Month: September 2015

Week 4

As mentioned in my last blog post, the raised beds had been severely damaged. After discussing the practicability of the raised beds with staff, I found that raised beds are not any more advantageous for wheel chair users than normal flat beds are. I decided to change the plans and remove the raised beds, this fitted with our model for sustainability as it meant the garden was a lot easier to maintain the long run.

Getting rid of the raised beds meant hiring a skip, which meant tenancy meeting. This impacted the budget and a lot of man power was required to shift the more than 3 cubic metres of soil.

As I’ve now finished the internship I’d definitely recommend participating in the charity insights scheme. It allowed me to pursue a passion without forfeiting a summer. Working in this sector develops skills which you don’t necessarily develop in university. Being able to clearly and coherently give instructions and convey your ideas is vital in work conditions. Listening and adapting to feedback given is equally essential for the end design to be up to the expectations of the client, especially when there are time restrictions.

Sense About Science – AskForEvidence.org

One major problem with politicians today is there is a huge lack of trust. People simply don’t believe their claims. The same issue can be applied to society more broadly, particularly media and advertisements. People know that when something seems too good to be true it probably is, but they don’t know what to do about it.

To address this Sense About Science set up the ask for evidence campaign, and in particular askforevidence.org to encourages the public to challenge unbelievable claims directly, asking those who make them to provide evidence which can then be scrutinised and evaluated. Since it’s launch less than a year ago askforevidence.org has seen over 1000 queries from frustrated members of the public seeking evidence from those who make extraordinary claims.

As part of my internship I was lucky enough to work with the ask for evidence campaign; this included helping people who have received (often dubious) evidence be put in touch with scientists who can help interpret it for them, whilst also querying a number of claims for myself. For me this is a large part of what makes the ask for evidence campaign so powerful, because people can ask for evidence, but what they receive could be nonsense. In fact very often it seems those making the claim will be deliberately confusing, they know the person asking is unlikely to have a scientific background so should be easily put off by technical jargon and long research papers. However the beauty of Ask For Evidence is that it allows them to follow up on any evidence with the help of a professional.

The campaign has already queried many extraordinary claims and found them to be, unsurprisingly lacking in extraordinary evidence. The full list can be found on the website. During my time at sense about science I wrote a piece on a fertility app that claimed to be “99.9% safe”, an extraordinary claim which if true would make it more effective than condoms or the combined pill. Another was a claim by Dr Marilyn Glenville that changes in diet can reduce menopause symptoms, a claim that is not supported by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Encouraging the proliferation of claims that are well supported by strong evidence can only be a good thing. It might not rebuild trust completely with politicians and the public, or mean we still don’t see companies making ridiculous claims, but a well informed public, willing to challenge these claims, can only be a good thing. We need to speak up and stand up for evidence, only then will we stop being lied to.

Friends of the Erath – week 3

Here we are, my third post. Two quick section here, one on my work progress so far, and then a bit from my experience of doing Charity Insight.

Section a) The work keeps getting even more interesting, as we go along. I am still working on the first bit of research I was doing for waste management strategy for Birmingham. We have found some interesting facts about other local authorities and how they manage their waste and what lessons are to be learnt from them. The report will be public after finishing it if anyone would ever be interested to have a look. Of course, it is getting harder than ever to get the politicians to consider environmental issues, when there are increasing constraints on their budget. Even though some of these actions will eventually save them more money, the fact of doing something different which might cost some money short term with greater long term benefit scare them! Well, nothing too bad, this simply means more convincing required 🙂

Oh well, it was first day of autumn yesterday! (courtesy of: wallpapersrow.com)
Oh well, it was first day of autumn yesterday! (courtesy of: wallpapersrow.com)

Section b) Having spent around ¾ of my work so far, I see the charity insight experience very interesting. It puts you in a new environment with people having different drive and enthusiasm, working for something they passionately believe in and enjoying each other’s company and the benefit they provide to their end user as the main drive. In addition, I guess you are regularly dealing with precision of science and medicine, and exercising your brain taking it to an area outside these is very useful. And it feels quite good doing something you see the outcome of it could have a real impact on many people. I would definitely recommend this to anyone. And I did it part time, and I think this was quite a good experience as well, both for me and for the organisation.

