Fundraising Development Intern Review

I really enjoyed my internship. It was really valuable in terms of gaining skills and knowledge about the charity sector and there were many opportunities to get involved in fundraising events which were all really good fun. The other interns also made the internship more enjoyable and I have made some really great friends.

I felt really valued by my line manager who was really supportive and always showed her appreciation for my support. Other members of the team also made us all feel valued and were approachable if we needed help with anything as well as being really positive and thankful for the work we were doing for them. I did not feel particularly valued by the senior managers of the team as they showed little interest in the work we were doing.

My line manager was really supportive and we had weekly 1-2-1s to discuss how I was getting on. These were really helpful and my manager was very approachable and also gave me a lot of support with job/grad applications which was really beneficial to me. The intern manager also gave us a lot of support providing a second point of contact if we needed anything and carrying out workshops for us. Towards the end of my internship, I was given a new manager who was not as supportive however, fortunately for me, my previous manager and other members of the team continued to offer support when I needed it.

At the beginning of my internship I was not particularly busy because I was working on a much more longer term project than the other interns and many other members of the team. After speaking to my manager and asking if I could get involved in some additional tasks, I was quickly given more projects and I found that I had plenty of work to do on a daily basis but at no point felt like it was too much to handle.

I was given ownership of a project which was really great for my development and meant I had a lot of responsibility. Unfortunately, this project was abandoned slight devaluing the responsibility I had been given. My other tasks varied in responsibility as is to be expected as sometimes i was working independently on something whereas other time I was just doing a job for someone else. Throughout the internship however I did feel that I had a good amount of responsibility.

The skills I developed are going to be really valuable in the future. The internship allowed me to build on skills I already had as well as learning skills in areas I had not worked in before but may well work in in the future so this has been really beneficial. These skills will be transferable for any job I apply to however as I would like to stay in the charity sector, I have also gained knowledge in the area that will really help me.

The atmosphere was much more casual than I expected which I really liked as you immediately felt really comfortable. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and there was a general feeling that interns were really valued and added value to the work being down in the office. There was also an atmosphere of collaboration with everyone working together against a common goal and getting involved in staff fundraising events.

I think the placement was really well organised. We had a welcome event at the beginning and thank you event at the end as well as weekly 1-2-1s and placement reviews throughout the internship which made the internship feel really structured. All the interns started at the same time which was great as we could all get to know each other and it felt like we were part of a small community. The intern manager also organised workshops for us such as interview and CV workshops which were really beneficial.

The organisation invested a lot into our development. We were encouraged from the beginning to let our managers know which skills we wanted to develop so that they could provide opportunities for us to do this. I also asked to have meeting with members of other departments within the organisation to find out more about them and my manager was quick to arrange these for me so that I could make the most of my internship. The workshops run by the intern manager also contributed to our personal development and really made me feel that they wanted us to gain a lot from our time their.

As I am not currently looking for a permanent role, the jobs that were circulated to us were not for me however in the future the roles available at Cancer Research UK would definitely appeal to me and I am currently applying for their graduate scheme.

The interns would meet up for lunch everyday and we also went out for drinks after work regularly during the internship.

The cost of living was very expensive as the office is in London however this was to be expected. We were reimbursed £4 for lunch which was helpful and we also made the most of happy hours and deals when we went out for drinks so socialising was affordable.

The office is in Angel which had a great nightlife. There are many cafes, restaurants bars and pubs within walking distance which was great when it came to choosing places to go for lunch or for thursday evening drinks. The tube station is also right by the office making the rest of London really accessible so there was plenty to do.

There were many opportunities to get involved in fundraising events outside of work, run by teams across the organisation. I was lucky enough to volunteer at the Stand Up To Cancer events, the Bobby Moore fund sports quiz and the Emeralds and Ivy Ball and these were highlights from my internship. There are events going on throughout the year and the people running the events are really grateful when you get involved.