My name’s Anne. I grew up in South West London and on leaving school went straight into work rather than studying. After working in several jobs and trying out lots of things, I settled on working in the voluntary sector. After studying my BSc Global Health and Humanitarian relief at the University of Hull, followed by my MSc in Nutrition for Global health at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine I interviewed for the incredible opportunity of starting a new food waste charity in London. I was lucky enough to get the job but, as a life-long learner, wanted to put some academic knowledge to the practical experience I was gaining.

Bayes Business School’s Centre for Charity Effectiveness were recommended to me by a trusted colleague who had worked with people that had previously studied there and after looking at the programme details, it was exactly what I was looking for.

A memorable learning experience

My experience on the PgDip Voluntary Sector Leadership and Management was so memorable. You are surrounded by people – fellow students and lecturers - that have either worked in the sector for years or have a desire/passion to be in the sector. The knowledge and experience you have the ability to draw on and learn from is incredible and created a rich, deep learning experience.

Dr Justin Davis-Smith was our course leader. Not only is he a complete expert in his field, he is incredibly humble, kind, and can chair a debate expertly, taking on different views, ensuring everybody’s input is valued, and balancing out discussions to ensure all opinions and sides of the debate are weighed up. At the end of our programme we all took part in an activity where we shared words that encapsulated the best things about our course in a word cloud, with the most common words/phrases appearing larger. It was no surprise that Justin’s name got larger as the exercise went on. Yes, it was a bit of a laugh, but his personal commitment and passion really did have an impact.

Applying learning in practice

Shortly after I finished the PgDip at Bayes Business School, I changed jobs. I am now working at a small social care farm in Wiltshire, where I’m able to put into practice the knowledge I gained from the course. In addition, the network I am now part of has proved invaluable. I’ve drawn on the network for advice, asking the group various questions and using them as a sounding board in different situations. I happily contribute to questions and ideas posed by others and value the support from the network highly.

Whilst working alongside studying on the PgDip Voluntary Sector Leadership and Management I found my approach to my work changing. I was able to bring examples that had been discussed in class, or knowledge I’d gained in my reading or research to live situations at work. It contributed hugely to my confidence at the time and has continued to underpin a more rounded and confident approach to charity management for me.

Advice for future students

I honestly cannot recommend the programme highly enough. I gained knowledge, am part of a highly qualified network of individuals, met great people, was taught by sector professionals, had incredible guest speakers, and have definitely, 100% felt the difference.

However….you should be aware that it is intense! If you are working alongside doing the course, be prepared to be studying in the evening and weekends and putting other things on hold. It is definitely doable – many people on the course had way more commitments than I – but it is something to be aware of.

The fact that you are able to join classes online was so excellent. I only needed to do this one and much preferred to be there in person but the option to join online if getting to class wasn’t possible was really great.

Anne’s advice:

• The assignments come thick and fast. It’s definitely an advantage to try to decide what your assignment is going to be on within the first week after lectures. This will give you almost 3 weeks to do the research and write it before submission deadline.
• Do NOT compare yourself to others! Everybody takes information in at different rates, in different ways, has different areas of focus, and their own individual circumstances to take into account. The course is excellently designed to accommodate all these factors, so try not to give yourself extra pressure by worrying what others are doing and when!
• Talk to the lecturers and guest speakers. They are amazing. They are there because they care, are passionate and want to impart their knowledge. Do talk to them. Do add them on LinkedIn. They are wonderful and I’m so grateful to them.

Lastly, I really would like to extend a huge thanks to everyone else that contributed to the running of this excellent programme – the admin staff do a fantastic job and it shows!

Find out more about this PGDip/MSc Voluntary Sector Leadership and Management at Centre for Charity Effectiveness.