One week to go…

Week 3

The works began on the garden and would continue for my remaining time on the internship. We were slightly delayed as BT sent a team, as a part of their charity pledge, to clean up the garden; however they had not completed their works and the wooden borders containing the existing raised beds had been damaged.

As the garden hadn’t been maintained or weeded for more than several years a good deal of time was spent clearing these weeds and trees growing out of the patio slabs. We were again delayed as we weren’t clear to use chemicals in the garden as there were several pets and we didn’t want to risk poisoning them.

Only once the area was cleared were we able to more accurately judge the amount of work required to just repair the garden. Getting rid of the weeds revealed how the hardcore mixture between the patio slabs had deteriorated. Correcting this would put us further behind schedule.

During this time one of the most fulfilling aspects is getting the residents of the home involved. Most are very eager to help out and learn new skills. We’ve been teaching the more capable of them DIY and gardening skills so they can maintain the garden afterwards without the help of others. When I was researching I found that routine is extremely important for individuals with degenerative diseases, gardening is a fantastic way for them to leave the house and still be in a safe environment. Its also a reliable activity that they can do daily and goes hand in hand with the sustainability of the garden.

Week Four at the KCF: Liaisons, Leaflets and Lunch

My final week at the foundation was unfortunately disrupted by acute tonsillitis, meaning I had to stay at home some time to rest, before moving on to being able to work some hours from home and then finally returning to work in the office.

In this week I returned to a project given to me by one of the Trustees during my arrival. This was to compile a spreadsheet containing information about some of the wealthiest millionaires and billionaires within the borough, particularly with regards to whether or not some of them might have charitable foundations in their name to which the foundation may be able to apply for support. This was, ultimately, a process I didn’t manage to complete (perhaps something I should have expected considering the vast wealth of some of the borough’s inhabitants) but I did manage to shed some light on the somewhat surprisingly numerous and extensive charitable endeavours and organisations some of the borough’s wealthiest support.

To aid in the process I’ve just described, I met up with the former Director of the Foundation (who actually organised my internship) to discuss if there were any contacts or information she could give me to include in my spreadsheets about residents within the borough. Meeting with her at her new office in Somerset House was a useful experience, both in terms of the work I was doing and also making me realise the importance of knowing people and having an abundance of contacts in the Charities/Not-for-Profit sector. She also gave me some useful advice as to the best tactics to employ when approaching people like this to support the Foundation, as well as how best to ask them and, indeed, what to ask them for. Experience in this field can be priceless, especially as you rarely get more than one chance with this sort of endeavour.

My final task was to analyse the leaflet the Foundation produced last year for their “Winter Warmth” campaign. Here they ask residents over 60 who don’t need their Winter Fuel allowance to donate it into a fund so that it can be used to support those who are in danger of falling into fuel poverty. This was an interesting exercise, reminiscent of some English Language exams I had sat in my school years. I analysed the leaflet’s use of language, how it made the reader felt, as well as looking at the clarity of the message being conveyed, the structure and branding as well as the aesthetics of the publication. I then tried to critique it, and highlight areas that could be improved, such as the apparent ambiguity (it wasn’t clear exactly what the reader was being asked to do).

On the last day, the new director took us out to an enjoyable lunch together, and I had an opportunity to reflect on all I’d learnt and done over the past month. I had been given an insight into the heart of a charitable organisation, into what life is like on a daily basis, into the stresses and strains but ultimately sweetness of success when you achieve something that will make the lives of the disadvantaged better. I’ve had a great time, learning huge amounts, doing much and meeting some very friendly and helpful colleagues. I would hope reading this blog has helped convince someone to undergo the same internship, maybe even at the same organisation. It would be great for it to benefit another student as much as it has me.

Week Three at the KCF: Media, Meetings and Messengers

If you’re working hard with your head down and without time to look up, time flies by, something I have been reminded of this week. One of the first tasks assigned to me by the new Director was to modify a document used by her previous charity to act as a form of agreement with high profile supporters, detailing exactly what the Foundation would require of them as well as what they would expect of us. This helps clarify the potential relationship, making things unambiguous and clear, therefore reducing the chance of disagreement and disappointments on either side. It also gives the request a sense of professionalism and makes it easier for the prospect in question to say yes and agree to help get the Foundation’s message across to people.

