The long and winding road! Keith's final blog.

Well here we are counting down the hours before the end of our internship. Well it has been and enjoyable and worthwhile experience. I would recommend it to anyone. Think carefully about which position would best suit what you enjoy and would like to do in the future and then go for it.

I’ve done loads and loads of things, met great people and had a laugh.

Now thats all left for me to say is:

"Regrets, Ive had a few;But then again, too few to mention.I did what I had to doAnd saw it through without exemption.I planned each charted course;Each careful step along the byway,But more, much more than this,I did it my way........................................"

Amazing mega-happy hour!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yo! (especially Deborah who wanted a special mention)

This is team PRU talking from the backend of a ford escort. This is the final day of the summer internships...and we will be all going our seperate ways. To remind you of team PRU, we have Zoe (the vegan - who contributed nothing to this blog), Ross (the Boris) and Ben (the tramp).

Zoe will be returning to University, because despite a degree and work experience, she remains unemployable and will be doing a Masters in Public Policy and Governance. Ross will be a slacker and lazy by going to do a ski season, travelling and then using his experience at PRU to use the benefit system to its full potential. Ben, like Zoe, having a degree and work expeirence still means he is unemployable and will be going to Parliament to do another internship for an MP.

Over the last few months with have had a super-dupa awesome fun time (see previous blog for reference to this) and throughout have remained amazingly mega-happy all day. We would like to thank all of PRU for their support and especially thank our line-managers - Zoe, Kim and Alison.

Though we will all be leaving Barnardo's, we shall remain belivers (beat chest twice and throw arm up) and are all attending the End Child Poverty Rally on October 4th!

This quote, we feel, sums-up our experience: "spinning around, ooooooooo, i'm spinning around, move out of my way, i no you feel it, I know you're feelin' me 'cause you like it like this"

Ben, Zoe (who didn't contribute anything to this blog) and Ross (who come to think about it, didn't contribute either)

Last Words

It's over and it was brilliant.

For prospective interns who care about this cause, then apply and be successful. Nothing expresses priority greater than action.

To all current interns and staff, goodbye and good luck.

Haneef Khan.

Ashley's last blog...

So today is the last day of the internship. Most of us are in the Borough office today, ready for a presentation of certificates later. Also looking forward to painting the town red - or should that be green? - afterwards in one of the bars across the road.

I should probably give you a summary of what's been happening in the past couple of weeks, as I haven't written for that long! Fun'raising Week went well, raising almost £3,000 through everything from rounders matches to cake sales. We've also seen Connect, the staff magazine go to print - seeing the finished PDFs in all their lovely design glory was rather exciting!

I also got to go to Glasgow for the day, to interview an ex-service user at the Youth Involvement Project. It felt rather indulgent to fly twice in the same day! I was then given the task of writing an entire four-page article for the next edition of Barnardo's Today, which goes out to Barnardo's supporters and volunteers. This was an amazing opportunity to write something longer and more involved - and hopefully I'll get to see it in print very soon!

This Internship has really been a fantastic experience, and I've learnt so much from the whole team. They really couldn't have been more willing to share their expertise - and they even bought Holly and I flowers as a goodbye present!

So - anyone out there who might be considering applying - go for it!

So long... farewell...auf wiedersehen (is this a song?)

Goodbye! x

And its goodbye from me...

In the eternal words of the Spice Girls, 'goodbye my friend, its not the end, so glad we made it, time will never change it, no no no'. Alas today is the end. After 11 weeks my time in internship land is over.

Its been a whirl; one day I acted as the entire publishing department helping to carry out and make all the changes to a report by the policy and research unit to present at the upcoming party conferences. Another saw me going to Oldham to do research for a feature on one of the projects, and getting an amazingly indepth insight into the wide variety of work that they do, and getting stuck in Manchester Piccadilly train station due to our train driver going MIA... I acted as features editor for the staff magazine Connect, helping with the layout, the editing and sourcing photographs. My fellow intern, Ashley, and I organised and deployed Fun'raising Week, an event which pushed our events panning skills, and our stress levels, to the limits! The event was rolled out across the whole organisation and we managed to raise £3000, our homemade cake sale and krispy kreme doughnut sale increasing our total and the waistlines of everyone at Head Office!

