Seeing the Impact Up Close: My Internship at Yes Futures

Written by Xander Hurll

Xander is a second year Teach First ambassador that is currently Head of Spanish at an Academy in Feltham. Xander spent some time over summer and during his year abroad working in NGOs and charities, culminating with his summer project at Yes Futures in 2025.

Immediately after the school year ended, I left my Spanish classroom to embark on a new journey: a two-week internship with Yes Futures. Although brief, this experience was incredibly rewarding. I learned not only about the inner workings of a non-profit dedicated to improving educational opportunities for disadvantaged children, but also about the teamwork, collaboration, and creativity required to make any organisation thrive.

From the start, I was struck by how many moving parts are needed to deliver a high-impact charitable programme. My tasks ranged from administrative duties, like feedback form data entry and digital resource mapping, to qualitative work such as synthesising fundraising spreadsheets and reviewing application processes. Throughout, the team was supportive, passionate, and driven to ensure the best outcomes for both young people and those delivering the coaching programmes.

On my third day, I had the opportunity to attend the LSEG Foundation Day, a celebration of charitable work aimed at empowering disadvantaged youth and supporting communities worldwide. I heard inspiring stories from charities working in youth literacy, female entrepreneurship, coding, and more. Despite the variety of missions, a common thread emerged: the belief that a better world is in our hands. I also had the chance to speak with panel members about emerging trends in AI, measuring impact, and their personal journeys- a truly eye-opening experience.

Most of my internship was conducted remotely, but I was able to spend one day in person observing programme development and strategic planning. It was inspiring to see how the team designs experiences like Into the Wild immersive outdoor adventure days and World of Work career experience days, which help students build Confidence, Resilience, Communication, and Self-Awareness. Being included in these discussions gave me a real sense of ownership and showed how much careful planning goes into every session.

Overall, my “Summer Project” internship at Yes Futures was a fantastic insight into the operations of a charity that is making a real difference in young people’s lives. I am grateful to the team for welcoming me, sharing their expertise, and showing how passion and dedication can transform opportunities for students.

Seeing the impact up close has been a reminder that every donation and every volunteer hour contributes directly to shaping confident, motivated, and resilient young people- and that is something truly worth supporting.