Poppy - Energy and Sustainability intern 2026

I am about to start my final year studying Global Studies with Sustainability at the University of Essex. I first applied to this internship due to my passion about the environment and sustainability, giving me the opportunity to gain some experience in an area of work that I would like to go into in the future.

The 12-week internship has provided me with so many different opportunities to help develop my skills such as working on Edexcel and analysing data, problem solving and the ability to work successfully in a group to achieve a shared goal. This Internship has also taught me a lot as a person about time management and has given the confidence to draw on the knowledge of others.

Throughout the Internship I have worked on various projects, including promoting Solar for Business to businesses located within the Babergh and Mid Suffolk districts, using GIS to help identify viable businesses and recording enquiries for the team to follow up. This was an entirely new area of work for me and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. 

I also organised multiple screenings of The National Emergency Briefing for all staff to attend. This involved working collaboratively with a range of teams to coordinate promotion, learning and attendance. I found the work particularly rewarding, as it allowed me to see an idea develop from planning through to delivery and see the positive engagement from the event.

During the internship I also worked to promote the new Landlord Retrofit Hub as a group project with the other interns. This project required us to hold market stalls across West Suffolk, engage with landlords and residents, and raise awareness of the support available to improve the energy efficiency of rented properties.

I have enjoyed every aspect of this internship, from my work within my team, to the group project. I would recommend this internship to anyone!