I've learnt a lot too; a crash course in Indesign (quarks more advanced and on the whole nicer sibling), how to use Livelink, how to copy edit properly, better phone and email etiquette and that the Cafe 104 jacket potatoes are the best eats in Barkingside.

Its definately been a worthwhile experience, I've gained a real insight into the workings of the business and what it's like to work for such a large organisation and got a lot more confidence in my own writing abilities. I've made some really good friends here too, it's going to be so sad to leave my fellow interns behind... thank god for facebook!

So, that's it from me, cheerio, toodle pip and slaterz!

Holli
(communications and publishing intern girl)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

My final blog!

"Thheeeeee sun will come out .... tomorrow" ......

No it won't, BECAUSE TOMORROW IS THE FINAL DAY OF THE INTERNSHIP ... *BOO

*CRIES

*WAILS LIKE A BABY

*BANGS FISTS ON THE TABLE SCREAMING "WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!"

Ok, I am not usually that dramatic, I promise *cough ;-)

I am just saddened by the fact that tomorrow is the last day of the internship, and it feels like I only just started yesterday! Went out with my supervisors for dinner last night, which was a lot of fun. Enjoyed Indian cuisine, complete with vanilla ice cream served in a plastic toy bird (meant for lil'ans but I really couldn't resist!).

My weeks have been filled to the brim with an interesting variety of work, and I now know 100% that charity law is for me. Tomorrow is our day of presentations and fun (we get certificates you know! I'm framing mine and placing it lovingly above my mantlepiece back home).

It's been such a fantastic experience, and I want to say thank you to my fellow interns for making it so memorable!

BYEEEE!


FORREEEEVVVVVVEEERRRR!!!!

*Fades away like a distant memory

*Sob

Lauren
(Company Secretarial/Legal Intern)

Penultimayhem!

Last week was awesome as I came up with some slogans and my fellow intern Haneef (Hank) came up with some designs which it has been suggested will actually become Barnardo's t-shirts.

Into the penultimate week and I am still doing new things. On Monday I tried out some good old fashioned bucket shaking (minus the shaking as it is deemed illegal) at old street tube station. This was a good laugh and I managed to get a few donations with my fantastic dancing. Also met a guy who had recently been looking up his family history and found that his grandmother had been a Barnardo's girl which was interesting.

Tuesday found me making more of my interesting face, by utilizing it for the photo shoot for the Record Breakers campaign. Highlights included: my grin, eating smarties with chopsticks, getting as many people into a car as possible and some space hopper action.

The remainder of the week was more down to earth, editing the Barnardo's website, making sure the facebook site was up to date and trying to come up with a decent advertising slogan (no luck this time).

Hopefully the last week will have some of the most fun elements, and will try and get a hairy lunch in chequers for old time sake.

INTERNS Vs. STAFF Rounders '08

On Wednesday we had the INTERNS vs. STAFF rounders matches.

Both teams won a game and we're playing again next week for honour!

(Some of the interns playing)

We raised £49.65, which is pretty good going considering it was only an hours work!

It was an extremely fun afternoon packed with drama, (lost balls, disputed referee decisions and one intern (Ashley) being taken out by a member of staff (JASON WALLER) resulting in him recieving a red card and being sent off.) The shame.

Well done to everyone involved, and we encourage even more people to participate next week!

Fun'raising!

This week has been fairly good. Work wise i have done some computer work on Microsites and pictures and alternative text. Beyond work though loads has been going on, i have wanged wellies, played rounders, entered a quiz, eaten for victory and today there may be some bigger toddle inspired action. I have prizes sitting on my desk including a meal voucher, a basket of fruit and a lovely plant all kindly donated by local businesses, wish they were mine, but alas if you love them you must let them go. Hopefully next week will still have an element of fun even if it is deflating.

