Hi! My name is Sally Holcombe and I have had the incredible opportunity to be an intern for Headway Somerset over the past few months! I have just finished my final year at the University of Exeter where I studied Human Geography and am now looking to enter the real world of work … !! I was drawn to apply to this internship due to my interest and passion for working in charity, which was aided through being president for Exeter’s Raise and Give society this year where I work closely with many charities. As my internship is sadly coming to an end (which has flown by!) I thought it would be nice to write a short blog to reflect on what I’ve learnt and enjoyed the most from these last few months.
Firstly, I would like to say just how welcoming and friendly all the team at Headway Somerset have been. Every single person has welcomed me with open arms and made me feel so at ease from day 1. For me, this has really shaped my experience and encouraged and motivated me to really push myself and work hard for this amazing charity. I would like to particularly mention Krista Felek who has helped me hugely over the past few months and met with me weekly to really encourage me. I am so grateful!
While I have worked with charities for over four years through my time with RAG at Exeter University, this internship was a unique opportunity for me to really work within one and learn just how they work. I have really enjoyed meeting all the team and finding more about everyone’s jobs, especially those such as hospital liasons which I knew little about before. I have really enjoyed participating and taking the lead on some of the campaigns, such as volunteers week and trying to raise as much awareness as I can for this charity. Having the opportunity to be creative with the social media at Headway Somerset was really fun and has given me many valuable skills to take with me into the working world.
I’ve learnt so much throughout this internship, all the way from the ins and outs of WordPress which is vital to creating their website, to the finances behind a charity to fundraising tips. I have honestly really enjoyed this internship and am so grateful to the team I got this opportunity. I will definitely always support Headway Somerset and will be spreading the word about just how important a charity it is. While I’m sad it has come to an end, I will take everything I have learnt into the future and whatever job I find myself in.
I want to finish by just encouraging anyone who has maybe not heard of Headway Somerset or come across them before, to look them up and see all the incredible work they do. Maybe even sign up to be a volunteer because I can promise you, you won’t regret it! Thank you again Headway Somerset J