Date published: 11 February 2026 by Pauline Bolt

Charlie is a postgraduate student studying for an MA in Public Policy at King's College London. He volunteers with Rainbow Trust Children's Charity as part of a university internship module.

He decided to volunteer with Rainbow Trust after learning more about the breadth and impact of the charity’s work.

Charlie explains:

“The work they carry out is so invaluable. I was really inspired by the fact that they don’t just focus on advocacy, but also provide very real, tangible support for families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness.”

Charlie supports our Policy and Public Affairs team by tracking upcoming policy and parliamentary developments related to children’s social palliative care, as well as wider issues across education, health and social care, that could affect families of children with life-threatening or terminal illness. This helps the team stay up to date with national changes.

“My role mainly involves researching upcoming policy developments related to children’s social palliative care or anything connected to it,” he says. “It’s rewarding to know that the research I’m doing can help inform and strengthen the charity’s work.”

Laura Bennett, Rainbow Trust’s Policy and Public Affairs Lead says,

“It’s great to have the longer-term commitment of student volunteers like Charlie. He provides valuable capacity to our small team, and his regular involvement means we can rely on consistent support – and of course we flex this so that Charlie has time when he needs it for exams and coursework!

“We aim to ensure our volunteers gain experience in policy and public affairs work in practice, across both core administrative work and more substantive project tasks. This helps them build the knowledge and skills they can draw on to demonstrate to future employers they’re ready for roles in this field.”

Balancing volunteering alongside postgraduate study can be challenging, but Charlie says Rainbow Trust has been incredibly supportive.

“The role is incredibly rewarding. The team were very welcoming and continue to support me in fitting the work around my studies.”

During Student Volunteering Week, Rainbow Trust is celebrating students like Charlie, whose skills, curiosity and commitment help make a meaningful difference to families at a time when they need it most.

To find out more about student placements, work experience or volunteer opportunities please visit www.rainbowtrust.org.uk/volunteering