This summer I have been lucky enough to volunteer with St Catherine’s Hospice in the Communications department. I am currently studying Media Communications at Nottingham Trent University and over the summer I wanted to gain work experience in the Communications profession, along with helping the community – thus St Catherine’s Hospice seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to do both of these.

St Catherine’s Hospice is a well-established and remarkable local charity that is here to help those in need in our community, and their drive to support people made me eager to get involved. It was also evident that their Communications department was going to be helpful in expanding my knowledge of the Communications sector, as St Catherine’s are very successful at creating multiple opportunities to raise £3.7m every year to allow the hospice to continue its work. Due to their success in raising a substantial amount of money I knew that their PR and Communications team would be talented and therefore beneficial in developing my skills in this department.

I have always aspired to work in the Communications sector as my career develops, and by working within this department at St Catherine’s, it has confirmed that this is the path I want to take. I have helped with designing promotional material for St Catherine’s fundraising events, drafted social media posts, carried out research for upcoming projects, assisted with admin, and most importantly, learned how to do all of this in a professional working environment. The tasks that I have carried out have been what I expected, and I have thoroughly enjoyed everything that I have done here.

I feel like I have gained many new skills by working in the Communications department, such as improving my creative initiative, working as part of a team, advancing my written online communication skills, and learning what it is like to work in a successful organisation.

I would strongly recommend volunteering with the hospice to other individuals. There are many different areas in which you can volunteer with the hospice, and not only do you gain valuable work experience and knowledge, but you also have the opportunity to work with wonderful people to help others! I am extremely grateful to St Catherine’s Hospice for such a wonderful and unforgettable summer experience.