Programmes Assistant Review
at Ignite Futures
Work Experience
Advertising, Data Analysis, Digital Marketing, Journalism and Publishing, Market Research, Social Media Marketing, Voluntary
Nottingham
Review Submitted: October 2025
Overall Rating
4.7 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4.5/5
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Overview of the Experience
5/5
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Skills Development
5/5
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Company Culture
Overview of the Experience
Please give an overview of what your experience involved:
5/5
Immediately from my first day on the job, I was thrown into doing everything that I found interesting. Any time I expressed excitement at something, my supervisor was eager to give me some experience in the field, whether it was through shadowing meetings with other employees, attending training workshops to understand how to incorporate child rights into planned activities, or how your approach needs to change if you are working with younger children. I did everything from designing posters advertising our events to creating reports to writing blog articles. I was able to travel throughout Nottingham to help deliver an educational after school club in libraries and asylum seeker accommodations, learning something new each day because no day at the office was ever the same. I had the opportunity to really feel like I was making a difference, even if my time with Ignite! was so short. The whole team was so lovely and always ready to answer all of my questions, and they nudged me in the right direction when I needed it, making sure that I was growing in my abilities and confidence.
How well organised was your experience?
5/5
From the application stage to the end of the work placement, everything was incredibly well-organised. I knew when all the deadlines were, what had to be submitted where, who to contact in specific cases, etc.
To what extent did you enjoy your experience?
5/5
If I did not say I absolutely loved it, I would be lying. It was an incredible experience, especially for someone who has never had a full-time job before. Despite being quite nervous to start, as I did not know how difficult it would be to integrate into an existing team, everyone I met was very willing to help me out when I needed it, making me feel welcome every step of the way. I also enjoyed the experience because I did not just focus on one thing the entire time I was on the work placement: I had the chance to shadow an Early Years Practitioner, work at a festival, lead my own after school club event independently, and join training workshops with various other organisations. It was such a well-rounded experience, I could not have imagined that such an all-encompassing job position could exist.
How much did your experience help you in deciding on your future career path?
3/5
This was a very good experience to understand what I did, and did not, want once it is time to apply to full-time jobs. I certainly loved the whole work placement, but I felt quite inadequate for some of the tasks I carried out. Truthfully though, I think it just means that I have a few more things to learn and a lot more skills to improve upon.
Were you paid or reimbursed adequately for this experience?
I was paid and reimbursed expenses
Skills Development
What training and skills development did you learn from your experience?
5/5
My work placement involved working upon various tasks, which included: creating promotional material for the after school club Ignite! organises and delivers, writing formal emails to send out on behalf of the charity, compiling feedback from participants to create reports showcasing the impacts of the sessions that were delivered, sharing scientific facts and experiments with excited children at a festival, writing articles to publish in a magazine, and how to lead a group of children successfully so they listen and have fun doing a craft safely. In addition to all of those, I improved my time management skills by being able to show up on time to where I was needed, and by dividing my tasks appropriately to make sure I could complete everything that was assigned to me. I attended training sessions that taught me how to evaluate data through feedback gathering, how the arts can be incorporated into the fight against climate change, and why it is always so important to consider children's rights when organising activities, to make sure that they are not only learning, but are also doing it in a way that they are respected and can showcase their own skills.
Company Culture
How much did you learn about the company culture and what it would be like to work there?
5/5
Even though Ignite! itself is a small charity, they work with so many other organisations around Nottingham, it was never hard to fit in somewhere. The company culture was extremely welcoming, and the employees were very patient with me whenever I had doubts about any tasks I was given, answering all of my questions and directing me as needed. It was a lovely environment to be in, and the mission of making creativity and curiosity the main focus of each event kept me motivated, because I was very interested to see what the children would learn, and how I could apply what I had learned in my training sessions to delivering activities.
Were there opportunities for networking and meeting other employees?
5/5
Over the course of the work placement, I met people from other local organisations in Nottingham, and I met a lot of people online through the training workshops as well. It was always nice to meet new people and see what their work looked like, and to see how their work and my work overlapped and differed.
Recommendations and Advice
Would you recommend Ignite Futures to a friend?
Yes
Why?
Genuinely, it has been an incredible experience that has introduced me to so many diverse people, has given me the opportunity to put the university degree that I am currently undertaking to use before I have even graduated, and has taught me so much about how the world around us impacts children and their creativity. I have come out of this work placement a changed person, with a brighter outlook on the world because I now consider more factors whenever I make decisions than I ever did before, and I like how it means that I can now make more people feel welcome and a bit more represented in the events they want to see. It was really nice knowing that I was able to make a difference, no matter how short my time with Ignite! was. And I hope that I will be able to re-join them again!
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Ignite Futures?
My main advice would be to show an eagerness for learning. Ignite! loves to see people's creativity and curiosity, especially when it can inspire children to also think outside the box. The more ideas you bring to the table, the more prepared you will be for a placement with their lovely team. And do not be overly nervous; starting a new job position is always scary, but everyone there is so welcoming, you will get into the rhythm of things very quickly. Just approach each day with a positive attitude and show that you are willing to correct any mistakes you might make, and you will be set.
