Last week, we welcomed A, a Year 10 student from a local school for a week of work experience at Islington Giving (our restricted fund) and Cripplegate Foundation (its parent charity). Supported by the whole team, he got stuck into a range of tasks from admin and research, attending meetings to external activities.
Working closely with our Office Manager, Ruth, A began the week with an introduction to the organisation, the workplace and colleagues, before setting out a timetable of tasks and experiences.
“I spent a week doing work experience with Islington Giving and the placement taught me many valuable things in such a short time. I had been shown just how much charities such as this one help people in need and support those who require it.” – A, work experience student
A’s first task was to help compile a spreadsheet of local organisations for BIG Alliance. The following day, A joined one of our Programme Managers for a visit to Camden Giving, where he took part in a research panel.
In the afternoon, A attended a Good Neighbourhood Scheme project delivered by Help on Your Doorstep. The session involved arts and crafts in a community garden with local residents, and A quickly immersed himself in conversations, listening to people’s stories and experiences of life in the community
“My experience here has inspired me to do more to help people, such as volunteering and charity work. I have learned a lot about how important it is for other people to be seen and helped by charities and it makes me want to do the same for people in the future.” – A, work experience student
Later in the week, A attended a Grants Committee meeting, where he took notes and learned about the different projects receiving funding and the reasons behind those decisions. He also worked with our Digital Communications Manager to test the Islington Giving website from a donor’s perspective, helping identify any accessibility issues that might make it harder for people to find information or donate.
On his final day, A analysed an organisational finance spreadsheet to date, reviewed any queries or anomalies and prepared a short report for the Director of Finance. His findings were then compared with a report produced by our Finance Assistant, giving him an insight into how financial information is checked and reviewed in practice.
At the end of the placement, A completed an evaluation and told us that he would like to stay in touch and volunteer with Islington Giving if opportunities arise in the future.
“Islington Giving foundation has given me great experience both for my future in workplaces and in general for life and has taught me so much about charities and the work put in to help others. I enjoyed my time in Islington Giving a lot and I am glad I was able to get such an amazing experience with them.” – A, work experience student
We’re grateful to A for spending the week with us and for the energy, curiosity and thoughtfulness he brought to the placement. “A was very engaging with all tasks and followed the work diligently but A was somewhat shy in a larger group, but this dissipated as each day passed.”- Ruth, Office Manager, Islington Giving and Cripplegate Foundation
We wish him every success for the future!
*To protect the student’s privacy, the featured image is AI-generated and does not depict A.