Let them eat Cake!

Howdy partners!

Fun'raising week has been a blast, although it has left me virtually bankrupt as a result of my excessive spending on cakes, cookies, samosas and of course KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS! MMMM I could live on them .... *dreams of stuffing face Homer Simpson style

We have three weeks left here ... can't believe how quick it's gone! A team of interns played rounders against the staff yesterday, and it was so much fun, we're planning on having another game next week! WOOT! Tomorrow we are dressing up - what we wanted to be when we were younger being the theme!

I'm a bit stuck on costume ideas, since I was certain I was going to be a cross between Barbie/The Little Mermaid/a famous singer when I was younger.

Think I might just take the easy route and come dressed as a ballerina with a long pink wig, ballerina slippers and a tu-tu!

Toodles for now.

Lauren
(Company Secretarial/Legal Intern)

UK EVENTS

Well hello, apologies this is my first blog as i've been extremely busy. I am the UK Events intern and have been doing all sorts. The events/celebrity team only has 5 people in with lots of things to organise. So the events i have been/am involved in organising are: Carnaby Big Gigs, Barnardo's Annual Fundraising Ball 2008- "Bollywood Nights", Royal Mail Group Launch, BGC Charity Day, Music in the Park, Celebrity Christmas Reception, National Transport Awards and finally World Wedding Dress Day 2008!which i've been concentrating on recently as it is on 29th august, i hope you can all get involved, check out: www.barnardos.org.uk/weddingdress So the tasks that I have had to do for all these events have been very varied, from sending out request for auction prizes, contacting people for publicity, organising waste bins to organising guest list on the door and menu tasting!so i'm having a great time, although am really busy as i am being counted as part of the team completely adn am being trusted to do all sorts of things - none of this general dogs body malarky!

so anyone reading this i would highly recommend doing a Barnardo's internship to you as it is a fantastic expereince where you meet great people and learn a lot about the charity sector.

don't forget to don your wedding gear in just over a week!!!

Lucy (UK Events Volunteer Intern)

Fun'raising Week madness descends...

Hi,

Ashley here again, from Publishing and Communications. It's been a while since I last posted, so let me fill you in on the best bits so far...
I've written a lot of the news stories for our staff magazine, Connect, which also involves sourcing photos. I've actually just got off the phone from Channel 4's press office, looking for a photo of Kevin McCloud (of Grand Designs fame) to feature in a 'celebrity look-a-like's' section. I've just been sent through some photos, so now I have the great job of picking the best one to use! I've also introduced a new 'fun feature' to the magazine - a mastermind style quiz of a staff member, which was great fun to carry out!

As well as the news stories, I've also been involved in writing and researching a few features articles for our other main magazine, Barnardo's Today, which goes out to all our volunteers. Holly and I recently went to North London for Store Wars - an apprentice style competition where our corporate partners (this time RBS) have to raise the takings of a retail store by as much as possible. It was great being out and about, talking to lots of different people throughout the day about what they enjoyed, and why they had signed up to take part. And we both used the opportunity to buy a few select items (namely a fetching wicker picnic basket and postcards)!

In a slightly different setting, on Monday I went over to Crystal Palace to the Heshima Project. I was interviewing parents and children at the stay and play session, about their feelings about the service. It was absolutely packed - at least 60 children, jumping in the ball pond, dressing up and painting (one little girl was trying to paint my nose as I spoke to her mum!)

Other than all that, Holly and I are also in charge of organising Fun'raising Week! It's really soon - less than 3 days time, eek! - and so things are a little bit manic at the moment, trying to co-ordinate everyones events, and get them all up on the intranet, with posters and booking forms attached... I'm really looking forward to seeing it all be put into practice next week - and a little bit nervous that some of our events won't come off! Still, I'm sure fun will be had by all!

Anyway - that is a huge post, so that's enough of me... Back to making our Staff Rounders sign-up sheets!

