6th September 2019
Ryan Newsam, Project Support Intern, leaves the team after a six-month internship and securing a permanent role in York.
“I’ve just spent six months in a leaky boat” sing Split Enz in their 1982 classic. The song was banned in the UK due to the ongoing Falklands War and it’s not a song regularly played in the office. However, after spending six months on the Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City project, I can’t say that the lyrics match my experience. This project is well and truly buoyant, and has been an absolute pleasure to be a part of.
I’ve been working as a Project Support Intern, assisting with communications and fundraising for the project. When I graduated from my masters in December 2018, working on a heritage project hadn’t even crossed my mind, let alone doing so in my home city. However, the project has kept me busy and engaged, from launching a gin to moving a nationally historic ship, it’s rarely been dull!
In the last 6 months I’ve been able to witness the project go from strength to strength, gaining support from across the city and the region. The growth in support has been especially noticeable for me, having been tasked with developing the project’s social media channels.
When I started in March 2019, I was given a lot of scope to change the way the project communicated with people through social media. Some changes were big, some not so. My personal favourite, as it caused some confusion in the office, was my insistence on using emojis in our content. It seems to have worked though!
When I joined the project, our Twitter account had about 660 followers, the Facebook page had just over 200 likes and we didn’t even have an Instagram account. Today, our Twitter has 1,380 followers, the Facebook has 1,200 likes and Instagram is closing in on 750 followers. Due to this, I know that I’ve left the project in a stronger place than when I began.
Aside from social media, my internship has also allowed me to develop my understanding of large-scale projects and put into practice what I learned at university. From drafting press releases and fundraising applications to occasionally taking minutes, it’s an experience that I’ll be able to take with me. Most importantly, the experience and guidance I received during my time on this project has allowed me to move straight into a permanent role in communications.
Although I’ll miss working on this project, I’m excited for what’s coming next. The project will continue to be something I follow very closely, as I know how significant it will be for our city.
It’s our time, it’s our maritime.
