My six-week internship at Blackfriars Settlement was an unexpected opportunity, a chance for me to learn more about the different people in London, while experiencing the complex operations of a modern charity. It started with a short interview, where I was briefed on the different challenges and budgetary constraints that BFS was facing. My main role was to develop income generation strategies, particularly through corporate partnerships and venue hire services. I was extremely excited to help out and serve the community of Southwark through a more entrepreneurial and fundraising lens.

Immediately, I began seeing London in a different light; the people that walked into BFS were from all sorts of backgrounds. I spoke to someone from Balochistan, a few from Kurdistan and Nigeria. The members that I met during cooking sessions and choir rehearsals also ranged from elderly residents participating in positive ageing programmes to vulnerable individuals accessing mental health services, all drawn by the activities hosted by BFS and accessible community spaces. I also helped in the back-end with the discovery of potential corporate partners looking for social responsibility partnerships. 

One of my favourite events was the nightingale choir rehearsals, which were positive ageing activities that allowed members of the community to interact meaningfully with one another. Led by Michael who played the guitar, I joined in as well, accompanied with some of my own piano playing. These sessions showed me how these spaces were key for the intersection and dialogue between different kinds of people.

However, most of my time day-to-day was spent developing and supporting the charity’s income development. My job focused on creating corporate partnership packages and redesigning the organisation's digital presence to attract commercial clients. Through developing pitch decks and conducting competitive analysis of similar venues across London, I created the key resources for Andrea to then translate into relationships with potential corporate fundraisers streamlining the room hire process to generate consistent revenue streams. This included launching a fully redesigned corporate partnership webpage, and creating marketing materials. I think through these tasks, my perspective of leadership also changed, where I realised the importance of adaptive communication. Initially, I approached challenges with enthusiasm but without sufficient understanding of the stakeholders involved. Working closely with the director of community services taught me that effective leadership requires a strong attention to human relationships, and genuine appreciation for the reasons why people may choose to volunteer or help the charity. For instance, I spoke with Eva about changing the room-hire system, before discovering that there were certain practical manpower considerations for the existing system, 

As the project came to a close, I contributed to the final successful launch of the redesigned corporate partnership webpage and the streamlined venue hire process. The competitive analysis on various site hiring websites I conducted informed pricing strategies and service offerings that better positioned Blackfriars Settlement within London's event venue market. I developed technical skills in web development using Elementor, and became more knowledgeable in html and web development. I remember one of the key moments was when Andrea managed to secure a meeting with one of the large corporate donors to trial the corporate package that I had spent time developing.

In conclusion, I think this internship reinforced my appreciation for the vital role community organisations play in maintaining social cohesion, with poignant events like Covid-19 that worsened issues of isolation and mental health. The personal touch and the stories that I heard about how Blackfriars Settlement had transformed individual lives moved me and I realised I will probably continue helping out with charity work. Lastly, this experience taught me how an effective charity demands both strategic business skills and genuine commitment to community connection. This internship experience will undoubtedly guide my approach to future challenges, focusing on both relationships and practical skills.