Hexagon Housing makes good quality, affordable housing and services available to people in South East London, and works to improve the neighbourhoods they live in.
In June 2023, Hexagon held a Partnering event, where Murray Birrell’s Director, Sam Field, was in attendance. At this event, Senior Employment Advisor at Hexagon Housing, Martyne Callender, gave a presentation and invited anyone interested in supporting her program to step forward. Inspired by her dedication, Murray Birrell Director Sam Field immediately signed up to help.
Soon after, Murray Birrell’s Personal Assistant Nicky Adamson joined the project, bringing her knowledge and experience to create a comprehensive plan. Together, Sam, Nicky and Martyne implemented a program aimed at helping Hexagon’s residents re-enter the workforce.
In November 2023, the first mock interviews were held at Murray Birrell’s offices. This event was designed to provide participants with a realistic interview experience, complete with all the emotions and challenges of a real job interview. The goal was to help residents build confidence and improve their interview skills, thereby increasing their chances of securing employment.
Throughout this process, we conducted several interviews and met many incredible individuals with inspiring stories. Despite initial nerves, we were soon able to put them at ease, offer useful techniques for managing interviews, and provide constructive feedback through Martyne.
Both Sam and Nicky have been seasoned professionals in their respective fields for many years. Their desire to give back to the community led them to share their experiences, skills, and knowledge with the residents. By offering guidance on improving CVs and honing interviewing techniques, they have empowered individuals to view their job search from a new perspective and showed them how to look at themselves in a different way.
The feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive. Many participants have reported that our interactions have been instrumental in helping them secure employment. This success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all parties involved.
A resident said: “At the beginning of the interview I was nervous but as it progressed I was more relaxed. They were excellent interviewers, made me feel welcome and gave good feedback. Thank you for this opportunity it really helped my confidence in doing interviews in the future.”
For Murray Birrell, participating in this program has been incredibly rewarding. It has not only allowed us to give back to the community but also enriched our understanding of the challenges faced by job seekers. We are proud of the progress made and remain committed to supporting initiatives that foster community growth and empowerment.
We’ve had great feedback from Hexagon too. Martyne says:
“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Murray Birrell and I’ve been blown away by their commitment to developing the confidence and employability skills of our residents.”
The collaboration between Sam, Nicky and Martyne is a shining example of how businesses and community organisations can work together to create positive change. By helping residents regain their confidence and find employment, we are contributing to a stronger, more resilient community overall.
For more information on Hexagon Housing and to find out ways you can help, please see their website: https://hexagon.org.uk/
For more information on how Murray Birrell can help you, please email us at: mb@murraybirrell.co.uk or call us on 020 7499 6317.