Marketing students volunteer their skills

Representatives from the seven charities The Evening Chronicle’s Sunshine Fund, Percy Hedley Foundation, Northumberland Hospital Radio, Sunderland YWCA, The Alnwick Garden, Calvert Trust and Age-UK Northumberland were introduced to the 40 participating students during a launch event for the scheme at Newcastle Business School.

Each charity will provide a project for their allocated student team to market.

While the charities will benefit from access to a team of enthusiastic students, the students will gain practical marketing experience to add to their CVs. Students will undertake work that will aid the charity and boost their understanding of the marketing concept, including market research, branding and designing promotional literature.

Dr David Hart, Principal Lecturer in Marketing, is coordinating the scheme. He said: “This innovative scheme is a real win-win scenario for both our students and partner charities. Newcastle Business School is dedicated to improving the employability of our students by offering them a variety of real-life experiences, and this project also helps us build closer working relationships with some quite inspirational third-sector organisations.

“We have recruited teams of knowledgeable and enthusiastic students from a range of undergraduate programmes for the scheme, and I can’t wait to see the tangible results of their work”.

Caroll Pattison, Fund Director for the Evening Chronicle Sunshine Fund, said: “I am delighted to be working with the students from Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University. They are so keen to learn about the work we do and how they can make a difference for the charity.

“I am really looking forward to seeing the results that their fresh eyes will bring.”

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer organisation, please email david.hart@northumbria.ac.uk