Wednesdays have for a very long time been my favourite day of the working week. In my past life, before I became responsible for the data systems at Rooted in Hull, data management meant something very different to me indeed. It meant RAID Arrays, Storage software, backup schedules and storage capacities, each component every bit as exciting as it sounds!  

For the two decades that preceded my arrival at Rooted in Hull Ltd, an urban farm next to the riverside in the city of Hull, I was employed as a Microsoft Certified Trainer. Week after week I would find myself delivering the same, reasonably tedious material to a collection of relatively disinterested, unmotivated audiences. Generally it was my job to keep my bosses happy, by delivering the tedium whilst maintaining the illusion of being interested in it myself. It was a deceit that I managed quite well over the years, developing several ways to lull my audience into a false sense of enjoyment, beginning with a good hour’s worth of messing about on a Monday morning, whilst I worked out how much ‘fun’ we could get away with for the week ahead.

Most courses I taught would last from Monday to Friday. By Wednesday, I would normally have done enough to have connected with my audience enough for them to forget that they were on a training course altogether, and then, the real learning would begin. Wednesdays were the judgement day in my previous life as an IT Trainer.  Wednesday’s would determine whether or not I would have a good week or not.

I don’t deliver training courses anymore. My life has changed dramatically since then.

Now, Wednesdays are more consistent. I know, I will drive to Rooted in Hull and I know there will be a number of people there who might be having the worst week, or day, or moment. I know that turning into work to see them, cracking a few of my dodgy jokes, listening to theirs, sitting down and eating together after a few hours turning soil helps me to have a better week as much as I hope it helps them.

The lads at work see me most weeks and notice when they haven’t seen me for a while. As a full time carer for both my elderly parents, I don’t make it from time to time and this has led me to the realisation that my job is just as important to me and my mental well-being as it is to them and theirs.

Last week’s Wednesday session at Rooted was one of those beautifully unpredictable midweek surprises. I made veg soup at home, the last of the potatoes planted last year were proudly included, old I.T. Neil never planted a thing before being enlightened by colleagues at Rooted as to the virtues of home growing food.

I have made the journey from Doncaster to Hull so many times that I barely notice it anymore. My schoolboy friend Darren was in the Hull area and, seeing the gates were open, he popped in to see us all and joined us for lunch and our usual general knowledge quiz.

This week’s surprise came when a question popped up about the Earth’s circumference.  None of us had any idea what the question even meant, let alone how to formulate an answer.

Daz, a civil engineer with over 30 years experience, was not only able to explain the question, but using a paper plate and a crayon, was able to explain it to us whilst we hung on his every word, outside in the sunshine.

I still manage a bit of IT for Rooted. I still sometimes find myself explaining the odd computer procedure to people and when I do so, I can hear my old trainer’s voice returning with a, “Right click here” or a “Drag your toolbar” there!

I try to record the work we do at Rooted, making it easier for us to apply for funding. I try to tell people about what we are doing so that they might be inspired to tell others, or become a part of it themselves, as I did just over three years ago, fascinated to experience my own mental health improve because of it. I love Wednesdays, especially if I can make it into Rooted!

Everybody is welcome to join us on a Wednesday from 10am until around 1pm. We always sit down to a hot meal and a chat. Sometimes we’ll have a quiz during which we never know what knowledge will be imparted upon the group from within!

Check out Daz’s explanation in the video, included here so you can appreciate the vibe of our site. When it’s filled with people, it feels like the sun always shines!