Intern encourages others to help charities during time at uni

The week is all about spotlighting the amazing work of student volunteers in the UK, building collaborative networks, having fun, and inspiring more and more students to give volunteering a try.

Alex Wilson is in her first year at Bucks New University studying events and festival management and has been volunteering with Child Bereavement UK as an events intern for three months.

Child Bereavement UK supports families when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

The charity also trains professionals such as teachers and nurses, helping them better understand and meet the needs of grieving families in their working life.

Alex spoke about her reasons for, and experience of, volunteering with the fundraising team.

She said: “Having worked full time for a few years before I started my degree, I understand how important it is to gain as much work experience as possible in order to stand out amongst my peers. I was attracted to the internship with Child Bereavement UK as I thought it would be a valuable experience, complementing my degree perfectly. It has also given me the opportunity to try something new as I have no previous experience of working within the voluntary sector.

“After looking at the charity website, I was really keen to be a part of the fundraising team, helping to raise money and awareness for such a worthy cause. The variety of events looked really fun and dynamic and it seemed like an ideal way for me to make the most out of my first year at university and enhance my CV.

“I’m really enjoying the experience and most days I do something different which keeps me on my toes. The charity has recently held its annual Snowdrop Walk which I helped to promote and I was also involved on the day by supervising other volunteers. It was great be a part of the planning and implementation and to see it all come together so successfully.

“Other roles have included supporting the fundraising team with preparations for the London and Brighton Marathons, sourcing lots of different product donations from external businesses to be used at these events. I will be attending the London Marathon on the day which I’m very excited about!

“I have also been updating the social media schedule in order to promote upcoming events and soon I will receive training on how to use the fundraising database.

“I’m really happy with the work I’ve been doing and the team are really supportive, giving me roles that should help make the most out of my time with them. Working with a really friendly and bubbly team has also made a big difference.

“As an events student it’s good to learn in an academic environment, but it is even more important to put these learnings into practice and see how it all happens. The experience is also a really good way of keeping focused on what your goals are at university.

“I would definitely recommend volunteering to students! So many people I have

spoken with regret not having done an internship or volunteering alongside their degree, so I would strongly recommend it to make the most out of their time at university.

“There are so many career paths you can go down once you have finished your degree, doing things like volunteering is really good for making an informed decision on what you want to do when you leave.”

If you are interested in our internship programme or other volunteering opportunities, please email [email protected] or call

01494 568917.