Notes from a nostalgic Office Fellow, by Sheena McDonald

I doubt I’m the only one who recently put up their calendar in complete astonishment that it’s the year 2015. How has it been fifteen years since the 1990’s?! How has it been nearly 4 months since I was a member of the fantastic Phuket Has Been Good To Us team?!

Back in September I was wrapping up a whirlwind 6 months as volunteer Office Fellow. My job involved sharing inspiring stories via PHBGTU’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; joining in on weekly Coconut Club fun; coordinating the monthly Pub Quiz event at Kamala’s Aussie Pub; and pitching in to help make a slew of other incredible fundraising events happen. 

PHBGTU’s innovative English language programme wouldn’t be possible without the busy Office Team fundraising tirelessly behind-the-scenes. The majority of funds are raised by community events and some of my most vivid memories as Office Fellow take place within the hectic week or two before a big event. Some of my memories include printing a seemingly endless amount of material for the night, joining a “laminating party” (because everything just printed needs laminating!) and organizing a dizzying array of prizes. There were a lot of long days but the end result was always more than worth it. The thrill of seeing the fruits of our labour come together on the big night never ceased to be amazing. I remember getting goose bumps watching Fivera take the stage at the gorgeous Night at the Opera. Speaking of gorgeous, the team cleaned up pretty nicely for the opera, don’t you think?

Amazing teamwork is an essential ingredient in any event and I think it’s the main secret to PHBGTU’s success. It’s a truly collaborative, united effort by a group of people who are passionate about raising money for an incredible cause. PHBGTU events have heart and people connect to that.

As I write this, the current team are gearing up to pour their hearts into another event happening May 8th at Bliss Beach Club. Last year’s hugely successful event at Bliss, Miami Beach Party, will be a tough act to follow, but somehow PHBGTU always manage to outdo themselves. Keep an eye on this blog for the inside scoop on what’s in store this spring!

I feel incredibly lucky to have been part of such a special team and miss everyone dearly. The lessons learned and memories made will remain with me forever. Now if only I could say the same thing about my tan…