Beam’s Head of Communications caught up with Davide Bertone, our youngest Operations Executive at Beam, to find out more about his journey and what life at Beam has been like so far.
Hey Davide! How would your fellow Beamers describe you in three words?
Energetic, bubbly and hard-working!
How would you summarise your role at Beam?
I support people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness into part-time work that fits around their caring duties and availability.
Where does your desire for creating positive impact come from?
I became friends with a homeless lady who lived outside my secondary school and suffered from mental health difficulties. One day she disappeared, but through our 18-month friendship, I became acutely aware of the instability of life without a home and just how many of the existing solutions were fleeting and short-term. This is when I knew I wanted to have a positive impact on those people experiencing homelessness.
Did you get involved in any social impact projects before joining Beam?
At uni, I got involved in social impact within a community context, albeit not directly linked to homelessness. My friend and I founded our own social impact organisation through SCOOP Durham. SCOOP Durham aimed to make sustainable living accessible to all regardless of income, by offering zero-waste alternatives at very low prices. A big part of what I was focusing on was how students could get more involved with their local communities. For example, SCOOP Durham organised a 25-student litter pick of the local parks and raised over £1,500 for three local charities, including Durham Action on Single Housing, a local homeless charity.
What’s your favourite part about being an Operations Executive?
Beam’s beneficiaries have been through so many ups and downs, and many of them have been let down by other services. My job is to build a rapport with each person so they can grow in confidence and believe in themselves. I love that I get to join them on their journey - from sending out their shiny new CV, to landing their first interview, to getting the job! Getting that positive ending and seeing people start work and knowing how life-changing that moment is - that’s my favourite part!
What’s been your biggest achievement in your first 5 months at Beam?
Since joining Beam, I’ve launched 12 crowdfunding campaigns for Beam beneficiaries, and three people I’ve supported have already started work! You can see my impact page here.
One story that really moves me is Henrietta’s. Henrietta is a single mum and domestic abuse survivor. When she was referred to Beam by her local council, she was living in a small room with her two kids in a women’s refuge. Despite everything Henrietta had faced, she was so positive and determined to fulfil her ambitions of resuming her career as a chef.
It was amazing when we helped her raise the funding needed to become a chef. She’s now in work for the first time in a number of years, and has moved into stable housing. It’s so inspiring to see people achieving their dreams, and sharing in that journey.
What would you say to someone else thinking about working at Beam?
I cannot speak highly enough of Beam. There are so many growth opportunities across the business and as a young person it’s a great place to develop both personally and professionally. What’s more, you’ll get to work with a team full of fantastic and highly intelligent people, all from diverse backgrounds.
And most importantly, the people we work with are the most inspiring group of people you will ever meet. Every day brings a fresh perspective on the resilience and heart that people can show in the face of incredible hardship, and new motivation for why the positivity that Beam offers is so important.
To find out more about being an Operations Executive, check out Davide's Instagram Takeover here.
