What does an internship look like at Rentstart?
George Pullin writes about his first few weeks with us.
I have recently started as an Intern at Rentstart and have been quickly immersed in the friendly world of this homeless charity. Having just finished university and looking for work experience, Rentstart was a great opportunity to develop my understanding of the charity sector. Since starting here, I have nothing but good things to say about the team and the community.
The first week involved me being shown the ropes and meeting the team. After this I was chosen to accompany Andy and Helen to Parliament at a lobbying event, held by Homeless Link. The aim of the event was to persuade the political parties to prioritise homelessness for their upcoming manifestos. During the day we had arranged a meeting with Dominic Raab MP, with the same task – encouraging awareness of homelessness. It was a great event, and a great experience to see the homeless sector in full force. The highlight of this experience was the performance by the ‘Choir with No Name’, a choir made up exclusively by people experiencing homelessness, who sang a range of feel-good songs, encouraging us to sing along. The day was a success, with Dominic Raab understanding to the problems of homelessness in Elmbridge as well as hearing a range of encouraging and intelligent talks from various people and leaders involved with homelessness.
The following weeks have involved me getting used to the environment, meeting the tenants and the wider team, and seeing the properties. Through my various tasks I have been exposed to how much work goes in to fighting homelessness, and it has been an amazing experience to be involved in.
Since I have started at Rentstart I have learnt a lot about homelessness in the local area, a problem that unfortunately has been well hidden. There are obvious and dangerous stigmas surrounding such topics. However, I have learnt these couldn’t be further from the truth, people experience homelessness because of a variety of different reasons. It is from hearing these stories from clients where you find out that wider, governmental support is needed.
Rentstart does not only provide this support and aid to those finding a home in the rental sector, but importantly the team provides dignity to anyone who comes in. Homelessness is a violation of human rights and currently it is as bad as it has ever been in the UK in modern times, and through the work of the team and everyone involved, around 130 people every year have been able to find a place to call home.