Support Worker Marnie shares the journey of travelling with a client to Belgium for a disability conference via Eurostar.
The destination is Belgium and the time is 7:30am. I had a great opportunity to support a client to Belgium where they would be giving a lecture regarding disability and accessibility at a conference being hosted at the local University.
The morning started very early at the St Pancras terminal where we were to the board the Eurostar. Meeting the client ran very smoothly as we had a designated meeting point as well as had the opportunity to make introductions ahead of time. Passenger assistance had been organized in advance so we went through security and avoided the lines. We were escorted onto the Eurostar by a member of staff when it was boarding time with plenty of time to spare. The journey ran very smoothly while listening to the conversations of a group of ladies traveling to Paris for a three-day birthday weekender.
Upon arrival to Brussels we landed in the Kings Cross equivalent of their main train station which comprised of 26 platforms heading to different destinations across Europe. Even though there were language barriers there were clear and precise directions to several information desks which facilitated our purchase of tickets onto Antwerp. The journey was an additional 40 minute of smooth travelling on a double decker train.
With the assistance of signs and Google Maps we very quickly made it to our hotel. Now in receipt of our room keys I guided the client to their room and gave a tour making sure client was aware of all of the amenities and features in the room. We took an hour to unpack and acclimatise and decided to go on an investigation tour around the area and see where the conference would be held the following day.
As a result of efficient time keeping, we were able to make it to the university just before the introductory keynote speech and were able to take the opportunity to meet some of the patrons and guest speakers who would themselves be presenting over the following couple of days.
On the leisurely walk back to the hotel we stopped off and grabbed some freshly made pizza and we’re able to have dinner and prepare for the next day.
With another early start we were able to meet for breakfast and review the itinerary for the day to come. We attended several conferences of interest and enjoyed the refreshments during the intervals while exchanging ideas, opinions and views with other attendees. Just like the previous day we were led by our noses to another local restaurant where we pick up dinner for the evening then retired to our rooms.
Just let the previous day we met up for an early morning breakfast and checked out of the hotel while leaving our luggage on the premises while we attended the final day of the conference. During the quiet moments it was important to let the client know about the local amenities, places of interest and landmarks just in case they were ever return with friends, family or another support worker. This could be useful for personal and professional reasons.
Now that the conference had concluded we made our way back to the hotel and collected our luggage and had a quick meal and headed back to the Eurostar. It was a straightforward exercise of retracing our steps and grabbing souvenirs along the. With great help from the Eurostar team we were able to access the platform before the crowds became overwhelming. With an arrival time at St Pancras of 10:30pm I assisted the client back to the appropriate gate line and said our goodbyes with the hope of another adventure soon.
By: Marnie Samuels (September 2023)