Ashley

Two jumpers... and it's august

Hiyyaa,
Long time no blog, Holli from Communications land here. Since my last entry my office has moved to the fourth floor- more stairs but a better view... swings and roundabouts some might say. All is still going fine and dandy, last weekend Ashley and I were immensely busy bees jetting (well more crawling really due to the sheer amount of traffic...) around north london reporting on an event called store wars, which is when teams from companies come and take over Barnardo's shops for the day and compete to see who can make the most money. We were reporting on it for a feature in Barnardo's Today magazine which goes out to all Barnardo's supporters. The teams were taking the competition really seriously, and using their inniative to win, using every available resource, including a cuddly cat called clarence, to reign victorious. It opened by eyes to the amazing stuff you can get in the shops - I ended up buying the most fantastic and impractical wicker suitcase for 3 little pounds. Whoop!

Next week I get to go to Oldham for the day to visit and report on a project for Connect magazine, which goes out to all staff and volunteers. Am looking forward to a day of epic train journeys! It probably doesn't bode well that I fell asleep on the tube this morning - narrowly escaping missing my stop due to the good fortune of a fellow intern being in the same carriage...
cheerio
xxxxxx

Its the fifth of august, no one told the weather man

Today the clouds seem to have decended on Barnardo's. The grey skys seem to have also knocked out Barnardo's internal network, meaning lots of furious ladys working around me.

Workwise i have been looking at how to create a new fire and safety website and how charities have used memberzones and student sections.

Got friends coming round tonight to watch films so should be good.

Hopefully other peoples blogs will be more interesting! never mind.

Friday Feeling ...

*WOOOOOOOOO!

*Does the celebratory jig

I went to a training session yesterday organised by a top London law firm. Learnt all about Data Protection, Intellectual Property and a bit of contract law too, which was ace, and puts me in good stead for my final year at university.

Can't believe I've been at Barnardo's for a whole month, it's gone so quick! It's going to be sad leaving, met some great people here :-)

Got Fun'Raising week coming up this month - my team and I are organising a "Welly Wanging" competition - should be a total laugh riot!

Lauren
(Company Secretarial/Legal Intern)

A muggy thursday in Cardiff

morning all!

yesterday was a muy exciting day in Cardiff camp, we went to Oakwood! For all you folk over the border who have never heard of this (I hadn't until recently) go have a butchers : www.oakwoodthemepark.co.uk

We took our young people on a day out and it was thoroughly lovely! Really good to meet the kids I've been reading/hearing about over the last month. They were all so sweet! Really good kids. Although one young gentleman led me and his project worker to the bridge over Hygro (the big water flume) convincing us we wouldn't get soaked and would get good photos of our kids on the ride and then proceeded to peg it with seconds to spare.

Hilarious. *ahem*

I was a bit of a wimp and stuck to the ghost train (which was terrifying!) and the bunny ride. Don't knock it til you tried it!

Back to the desk work now, ploughing through data collected on Welsh authorities/agencies protocols (or lack) to deal with missing children.

Have set up an awesome system to collect the 'soft intelligence' on possible CSE risks. We've got some really good infomation together that will eventually be presented to the United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre.

Time for a cuppa!

Its Wednesday!

Well its officially mid-week, so halfway to the weekend yay!

Today i have completed some work on accesibility pages, deciding how the page could be improved for those with hearing, sight or other such issues. This has been kind of enlightening as its something i havent thought about before.

This afternoon we are having a meeting with Martin Narey CEO. So should be interesting, and then there is a Q and A sesh. I hope other people have got questions because at the moment i do not.

Keith gets that blogging feeling!

We have a new office!!! Which actually makes very little difference but what the hey.

Todays task have involved adding screen shots to an online walk through and researching accesibility pages so that i may update ours.

Lunch was an exciting interlude, bargain hunt was fantastic!

Barnardo's Big Gigs

Hello, Haneef here.

Today I'm updating all of our online content to keep everyone up to date with the upcoming Barnardo's Big Gig.