Now that all 6 of the other staff have returned from holiday, Susan held her first team meeting, where all of us (including myself) had to provide an “Employee Profile”, detailing our role in the organisation (so she could plan future tasks to be delegated in projects) as well as what we were trying to do at the moment. This also helps to avoid “grey” areas of responsibility, whereby more people than are necessary for the completion of a task/project may be working on it, or indeed there isn’t anyone working on something that needs to be done. There was also a discussion as to how progress was going to be communicated to the board of trustees effectively, as well as a potential change in marketing strategy; Susan prefers a more “personal” approach, highlighting the Foundation’s work on a personal level, rather than blanket statistics and dull, lifeless imagery (perhaps something the Foundation has been guilty of in the past).

Meanwhile I’ve been designated another project, which is to compile information from various sources (emails, multiple spreadsheets etc) about all the different local media outlets in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, so as to provide a way of generating publicity for the Foundation’s work and future events. This involves removing some publications from our database (a sizeable number have become defunct and folded, for various reasons), establishing who, if anyone, is our point of contact within the publication, assessing editor deadlines, distribution and readership as well as analysing if there is a section within the media for editorial content relevant to us. For such a relatively small area there seems to be abundance of newspapers and magazines covering it!

 

Week Two at the KCF: Leadership, Alan Johnson MP and the Daily Mail

This week heralded the arrival of our new Director, Susan Dolton, who arrives with a wealth of experience having been director at the Charity “Help Musicians UK”. Fortunately for me, she has shown a great interest in my interning at the Foundation, and has already suggested a number of new projects I could pursue whilst working here. I’ve also realised she’s a shrewd manager and extremely competent leader; it’s amazing the effect it can have on a team’s productivity when the person in charge displays a genuine interest in what you’re doing, an effect I’ve noticed first hand in myself. She gives praise where and when it’s due, yet is unafraid of criticising elements of the Foundation whilst always remaining assertive and constructive. She’s also demonstrated an ambitious outlook for the Foundation, which I think is so important, since it would be such a shame for it to stagnate now considering how far it has come. I feel like I can learn a lot simply by observing how she leads a team.

We’ve had meeting with regards to progress of the organisation of the Foundation’s biggest event: its annual celebration, this year held at the V&A and featuring Kirsty Lang interviewing Alan Johnson MP. When organising such a large event, it’s critical everyone has an idea of what everyone else is doing, whilst ensuring they complete their own objectives. I’m beginning to appreciate the complexities of its organisation, ranging from deciding who and how to invite people and charities, how much people should be charged, logistics, catering, contingency plans, volunteer requirements, marketing etc.

This week was also when I realised the true vastness of the challenge of cataloging the borough’s enormity of celebrity talent. The original list, sparse in detail and numbering less than 25, has more than doubled in quantity and been greatly embellished, and yet I know I have barely scratched the surface. I’ve been using the Electoral Roll to try and gain information about whether or not the prospects still live in the borough, whilst also analysing the philanthropic tendencies of the prospects, to see if any of them chime in with causes the Foundation allies itself with. This information will also help form how we as a Foundation eventually approach them. The good news is that the Foundation supports a vast array of causes within the borough, so theoretically there should be something for everyone. As part of my mission to find out as much relevant information as possible about these celebrities, I’ve had to sift through pages and pages of tabloid interviews and articles, especially the Daily Mail.

The things I do for charity…

Week One at the KCF: Social Inequality, Microsoft Excel and Madonna

The Kensington & Chelsea Foundation is a charity which works to raise awareness of the harsh socio-economic contrasts that exist within the borough, and to help residents support local charities and community groups by championing the work of small charities. Essentially, the Foundation wants to make the borough a place where no one is held back by a lack of opportunity, a community where people and organisations work together to improve the lives of its most vulnerable members.

The foundation provides advice and guidance to residents, schools and businesses that want to become more engaged in their community. They also work to initiate campaigns to target specific needs. For example, in April they organised “The Right Royal Ride”, a bike ride in support of local mental health and well-being charities (which was attended, unexpectedly, by the Beckham family).

