Volunteer Fundraising Review

I did enjoy the internship, however, I do feel like I wasn't always needed in the office. I learnt a lot of skills that are applicable to future jobs and have gained an in-depth appreciation of what it is like to work in the charity sector. I would recommend this internship to others as I feel that it teaches valuable skills and offers young people the chance to kick start there career within this competitive industry.

I felt valued more by certain members than others. My manager and the majority of the team made me feel very welcome, however, there was an incident that left me feeling very upset and made me consider leaving the internship mid way through. I tried to reflect positively on this experience, allowing me to improve communications to prevent such an incidence happening again, however, overall it did taint my experience here.

My manager gave me plenty of support, she was available for me to ask questions and made me feel like no question was to small to ask. We had regular meetings and phone calls to discuss how things were going and I feel that the guidance and support she offered me has led me to consider my future employment and the directions I wish to take this.

It differed depending on the day. On some days I found that I had lots to be getting on with, however on other days I didn't have as much. In some ways this was good though as it prompted me to use my own initiative to think about what I could do to help out, ie, sorting the rolling racks.

I was given responsibility in the form that I attended events as a representative of Cancer Research and was given the opportunity to liase with local committee's and supporters. I was also trusted to complete office tasks, such as printing and photo-copying and given the task of making posters for events (which I greatly enjoyed).

I have gained many skills whilst being on this internship, namely those relating to time management and communication. Prior to this I hadn't any experience of office work and this opportunity has given me insight into the daily running of a large organisation and the types of jobs that need doing to keep it going.

Sadly, it was usually quite quiet in the team I was part of, however this was due in part to the days that I was in the office. On the days were my manager and other team members were in, the atmosphere was friendly and chatty and this made working more enjoyable.

I believe on a managerial level, it was very well organised. We had regular correspondence from [This section of the comment has been removed by a member of the RateMyPlacement Team because it did not meet our site terms and conditions] and were given numerous opportunities to support our learning, through linkedin classes, CV building sessions and much more. Time frames were given regarding the dates of the internship and opportunities to get references afterwards were made clear..

My manager made a big investment - she supported me through regular meetings and answering any questions that I had. Whenever I asked a question relating to Cancer Research or any other non-profit organization she made an effort to give a plentiful response and through her experiences she helped me decide on future areas that I would be interested in working within.

I would consider applying for a job here in the future, however, from this experience I feel that I am more suited and would thrive in a smaller organization. I enjoyed learning about Cancer Research and feel proud to have received such an opportunity to learn, yet I feel that I would enjoy more control in a role.

Yes! All the other interns were absolutely lovely and made such an effort to integrate with each other. There were regular socials and people communicated through groups chats and messenger to liase and organise events. From the internship I have met people full of character who inspire me to work harder and to achieve my goals.

The office is in London so it would be more expensive. The thing I struggled most with was expenses. Because I commute in from Surrey, travel is very expensive and I was having to pay around £40 per week. The method of claiming back expenses I do not believe to be effective, as since starting I am still waiting on travel reimbursements meaning that I am out of pocket by around £500 and struggling to meet rent payments. The problem for me is that my manager isn't in the office regularly and therefore getting a signature from her before being able to submit is very difficult. In light of this, I know the next cohort does receive a living wage and this should therefore help to rectify this problem.

I didn't experience this much as am not a big night owl, however I enjoyed the local area and the opportunity to explore on my lunch breaks.

Yes, I was invited to events and asked to volunteer with my team on the week-ends. Sadly because I am doing studies alongside my internships I wasn't able to take up on all of these opportunities yet I have decided that I will regularly support the events that my team put on, as a volunteer.