Click HERE to buy tickets.

Later Keith and I have to devise a structure for a new microsite and write and edit this months edition of the New Media Newsletter.

After that we've got lunch with all the other interns and then an induction for "Fun'Raising Week" with Ashley and Holly. Busy day today...

Hottest Day of the Year

Today is incredibly hot and I am on the verge of melting ... There are so many fans surrounding me, that I am actually getting bored of doing my Marilyn Monroe impersonation (never thought I'd see the day!).

I have totally re-organised the legal contracts and indexed them electronically. My department is pleased with me, since the task has been outstanding for quite a while, and my input has made a drastic difference!

I'm now onto a project of more historical interest. It concerns old files (many of which relate to old Barnardo's schools) which need categorising. Despite smelling strongly of mothballs, the papers are an interesting read, and I am learning a lot about Barnardo's' past as well as its present.

I hear it's going to rain tomorrow ... why is it that Brits complain when its raining/cold/just plain miserable and complain when it's hot?!?

Just a question for you to ponder!

Toodles!

Lauren
(Company Secretarial/Legal Intern)

Super Awesome Fun Time!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey,

We're Zoe, Ben and Ross the Policy and Research Unit (PRU) interns. The main objective of our department is to influence government and parliament so they can help make lives for children in the UK better. People tend to look up to us for inspiration...don't be embarrassed to do the same, though there is a queue now so you might have to wait.

We've all got slightly different tasks to do over the course of the internship. Ben is scruffy, dirty and has the general odour of sewers; nevertheless he is helping to write a report on issues effecting black minority and ethnic children, and how Barnardos can make a difference over the next year through lobbying Government. Ross, in contrast to Ben, is well dressed and well mannered - some say he resembles a young Boris Johnson (though not in ideology). His task is to help as part of large research project around increasing the age of compulsory education from 16 to 18. Zoe is a level 5 vegan (she eats nothing that casts a shadow), though her hobbies include seal pup beating and fox hunting. With such a dangerous temperament, she is ideally positioned to set up the Will Hutton lecture on social mobility.

In addition to our tasks, we're given a range of smaller jobs such as writing quick briefings, short research reports, attending Parliamentary (drinks reception) events and helping in the library.

Everyone in PRU has been super dooper awesome!!!!!!!!! Our line managers are great and occasionally (once, and only because it was Ben's 21st birthday) take us out for lunch. So far it has been a fun and valuable experience. We can all honestly recommend applying for any placement within Barnardos and especially within PRU.

Zoe, Ben and Ross

Howdy :)

Hey everyone,

Long time no blog (sorry about that, been a busy bee!)
Contracts have been coming out of my ears over the past couple of weeks ...
Very interesting stuff though, I'm gaining an excellent insight into charity law, which was what I was hoping for when I applied for this internship.

Project visit to Indigo on Friday ... exciting stuff :) http://www.barnardos.org.uk/indigo
Can't wait!

Later Alligator!

Lauren

(Company Secretarial/Legal Intern)

BBH, London.

Here are a couple of photos of BBH, where Keith and I went today...

Keith week three

Today has been a good day! Not only has the sun come out in Britain for the first day in what seems like a decade, but i also got out of the office and visited the cool offices of advertising agency BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty).

They are in charge of all of Barnardo's campaigns. We got a history lesson of their involvement with Barnardo's and a sneak peak of upcoming campaigns.

We also got to go in what are some really cool offices. With a complimentary coffee bar, massive tv, table football, and some swanky stairs.

Then after the time at BBH me and my fellow new media intern (Haneef) went to the offices at Borough for the first time. This made a nice change, and was definitely a lot swankier and quieter than Barkingside.

Ah well back to the grindstone!

Snoot Dizzle and Emania take to the stage.(or blog as it were)

YO,

You might not have heard of us as we are not physically near you guys, but mentally we are all as one! (We're based in Angel not charming Essex despite both living less than 5 minutes away from Barnardo's headoffice-Sod's law, shame on our name)

So we're Sonia and Emma a.k.a Snoot Dizzle and E-maniaaa! We are wait for it...

