Policy Intern (volunteer position)

Duration: January to 31 March 2013 by arrangement

Interviews: 14 or 15 January 2013

Commitment: Approximately 3days a week at our offices in Vauxhall. Attendance for one day at a London-based meeting of national organisations.

Location

The role is based at the National Literacy Trust, 68 South Lambeth Road, LondonSW8 1RL, the nearest station is Vauxhall.

Programme of activity

You willbe supported by ourLiteracy Action Hubs Manager with input from the Director and Communications Team. You will help coordinate a meeting for Chief Executives and senior officers from a number of literacy/education/community organisations. You will write a policy “think piece” paper informed by the discussions at thismeeting. You will help develop a plan to disseminate this (and other) policy papers.

Specifically you will:

  • Help with organising the first meeting, in terms of event administration
  • Attend the first meeting in February and produce a policy think-piece paper as a result of the discussions. We envisage this paper will be no longer than 5 typed A-4 sides long and you will be supported by in this by the Director of the National Literacy Trust and the Literacy Action Hubs Programme Manager.
  • Research opportunities/communications channels to disseminate our policy papers with support from our Communications Team. This will be a desk based research exercise.

There may also be the opportunity to get involved with other policy and communications activity at the National Literacy Trust as time allows.

The role will utilise and/ or build the following skills, experience and knowledge:

  • Excellent written skills
  • Public policy knowledge (specific to education desirable)
  • Event coordination and/or administration
  • Confident communication with people at different levels in person and on the phone
  • Research
  • Writing
  • IT skills e.g. MS Office Word, Excel and Outlook
  • PR and social media

Supervision: The named supervisor is Emily McCoy, Literacy Action Hubs Programme Manager.

Induction and training:

  • A desk and IT profile will be set up for use on arrival
  • Induction to the charity including one-to-one briefings from staff as needed
  • On-going support from theLiteracy Action Hubs Programme Manager, Director,Media and Public Affairs Officer and Head of Communications.

Expenses

Expenses incurred through volunteering will be reimbursed with prior arrangement and in accordance with the National Literacy Trust’s expenses policy. Receipts must be presented with all claims for reimbursement. Reasonable travel to and from the office (usually London zones 1-6) will be reimbursed as agreed at the start of the internship.

Intellectual Property and Data Protection

All data and information gathered through the placement remains the property of National Literacy Trust and may not be used by the volunteer for purposes other than the project outlined above, either during or after the placement.

Volunteering at the National Literacy Trust

The position is a volunteer role and as such is unpaid. The role has not been designed to lead to paid work at the National Literacy Trust, although volunteers will of course be able to apply for any relevant roles that arise.

The programme of activity may be developed or changed in consultation with the volunteer as the placement progresses. The volunteer will also be required to work in accordance with all National Literacy Trust policies and practices, maintain a record of external contacts and ensure the National Literacy Trust’s database (ThankQ) is kept up-to-date.