I arrived at the Foundation at a time of transition, with the old Director (Diana Spiegelberg, who was an invaluable help during the application process and without whom this internship would have been impossible) leaving, and her replacement not arriving until I’m halfway through my time here. Nonetheless the foundation have been very helpful in guiding and directing me, with a trustee being assigned to me to describe in detail my project and help me along the way.

My major project on this internship is to establish contact and market the Foundation to high profile people that live locally, with the eventual goal of convincing them to support (in potential ways I’ll describe in future posts) the foundation. From Madonna to Hugh Grant to Stella McCartney, if they live in the borough, I need to research them, gain as much information about them as I can and assess the likelihood of them being receptive to the Foundation’s objectives.

For now, I’m going through countless emails and the Foundation’s database, as well as newspapers, electoral rolls, interviews, Wikipedia and various trustee/staff contacts to generate as much data as possible regarding these high profile prospects, compiling it all into a Excel spreadsheet. Once I’m done, I can move on to assessing the possible routes the Foundation can use to get into contact with these prospects, as well as our method of approach, something I’ll go into in future blog posts.

Conference Success! Week 4

This week started off with many crucial tasks, including finalizing the attendee list, printing and binding the conference packet, creating name tags for the participants, and filling the gift bags. We had a good assembly line going, though, so it wasn’t too tedious.

The programme for the conference was successfully uploaded to the INCA2015 website, which was safely accepting research abstracts and payment for participation as well.

As an intern directly responsible for the outcome of the conference, I was also in charge of catering. Because the conference was hosted by PCRF, we contacted many shops around the South Kensington area to see if they would want to contribute to our conference.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) requires that many businesses incorporate some ethical or charitable actions into their business plan. CSR through environmental, social, or philanthropic means is important for improving the local communities’ response to the company. Many of the businesses we contacted had already allocated their annual budget for charitable acts to other charities, so it was difficult finding a company that would help. We were thrilled when Starbucks agreed to supply us with free freshly brewed coffee, cups, and milk, on both days of the conference. Thanks Starbucks!

On the day of the conference, I had a chance to meet so many people from all over the world. We welcomed our guests at the registration table, and then later on were able to listen to the inspiring speakers at the conference, and speak to participants exhibiting their research posters in the coffee breaks.

The combination of work at this charity was a dedicated effort to immerse myself into a scientific career with the fundamental goal of bettering people’s lives. I’m so thankful I was trusted with so many jobs so quickly. Planning the conference took up a significant part of my time at the charity. I was able to input so many of my ideas into planning the conference, which made the whole experience rewarding and worthwhile. I’ve gained a whole set of new skills, most important of which is negotiation and tactical communication. During my time I’ve met so many kind and interesting people, and hope to work with them soon again. I want to say a massive thank you to Charity Insights and PCRF for giving me the opportunity to work and gain such invaluable experience this summer.

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Moving on–Week 3

With two weeks to go to the big “Ion Channels in Cancer” (INCA) conference, the pressure has definitely been put on. This conference happens biannually and is hosted in a different place every time. This year, Professor Djamgoz and his PCRF team are the hosts. The topic of Ion channels is an exciting new development in cancer which holds promise to enable early, definitive diagnosis and non-toxic therapies of cancer. The conference will bring together scientists at the forefront of this field in order to advance novel solutions to cancer. The meeting will include over 30 invited speakers from all over the world, with around 100 people expected to attend.

Because the charity prides itself on having no administrative costs, logistical organization up till now was largely down to Mustafa alone. With an estimated overall cost of £16K, my colleague and I found the email addresses of multiple research charities, science and technology companies, and scientific societies, and sent them personalized emails asking whether they could help us meet our balance. Whilst we preferred receiving direct monetary support, we also welcomed any supporting materials such as pens, notepads, sweets, or any other souvenirs that the delegates would receive in their conference goody bags. In return, we offered to include any publicity material in the conference pack.

I’ve had a very exciting week speaking with so many different people. I’ve been able to harness my communication and negotiation skills that I gained in my previous job as a telethon fundraiser for Imperial’s President Scholarship Fund and apply it to contacting these individual professionals. We were so excited to have our first contact offer £1000 in the first day of our fundraising. We’ve had many more positive responses and are building up a strong donation base.