Barnardo's intern for End Child Poverty under eighteen's engagement youth officer.
AND
Barnardo's intern for End Child Poverty OVER eighteen's engagement youth officer.

So i hear you ask, what does that mean?

Well we shall answer your cries, don't worry!

We started off with a lovely warm welcome from the team with lunch at Wagamama-it was yummy in our tummy.
Aside from lunchtime/playtime we have been working very hard, here is just a small list of our joyful adventures.
- Meeting important people, General secreatries of the NUT, exec prodducer at the Media Trust
- Outings to schools, working with the children on campaigning-fun fun times!
- Liasing LOTS and evelope stuffing LOTS LOTS...We could run the Royal mail by now!
- Campaigning at the Rise festival with Save the children.

Our main aim is to get as many people as physically possible at the rally on October 4th. It's the BIGGEST EVENT EVER IN THE UK TO END CHILD POVERTY. You all must come and fter speaking to a few of you lovely people, it seems you have been hard at work doing things for ECP too!!

In other news, me and Emaniaaaaaaaaaaaaa are learning lots about communicating, budgeting (£4 goes alot further than one initially thinks) and generally about the work environment. Everyone is treating us as a real part of the team!!!!

peace out

x

Leena - Summer Time - 3rd week at Barnardos

Hey there,

Many of my friends are working full time, others have gone travelling and some are spending the summer relaxing but I decided to do a internship at Barnardos. The internship programme here provides so much support to all the interns and the friendly atmosphere here helps all of us who were nervous fit in. The department I am in, the volunteer development department, is great! As a volunteer development intern I have the opportunity to talk to other volunteer development managers and I have many meetings lined up.

I finished my final year at Queen Mary University and graduated with a BA degree in History!! Having done a range of voluntary work, this internship gives me the opportunity to help increase the number of volunteers in the departments needed. I love working with children and the projects here help me enable that the children services provided by Barnardos have enough volunteers.

3 weeks into the internship, there is still loads of work left but the atmosphere here is not like other office enivronments- its fab!! For all of us who believe in children and want to help spread the word this internship brings us all together. I'm not too sure what I will do once this internship is over but I know that I while I am here I will enjoy the many weeks yet to come at Barnardos!!!

Leena

Web Content Editing & Biscuits

I've just got back from lunch and will soon be getting back to work. Today I've been editing microsites for Barnardo's partner organisations, such as the Cymru Taith Service and Waltham Forest Children's Rights. A couple of days ago we were taught how to use WCM, the web content editor and now we've been given various tasks related to that.

In addition to this some of my fellow interns and i had lunch out on the green, which was a laugh as always. Here's where we went:



When it's sunny it's even better than this.

Hello All!

I’m Becky and working with the ‘Major Giving’ team at Barnardo’s headquarters in London. Our area specifically works with the population who support Barnardo’s individually. Therefore we obviously come into contact with a lot of ‘highly acclaimed’ people. That’s all very exciting (and a bit nerve-racking) when you’re picking up the phone and speaking to PA’s of these influential people!

The past two weeks I’ve been here we have been preparing for an event we’ve got TONIGHT! We have lots of different Barnardo supporters attending (not just major donors) and people we’ve invited who could be potential supporters. So it’s a big and exciting event we’re all looking forward to.

So far I’ve been having a steady work load. The scheme set up for interns here is really good. Amidst you having your own work set for you in your department, the ‘volunteer intern scheme’ involves you with all the other work going on at Barnardo’s aswell. Induction meetings are given from different areas of the charity (which gives a broad overview on the workings of the charity), project visits have been arranged for us, so we can visit the work Barnardos does, we’re invited to help and assist with fundraising events and we’ve even got an appointment to speak to the CEO, Martin Narey himself!

Therefore I can happily say this is a brilliant and very worthwhile opportunity and one that I’m really enjoying!

Fundraising at Paddington Station ...

