Trusts and Statutory Fundraising Intern Review

The staff at the British Red Cross were always really friendly and welcoming, it was a very inclusive environment. I got to know the other interns well too which was a great opportunity. There were a variety of tasks to complete and a number of development opoprtunities through the courses run at UKO.

I did feel valued by my colleagues, they were very inclusive and I was made to feel as though I was on the same level rather than looked down upon as is the case in some internships.

Initially I had a weekly one to one with my supervisor this then reduced to one every fortnight but I knew support and guidance was always available.

The intern task list meant that all staff from the team had the opportunity to delegate tasks and so it was great to have a mixture of responsibilities. These included research, updating the in-house database as well as writing a proposal to be sent out to trusts.

I was given a good level of responsibility during the placement, I felt like a valued member of the team that was contributing to the work of the British Red Cross. This included updating documents on certain programmes as well as writing documents that were sent out to trusts, such as programme updates and project proposals.

The experience at the British Red Cross will undoubtedly assist me in my future career. The skills acquired will not necessariyl help me in my degree subject which is history but will be invaluable in the future. Skills acquired include writing reports, development of writing style and IT skills.

The general atmosphere in the office was a very positive one, it was clear that the team I was working with genuinely got along very well and worked together productively to achieve the best results possible.

I was very impressed with how structured the internship was overall. When I arrived I had a structured timetable which allowed me to learn a great deal about the organisation. It included being introduced to the rest of the team, meeting with the internships co-ordinator and commencing my training.

There were a lot more opportunities for personal training and development at the British Red Cross than I thought there would be. It was really great that interns such as myself had the same opportunity as paid staff to attend courses run, again adding to the inclusive atmosphere. Some of the courses that I intended included an intern induction day, basic first aid training, a fundraising induction day as well as an ideals in action course. There is a lot to offer at the British Red Cross and it is a fantastic opportunity if one makes the most of it. Considering they are a charitable organisation it was really good that reasonable travel expenses were covered and that there was a £5 lunch allowance; this aspect I think makes it far more feasible for someone to undertake an unpaid internship such as this.

Future employment prospects within the organisation are very appealing because of the experience I have had whilst interning there. Although a job at the end of an internship is by no means guaranteed there is a reasonable turnover of interns applying for jobs and gaining employment. The atmosphere is really good and there are a number of roles which could be of future interest.

The other interns and I all got on really well, we would meet up for lunch each day and it was really nice to get to know a group of such lovely people. In terms of socialising out of work hours it was not a weekly event but we would go for drinks sometimes after work, on reflection I think other interns and I wish that we had done this more.

The cost of living was fairly reasonable considering the office is in London, however it must be taken into account that I was living at home during the internship. It was about a 40 min journey into work every day and cost £16.95 for a return ticket which I was able to reclaim in expenses. The £5 lunch allowance was also very useful in keeping costs down.

During my internship some of us went for drinks every once in a while however that was the extent of out nightlife experience. The cost of it was quite expensive because the office is based in the City in London however we made the most of half price happy hour at a nearby bar.

There was a reasonable amountof opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work, there would be opportunities to socialise