Working at a local charity inspired me to do more in the community
Paraskevi Kimpouka studied MSc International Business Management at Coventry University. She chose to work with a local charity on her internship and was inspired to continue volunteering in the community to develop her skills further.
Grapevine is a community organisation which focuses on growing lives and communities, with a mission to offer a helping hand to people from all walks of life especially those experiencing isolation and loneliness. Being a person that advocates for people’s human rights and the wellbeing of a community, I thought this would be an excellent fit so applied for a role with them. The project I worked on aimed to create an online marketing campaign to promote inclusivity for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
My expectations as an intern were that I would focus on work, meet the deadlines and write my report but what I experienced was way beyond that. With Grapevine, I found a family of people who go above and beyond to ensure the prosperity of each individual and nurture you into a confident outgoing free-willed person regardless of your race, gender, colour, sexual orientation, and disability. I developed core skills in leadership and communication, working and training people required me to become more of a listener and trust the people I worked with to focus and develop their skills independently.
My experience has inspired me to keep volunteering for Grapevine after my internship and also to volunteer for a new local project that contributes funds to a foodbank. There were challenges on my internship but the reward is wonderful, developing more skills that contribute towards your experience. It is such a good feeling to thrive while others thrive too!”
