Community Impact
Gef’s 30 Under 30 2024 Winners: Q&A with Jay Wight
Ten categories. Thirty young visionaries making their mark on the Isle of Man. Introducing the 2024 #Gef30Under30 winners: the next generation of our island’s leaders.
The Frank Matcham’s Community Impact category winners find meaning in supporting and teaching those around them, and are shining examples of how small actions can have a positive effect for generations to come.
What is your name and age?
Jay Wight, age 29.
Job title or role in the community?
Wellbeing Practitioner at Isle Listen and Minds Matter.
How did you start your career or role in the community?
In 2018 my partner, now wife, encouraged me to try a career more in line with my values and personality, and apply for a position at St. Christopher’s (a local Care Provider for young people in the Care System). Initially I was apprehensive as I feared the change and didn’t feel as though I was worthy of caring for others. After much encouragement, I applied and got the job! I started work at Cronk Sollysh, the Secure Home for young people on island. It was amazing to see how well I connected with young people and how easy the work felt, having only worked in Administration jobs which quite frankly drained the life out of me emotionally. That was the start of my journey and I very soon realised that working with and supporting vulnerable people was the gig for me.
I became hugely grateful for my life, learned new skills in how to deal with conflict and grew empathy for everything around me – don’t get me wrong I already had these things in me, but seeing young people suffer such traumatic life circumstances definitely accelerated these ten-fold. I became more confident in myself and what I could do and this not only affected my work life, but also my personal life as I started to make choices more in line with who I am, as opposed to conforming to what others wanted which I did before. I found that helping others and supporting the community in small ways helped concrete my feelings towards working with vulnerable people.
In one sentence, summarise your journey so far as a young and successful person under 30.
My journey has been full of amazing people and experiences; without these beautiful people around me, the journey would have majorly lacked in colour.
Tell us about your business/industry, is there something interesting about it that most people wouldn’t expect?
My industry is Mental Health, specifically in young people (up to 25). I work at Isle Listen which was described by Rhian Evans as feeling like “a big warm green hug” which couldn’t ring more true! We are out there, on the ground, supporting young people and the wider community by educating people about Mental Health, supporting young people when they are struggling and coming up with new ways to engage the community to promote a brighter, more resilient future for the island. It feels like a vocation more than a job, which I never felt was possible, but I’m living proof that it is – I come to work with a smile on my face knowing I’m doing something positive for our community and I’m proud of that!
Have you experienced any hurdles in your career or community efforts and if so, how did you overcome them?
Plenty! Mostly internal doubts, lack in confidence, anxious thoughts, comparisons, judgments. I’m still overcoming these, and some days are more challenging than others but with the support around me, it has helped reduce these internal challenges. Learning new skills initially felt like a hurdle as I wanted to be the best right away, but I now try to see these as positive opportunities that will only improve how I support people.
Tell us about why you think you won in the Community Impact category?
I very much appreciate this award, however I personally don’t feel deserving of it as there are many people out there doing what I am doing for our community who are equally as deserving, if not more. Working for Isle Listen and supporting young people is key to reducing long term mental health issues later in life and is building a more resilient and supportive community which I’m sure we all want. Sole Mates, my walking group, is just a small way to add to our community and provide a space for people (for free) to come and get social while encouraging some movement – I would encourage everyone to do something for the community, no matter how big or small, so we can get this island thriving as it should be! No gesture is too small; donate some of your time and money if you are able or start something niche that you care about as you won’t be alone.
Who are your role models, either on-island or off, in your sector or outside of it?
I have a long list of role models which I am so very grateful for. I will only name a few as I could write a book on people who I see as role models. My Dad and Grandad are pretty much the same person in my eyes and have both had a huge impact on my life and helped me become the person I am today; they are described to me by many as “a legend” and I agree with that 100%, as they will do anything for anyone without need for thanks or recognition and will always do it with a smile on their face; something I believe I do. My Mum has shown me that there isn’t a limit to the amount of love you can give to a person and I am forever grateful for that lesson as I do all my work with love. Role models are generally people that are older and wiser than you but my son, Jack, is a huge role model for me as he, like most kids, live life with this joy and happiness that gets taken away later in life. He teaches me to have fun and to not take myself too seriously which I think we could all do with. Finally, every person at Isle Listen are my role models, my saviours, my favourite humans – you are all amazing and I love you all!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
The people that mind, don’t matter. And the people that matter, don’t mind. I believe that this runs so true in our society today as we find ourselves looking for external validation from people that we don’t really care about and don’t care about us. Focus on the people that don’t mind what you do and are your biggest supporter in whatever capacity that may be!
What do you wish you knew when you were getting started in your career?
You don’t have to know everyone right away, learn on the job, ask loads of questions, be patient and change takes time, sometimes a frustrating amount of time!
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to train as a Counsellor or Therapist and to make a positive impact on our community in whatever form that looks like. I’m putting no pressure on the future and am focusing on my family and the amazing work I get to do at Isle Listen!
What changes do you hope to see in your sector or community in the coming years?
I hope that every young person has equal access to mental health support that is easy to access and available at the time of need rather than availability. I hope to see further collaboration with Isle Listen and other services on Island to promote a brighter future for our young people.
What, for you, are the benefits of staying on or moving back to the island for young people under 30?
The island is a beautiful place to live, with the right mindset, and young people can have influence over change on island. There are many opportunities to retrain on island in many areas which I am personally aiming to do next year. The island’s community can be a great support for new ideas and there are always people out there who are willing to help if times get hard. It’s a safe place to live which is great for people with young families and there is so much beauty to see around the island.
What does being a Gef’s 30 Under 30 winner mean to you?
I’m very proud to have been nominated and to have won. I am also very grateful to have a platform to show the amazing work Isle Listen are doing in the community and also to get the word out about Sole Mates.
All of the winners should be so proud of their achievements and hard work to deserve this recognition – you are all amazing.
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