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What It’s Like To Intern at The Hospice…

23 February 2017

As part of Student Volunteer Week 2017, we’d like to highlight a couple of our fantastic volunteer interns from Aston University. Gursharan is our Events & Campaigns intern, currently studying business management, whilst Aston is our Community Fundraising & Finance intern, studying accounting for management. Find out what it’s like to intern here at the Hospice from Aston and Gursharan…

Aston:  “During my time as an intern I have had the opportunity to be involved in one of the Hospice’s biggest Christmas campaigns – Treecycling. It’s only been running a few years but it is one of their most successful fundraising campaigns and this year, we hit a new milestone for donations raising an amazing £23,000! I was involved in the planning and execution of this campaign, which included working with local companies who provided vans and volunteers for the collection days, processing all donations, marketing and promotion of the campaign and on the day organisation and logistics.”

Gursharan: “Since I have started at the Hospice I have been supporting the Birmingham St Mary’s Events team in planning their annual events including the increasingly popular Jingle Bell Jog, Rugby Ramble and new for 2017, Let’s Danceathon.  During my internship I have successfully enlisted raffle prizes such as meal vouchers, a day in a recording studio and a day out paintballing. I have supported promotion of the events in the local community and internally within the Hospice and created and sent out welcome packs to participants.”

“We are both currently leading on the exciting Spring Raffle campaign which runs until May, giving supporters the chance to win up to £1,000 whilst supporting the Hospice. We have been involved in all aspects of the campaign including the planning stages, liaising with designers, designing and ordering the raffle tickets in line with the Hospice brand and with the marketing and promotion of the campaign.

“Our favourite day at Birmingham St Mary’s was when we got to volunteer in the Day Hospice. Before starting our internship here we didn’t know the range of services available that the Hospice provides to the local community, this really expanded our knowledge of hospice care.

“We really enjoyed being able to speak to other volunteers who regularly help out in the Day Hospice, finding out more about their volunteer roles. Our highlight of the day was being able to speak to the lovely patients, learning more about their interests and how they valued the Day Hospice service.

“We would encourage anyone to volunteer at the Hospice as it has enabled us to expand and learn new skills which will support us in our final year at university and in the future. It is also a very rewarding role, supporting the Hospice and making a positive impact on individuals living with a terminal illness and their families.”

We would like to say a big THANK YOU to Sharan and Aston for all their hard work and support so far in their internship and to all the other student volunteers who support us.

If you would like to find out more about how you can begin your volunteer journey with us here at the Hospice please visit www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/volunteer-with-us.