Marjon and UHP team up to support the next generation of journalists and public communicators

Released: 09.06.26

A new volunteer student placement programme has launched between University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) and Plymouth Marjon University, enabling aspiring journalists to gain hands-on experience within the NHS.

Lola Kingsland-Wain, Caitlin Kerswill and Ella Ward, second year students on the undergraduate Journalism course at Marjon, became the first Volunteer Placement Students to join the Trust’s Communications Team. Over the coming months, they will gain first-hand experience of working in NHS communications and engagement as part of their studies.

The launch of this programme strengthens the relationship between the Trust and Marjon’s BA (Hons) Journalism course, which tries to create meaningful opportunities for students to develop practical skills and build professional experience within the public sector.

Lewis Edwards, Deputy Head of Communications at the Trust, said: “We have wanted to establish this programme for some time now. The quality of the journalism courses at Marjon has seen graduates progress into local and national journalism roles, as well as careers in public sector communications.

“It is important that students have the opportunity to see first-hand the variety and pace of working in NHS. We have worked with a number of graduates from the programme over the years when they have come into employment in the local and national media, so being able to strengthen those links and support future talent early on is something we are really proud of.

“We have a wonderful relationship with the Journalism course. Our team are really looking forward to supporting opportunities for students to gain valuable experience, which we hope develops their portfolios and builds experiences for their future careers.”

Additionally, Lola, Caitlin and Ella have all registered as official Trust volunteers, joining the many members of the Trust’s “Orange Army”. Alongside their work with the Communications Team, this will also give them opportunities to experience other areas of volunteering across the Trust should they wish to do so.

The programme also builds on the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Trust and Marjon, which aims to strengthen collaboration between the two organisations in areas including education, workforce development and community wellbeing.

Journalism programme leader at Marjon, Mike Baker, is looking forward to seeing what untold stories the students can find after being given such privileged access to a major hospital.

“We’ve been trying to get this project started for so long, it’s just lovely to get started,” he said. “Connecting former Marjon Journalism graduates with current students is an added bonus, but it does validate how we teach storytelling techniques for use in all sorts of settings and contexts.

“Derriford is full of so many human stories, from the staff, patients, volunteers and visitors, it’s awesome to think we’ll be able to tell just some of them and bring them to a wider audience. And the idea that our students will be making such a positive difference to the lives of others really captures the values of our institution.”

Over the coming months, the students will work on a wide range of activities, including attending major event openings linked to ongoing capital developments, helping to identify and develop stories from across the Trust, and contributing creative ideas that support both their studies and wider Communications Team projects.

Several current and former members of the Communications Team are themselves graduates of Marjon’s journalism programme, making the initiative a particularly meaningful opportunity to strengthen the connection between the Trust and the University.

“Our aim is that the programme offers regular opportunities for second students each year,” added Lewis. “We hope Lola, Caitlin and Ella find the programme rewarding and gain insights to use towards their future career ambitions.”

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