Volunteers' Week 2026
Volunteers’ Week 2026 blog by Charlotte Pickthall
I am a second year Journalism student at the University at Sheffield, and I volunteer with South Yorkshire’s Community foundation in the communications and marketing department. Volunteering with SYCF is exceptionally fulfilling and interesting and has provided me with many opportunities to expand my skills in writing, researching and content creation.
My role in the Foundation is to write up press releases, articles and create content which clearly displays the fantastic groups across South Yorkshire which have been supported with generous funding managed from SYCF.
Charlotte Pickthall, front right
In this role, I get the exciting opportunity to speak with community groups and grassroots organisations across South Yorkshire, understanding the incredible work they do to empower and support the local community.
Learning about their powerful experiences and work and understanding all the effort and passion which goes into hosting events and running schemes is my favourite part of volunteering for SYCF, and is incredibly rewarding and insightful.
After speaking with the people involved in these wonderful charities and organisations, I use the interview to write up a press release or article about their recent projects. This includes using powerful quotes from the interview, alongside research and information to write up a concise and informative piece surrounding the group. These pieces of work are typically sent out to other media outlets to be used as news pieces or featured in the Foundation’s newsletter.
Having the opportunity to write press releases and professional pieces is vital experience for me as a journalism student and has taught me how to conduct professional and efficient research through interviews, alongside improving my style of writing- broadening my skills which will support me throughout my future career.
I have also been able to attend events through volunteering with South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation, such as Meet the Funder sessions. Through volunteering at the check in desk at this event, I got the privilege to meet the incredible people who run community groups and charities throughout Sheffield face-to-face, learning about the work they do and future projects they hope to run. Furthermore, I got valuable insight into event planning and networking, understanding the organisation and planning required to run successful events.