Woah, it was awesome!

Had such a terrific time, and hopefully made a lot of money!

I actually started singing and dancing at one point (David Brent style if anyone out there watches "The Office").

Toodles!
Lauren

(Company Secretarial/Legal Intern)

Ashley's third week, and first post

Hi all!

I'm Ashley, one half of the Publishing and Communications Intern team. It's the middle (nearly) of my third week here, and I can't believe how fast my time is going! We were settled into the team really quickly, with everyone working very hard to make us feel welcome - I was even given my very own Barnardo's mug, which I'm very proud of, and currently drinking a much-needed cup of coffee from!

I've been working on a number of projects in the past couple of weeks, ranging from writing news articles for Connect, Barnardo's in-house magazine, to chasing photos, attempting to book a celebrity interview (very exciting), engaging in some ruthless proof-reading and co-ordinating the internal fun'raising week.

This last project is really just getting going, and looks to be really exciting. As Interns, Holly and I are project managing the event, which means we get to organise our own 'big' activities - currently topping the list is Barnardo's Got Talent (!) - and we're also in charge of communicating what's happening to everyone via posters and snappy bulletins - and making everyone want to put on their own fun'raising activities!

It really has been an amazing experience so far, and is only going to get better...

Keith, Tuesday week 2

Today was not quite as exciting as yesterday had been with the photoshoot and all. Most of the day was taken up by sending emails on ways to improve our website and facebook site. It will be worthwhile in the end though.

On the brightside, the sun is out and lunch was lovely and their is a project visit to look forward to on thursday.

Rach (The Cardiff one!)

ello

I'm Rach, I'm at the SERAF service in Cardiff as their Policy and Research intern. Hello London folk :)

I'm working on research looking at the possible link between missing children and child sexual exploitation with the lovely ladies in Cardiff, Neath and Ponty. Going on a bit of a road trip to Neath and Ponty soon which is exciting!

Am getting all involved with team meetings, training and maybe even the activity days with the young people which will be big time fun!

Right, time for a cup of tea. tra :)

Fundraising!

I'm fundraising for the first time today!

Location: Paddington Station
Time: 3.00 - 4.30pm

It's a pity I'll be looking like an over-enthusiastic citrus fruit, given our brightly coloured lime green t-shirts.

Lauren :-)

Week three for Holli

Three weeks into internship land, I've adjusted to the whole getting up with the sun, am beginning to enjoy my commute, and have sampled quite a few of the delights that Barkingside High Street has to offer.
I'm in the Publishing and Communications department, along with one other intern, Ashley, who I'm sure shall be blogging along here soon. From the word go we were given a wide variety of tasks to get our teeth stuck into, writing news stories, revamping sections of the internal internet system (named Bart, but no one really knows why..) arranging interviews and photoshoots (all tres glamorous!) for features in the various staff and supporter publications, arranging Fun'raising week, and other general copy editing that comes our way. It's been great! As soon as we arrived we were given our own desk, mug, pen, notepad etc, and made to feel very much a part of the team.
My favourite thing so far has been being showed how to use indesign whilst editing the Annual Review, for I do like to make things pretty...

Keith Monday Week 2

Today myself and my fellow intern had a successful meeting on how we could adapt our error page for the website. Charities like Green Peace have developed interesting pages and we hoped to do something similar.

The afternoon had an interesting change of pace, as i was turned into a manager! Well for a photo shoot at least. It was all in aid of a new campaign called the Big Green Paperclip, which is designed to raise money for Barnardo's as people trade a paperclip for whatever they can and the final objects are auctioned off.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring!

Being a Company Secretarial/Legal Intern part I :)

Hello :-)

My name is Lauren, and I am the Company Secretarial/Legal intern here at Barnardo's. I have just completed the second year of a Law degree at City University, London, and hope to graduate in 2009. This is my third week at Barnardo's, and so far it's been great!!! The work of a company/legal secretary is endlessly varied, so I am always busy. A lot of our work revolves around the governance and regulation of Barnardo's as a charitable organisation, and last week I sat in on a meeting attended by the senior executive and various trustee members, who made me feel very welcome :-) I also accompanied my supervisor at a top London law firm, which was incredibly enjoyable for me since this is the type of law firm I hope to be training with one day.

