At Capacity, we love welcoming talented people to the team who bring fresh perspectives and ideas to help shape our work. Recently, we partnered with the University of Liverpool to offer a summer internship to one of their second-year students. Mary, who’s spent the last 10 weeks supporting the wider team with comms and admin, has been a brilliant asset to Capacity. Now, at the end of her placement, we asked her to reflect on her experience.
Hey Mary! Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m Mary, a second (going into third) year English Literature student at the University of Liverpool, with a particular passion for poetry.
I’ve spent the last couple of months interning at Capacity, but beyond that I like to keep busy. Alongside my studies, I’m the Social Commentary and Opinion editor for Sleeve Magazine, Podcast Chair for Liverpool Guild Student Media, a volunteer Marketing Assistant for Wirral Wave Radio and the TikTok Editor for The Liverpool Tab.
How did you find out about Capacity?
I’d initially signed up for the Liverpool Interns Scheme that my university offers, honestly not really knowing what to expect.
After browsing some internship opportunities for a few weeks, I saw Capacity as one of the options. It stood out to me because it was so different than the other organisations and opportunities on offer. And after some research, I knew that I really wanted to work here as it aligned with my core values – I really care about making a difference to local communities.
What stood out about Capacity?
Capacity caught my eye because I could see the impact of the team’s work in the local community. A particular project that stood out to me was Branch and how it was really improving the well-being of children in the Wirral. Mental health is really important to me. When I told my friends and family about what Capacity does – and Branch – they were very impressed, and thought I’d be a great match for the team.
You keep yourself busy – can you tell us about some of the work you’ve been involved in outside of Capacity?
Prior to joining the team, I’d written an article for The Merseyside African and Caribbean Centre for The Liverpool Tab, in the hope of uplifting and profiling community voices. I also helped rally students to join the community members outside the town hall in support of the centre. As a student, I think it’s important that we give back to the city and local people, and I knew that I’d be able to do that working at Capacity.
What have you most enjoyed during your time with us?
This is a hard one to answer. Every day working alongside the fabulous team has been such a joy. It’s been great to get a taste of the different aspects of the work Capacity and its ventures deliver, and to see how my skill sets tie in with the work. I wasn’t expecting that Capacity would have it’s own podcast – but I was pleasantly surprised and have enjoyed helping out with that.
A standout day for me was the Staff Away Day, as it was a lovely opportunity to get to know everyone better, in addition to meeting members of the team who work remotely in person!
What have you found most surprising about the work?
How much Capacity and its ventures do.
In my interview, I remember Pete (Head of Comms) telling me it took him at least 6 months to fully understand everything that Capacity does. When I started, I soon realised what he meant! I was particularly impressed with Juno and how the team are reshaping what care means for children, putting them at the heart of decisions.
What have you learned whilst you’ve been with us?
The experience has been so valuable and I’ve developed a lot of new skills. I’d say that the main thing I’ve come away with is a sense of hope and faith in social-purpose organisations to make things better for real people. When you meet a team of such hardworking and enthusiastic people, all passionate about helping communities flourish, it reassures me that public services are in the hands of the right people.
It was also nice to see that I can use my comms skills in a line of work that isn’t commercial. In my experience, you don’t get taught about the third sector at school. I used to associate marketing with a corporate job, with the incentive of selling more products to more people, which never appealed to me.
My internship at Capacity has opened up a world for me that I wasn’t aware of, and that I now want to continue working in. After every day at work, I walk out feeling really happy and energised, knowing the work that I’m doing is helping to benefit my local community.
Thank you so much to the lovely team for all your help and support. I’d like to give a special thank you to Sophie Kervin, for being my buddy and teaching me so many brilliant things.
