgow. Celtic Connections is a firm favourite as it always has a great atmosphere. I also really enjoyed attending the National Youth Justice Conference in June. I was able to get an idea of what to expect and what I will be involved in planning next year.
A few events I intend to go to this year are:
- UCI GO LIVE!
- World Pipe Band Championships
- Banksy Exhibition
- Six
- The Scottish Wedding Show
- Dadi Freyr – Daði Freyr
- Jazz Emu
Q4: I know you’re a big music fan – what 5 songs would you pick to give someone a sense of your personality?
That’s a tricky one! I love all sorts of genres. These are a few of the artists I am listening to at the moment, a mix of quirky, funny and feel good.
1. Dadi Freyr – Think about things
2. Jazz Emu – Still waiting
3. Cat Burns – Live more & love more
4. Tenacious D – Tribute
5. Sam Ryder – Fought and Lost
If you were to ask me this again in a few weeks, I am sure it would change.
Q5: If you and your partner were given a camper van and a set of keys, and could go anywhere in the UK, where would you go and why?
We have had a few camper van holidays so far. We have gone round the NC500 route and have also travelled down South to Manchester, Oxford, Cotswolds, and Bath. I always like to explore new places so it would need to be somewhere different.
I have always fancied going to the Orkney Islands or the Farne Islands to see the puffins. This might be a bit difficult in a campervan so we might need to go to the Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire to see the puffins. This would also allow us to explore York which has an interesting and rich history. A Ghost tour in York is a must and would be nice to visit the Shambles.
Q6: What’s the best way for people to get in touch, if they want to reach/follow you?
You can contact me via:
Email: sally.howard@strath.ac.uk
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-howard-05b2b917b/