From social work to the Commonwealth Games

Pritpal Surj isn’t your traditional social worker.

“I was always interested in what else is out there,” he says.

“As a student I did a lot of research and saw you could be a social worker in hospitals, in airports, and I thought, ‘Okay, but what else?’”

That curiosity ultimately led him to the Commonwealth Games and his current role as advocacy and partnership manager for Commonwealth Sport, the organisation responsible for the games set to be held in Glasgow next month. 

As countries from 72 nations prepare to compete, Pritpal is busy travelling back and forth between Glasgow, London and his Midland home.

“I’m living out of a suitcase at the moment,” he says. “I love it – it’s my dream job. I always wanted to do something like this where I can support people not just where I am, but on a wider level. Being stuck in once place isn’t for me.”

His role encompasses much more than the games. He leads on sustainability, indigenous reconciliation, pride, youth, stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships. Throughout the Commonwealth Sport movement, he is responsible for promoting inclusion, advocacy and social mobility.

For Pritpal, it’s a role very much in sync with his social work learning and background.

“The advocacy is where my social work skills come into play. It’s amplifying the voice of young people and what they want in sports across the Commonwealth.

“How can we support indigenous communities to come into sport, how do we educate people about indigenous communities and amplify their voice? With sustainability, it’s how do we travel, looking at the way we work.”

The “pride” element of the role is about advocating for LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches and the wider community to make sport a more welcoming and safe environment for them.

“That can be a tricky one as some countries ban LGBTQ+ athletes,” says Pritpal.

“So how do we make our games a universal safe place for athletes and coaches to be themselves, to express themselves?

“It’s bringing that understanding of what’s needed and what’s happening around LGBTQ+ issues in the Commonwealth.”

Pritpal doesn’t do casework in his current role and is no longer registered as a social worker.

“I don’t miss it,” he says.

“Even as a student in placement with children’s services I had in excess of 20 or 30 cases and you are juggling them. If something goes wrong it is your head on the line.

“As much as you can be supported, if something slips up you’re in trouble. As a young person I couldn’t believe this is how social work is.

“My last placement was in addiction working with the over 50s. I had a caseload but I actually loved that because it was a different type of casework.”

After qualifying Pritpal worked as a drugs and alcohol practitioner for two-and-a-half years.

“I was only 23, still youngish, and it kind of got to me after a while, the kind of casework I was seeing.”

His curiosity for what else might be out there led him to the King’s Trust, formerly the Prince’s Trust.

“I was supporting young people through volunteering in schools. I had a caseload of volunteers and loved it.

“I talked to my social work friends at the time and they were like, ‘How do we get into this?’ I helped them to see social work isn’t just about children and families.”

Pritpal worked in the trust nearly eight years before becoming involved with the 2021 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which led to his current role.

Despite his unconventional career, he says every job he has done always “goes full circle” back to his degree in social work.

“Even when I get to travel to other countries or when we have our conferences, in the back of my mind, it's still, ‘How do we treat these people with dignity? If somebody's got an issue, how do we support them?

“I don't think social work ever turns off. Safeguarding has never turned off since I did my degree. When you're walking down the street, you're still constantly safeguarding what's happening around you.

“I always say is I'm not a traditional social worker. I didn’t want to get that burnout I’ve seen time and again. I like to stretch my wings and see what else is out there…”