Working Life At Brathay: Ryan in the Ambleside Delivery Team
At Brathay, every role plays a vital part in empowering young people to meet challenges and unlock their potential. Whether you're working directly with individuals or behind the scenes, our mission is the same: to inspire young people build their brighter futures. The diverse skills, experiences, and passion of our employees create a lasting impact.
Meet Ryan, a Learning and Development Consultant based at our Lake District Residential Centre. Ryan started his journey at Brathay as a Technician and Trainer, giving him a unique insight into how to maximise the impact of our activities. Ryan shares the inspiration behind his decision to join Brathay and why he wholeheartedly encourages others to become part of the team.
Hi Ryan, thanks for taking the time to tell us more about your experience of working at Brathay. What inspired you to join us?
There are several factors that inspired me to join Brathay; the people I work with, our shared values and the location! The delivery team has always impressed and inspired me with the high level of experience and skill they possess, and their passion and commitment to developing people. This has been a huge benefit for my own development by learning from everyone in my team.
I also admire the culture at Brathay — values aren’t just words; they are demonstrated every day. And of course, it’s hard not to feel inspired every morning driving to our Ambleside site. Working in what I think is one of the most beautiful places in the country makes me feel very lucky and fortunate to call this my office.
What do you find most rewarding about your role?
The most rewarding part of my role is working with clients from beginning to end of their time at Brathay. From the point of booking, I take the time to understand the needs of the clients and creatively design a programme that aligns with their learning outcomes. I get to see firsthand the positive transformations of the participants, the difference we make and the evidence of learning.
What skills would you say set you up for success in your role?
For me the most important skills are communication and adaptability. Change is a constant at Brathay, from groups requiring different activities based on their needs that day to the changing weather! Therefore, internal and external communication is important to ensure we deliver a quality service. No one day is the same, so it is key to dynamically assess a situation and make decisions. It’s also important to listen attentively with the participants to really understand what they need and how they are feeling throughout the programme. Every person is unique, so you need to adapt and keep an open mind.
What is the biggest challenge in your role, and how do you overcome it?
As a consultant, my biggest challenge is flipping between delivery and desk-based work. Sometimes this can feel like two different roles as they require different skill sets, but I plan my time, so I know what I need to achieve each day which helps me to make the switch within the different requirements of my role.
What advice would you give to someone considering a role at Brathay, in the community team?
Don’t consider it, do it! It really is a great place to work – it's very rewarding. Like I said, things change quickly around here, at the beginning of your journey there is a lot to take in and it can be quite daunting, but you soon become integrated in Brathay life. Working at Brathay has presented so many opportunities for me to develop, so my advice would be to take the opportunities that come your way. It really is worth it!
Interested in working with Brathay? Check out our current job vacancies and see if there's a role for you.
What's the role of a Learning and Development Consultant?
As Learning and Development Consultants, we design and deliver tailored experiential learning programmes. By building strong working relationships with our clients, we gain a clear understanding of their needs and create high quality, bespoke development programmes that achieve their learning outcomes.
We use experiential learning to bring these programmes to life, combining practical activities with relevant theory. Sessions can take place in a range of environments: at our Lake District centre, at the client's place of work, online or a mix of all three. During delivery we facilitate activities that promote wellbeing and enable people to lead their own learning. This approach develops the knowledge, skills and behaviours professionals need to thrive.
Learn more about our work in Early Careers and Leadership Development.
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