In terms of legal input, I deal a lot with contracts, so an eye for detail is always a plus. This week I am due to help draft a contract as well as the constitutional document governing three non-maintained special schools run by Barnardo's. It's been a hugely educational experience for me, and I am definitey considering charity law as a future career.

Everyone has been really nice and offering me cups of tea on a regular basis (thanks Marie!!!). Tomorrow I am helping fundraise at Paddington station, which should be a total laugh riot, since I have never done anything like it before.

Got loads of meetings coming up, so will be sure to keep you posted!

Toodles for now :)

Lauren.

Day four for Keith

The glorious summer weather is still yet to arrive in Barkingside, and I have a worrying suspicion that the gremlins that work the computers have decided to flee abroad in hope of sun. In other words the computers have been frustratingly slow, which is not good if you are, as I am, in new media.

There have been some positives however, such as a nice lunch to celebrate one of my colleagues birthdays, and the usual office banter.

Hopefully the computers will speed up tomorrow and I will be able to conclude some of the work I have been assigned, such as improving our facebook presence and updating our applications ebaby or updating our staff profiles section.

The List Expands...

Today both Keith and I had two meetings with members of staff related to our projects. We had an induction into brand which explored the history of what Barnardo’s has been doing in advertising campaigns, and a talk about various methods they used recently to rebrand Barnardo’s.

Following that we had a meeting with someone from the celebrity and events department. We discussed different ways to promote various events which Barnardo’s is now involved with, which involved social networking and web promotion of Music in the Park, the Bollywood Nights Ball and a gig in Camden which is still in its planning stages.

We’ve also had an appointment scheduled for us with BBH, the reputable advertising and creative company in London. The lists of things to brag about on our CVs are beginning to expand…

blog…2!

The second day at Barnardo’s. After finishing off my training in the morning. Me and my fellow new media intern Haneef had a meeting with a guy called Oliver (Olly) from IT, he explained how the website structure worked and some of the more important software programs being used. He was a nice relaxed guy who guided me through things in simple steps which I could understand. The rest of the day was spent on research on other charities IT projects and some meetings. We were also told that we will have the chance to visit a Barnardo’s school and help out there, which sounds like it will be really interesting.

My first day

My name is Keith I am the second new media intern. I had been busy in June travelling and moving from one student house to another, I ended up starting my internship a week later than the other interns. I also got a little bit lost on the way to Barnardo’s (it’s the turning opposite McDonalds!). Thus with being later than the other interns I was worried what reception I would get. Would everyone have formed friendships and be set in the roles and annoyed that another intern was here? The answer is no, I was greeted with lots of smiling faces and handshakes. People were eager to get me up to speed to do some proper work.

Before I began the interesting projects though, I would have to do health and safety training, and some IT systems work. I was more than happy to do this though, as despite it being a bit dull it showed that I would not be left to make tea and do photocopying; I would be on real projects.

Ready, Set... Go!

So, today is my second day as one of two New Media interns at Barnardo’s. My name’s Haneef and I’m a Fine Art: New Media student at the University of Southampton. Currently i'm the only intern in the department, but someone named Keith will be joining me next week, which is pretty cool. We’ve been asked to keep an up to date blog on our experiences here in the New Media department, so everyone who’s interested can see what we’ve been up to...

Luckily, I haven’t had to make any tea or do any cleaning; it looks as though we’re being given a great deal of responsibility. The roles we’ve been asked to take on range from podcasting to arranging a rebranding for the Ebaby Desktop widget available on the website. Researching prospects for Barnardo’s web 2.0 and contacting websites informing them of the recent rebrand have been my primary focuses over the last couple of days, which has been pretty interesting. Anyway… back to work!