George’s internship
What first interested you in the internship at It’s Time?
I was interested in It’s Time on the basis that I am quite keen to move into third-sector work upon completion of my university course. More specifically, I am enthusiastic about conducting social research for the purpose of assisting government policy to bring about positive changes for charities and NGOs that work with vulnerable people. I came across It’s Time through my University Careers Hub and was fascinated by their passion for helping a fairly overlooked issue; helping young adults who have lost a parent. I loved the fact that they are a fairly new charity that are working so hard to make positive changes to the lives of young adults experiencing bereavement. As such, I thought that interning with It’s Time would be a really insightful experience for me & would also give me the opportunity to provide some impactful research for a new charity.
What was your role?
My official role was Research and Education Partnerships intern, however I was fortunate enough to do a little bit of everything over my 6 weeks with It’s Time!
What did you get up to?
The thing I loved most about my internship was the fact I was given the freedom to involve myself in as many different areas of the charity as I liked. I did so by hybridising my work, doing the majority of it remotely but also a small amount in person too. I worked on developing a fundraising pack for any prospective fundraisers alongside Katrina whose expertise in this area really helped me to learn new ideas. I also conducted a literature review under the guidance of Mikhail to examine what research already exists within this field and where the gaps in the research are. Doing this allowed me to understand just how overlooked bereavement is for young adults and how there is space for so many improvements with regard to UK Policy. Lastly, I worked on building a relationship between It’s Time and my university in order for them to improve their bereavement services, which involved some really rewarding in-person discussions with myself, Libby and the wellbeing team at Sussex Uni. All in all my internship entailed a bit of everything, something that I valued hugely from the experience.
What will you take away from the experience?
It’s Time gave me the opportunity to really understand how a relatively small & young charity operates in order to support young adults and grow further to expand its reach. I was able to conduct a mini-research project of my own which gives me some really valuable experience if this was something I wanted to pursue further after University. I was able to learn from Mikhail how best to deliver impactful research that offers both insight and critique, a transferable skill which will help me massively across my last year at University and beyond.
I think above all, the experience I valued most about my internship was being able to work alongside a team of people who are just so passionate about It’s Time’s cause. I am lucky enough to have never experienced bereavement first-hand but felt extremely honoured to have listened to so many personal stories from the people I worked with throughout my internship, all of which has helped me to better understand loss, grief and bereavement. So to Libby, Katrina, Mikhail, Dave and the wide range of trustees, I just wanted to say a big thank you for allowing me to work alongside you, my only regret was that the 6 weeks just felt so short!
What will you do after this?
After this summer I am going back to university to complete my third and final year of my undergraduate degree. I am keeping an open mind as to whether I want to go on to do a postgraduate masters. My internship has helped me to gain a flavour of what working in the third sector is like and this is something that I would love to consider for a career path once I finish university.
George - Research & Education Partnerships Intern, 2023