Phoebe’s experience of working at the Foyer Federation

If possible, I’d like you to cast your mind back to when you first heard of the Foyer Federation. For most of you, I would hazard a guess that it was through your role working with young people.  

In contrast, my introduction to the Foyer Fed follows a somewhat unconventional path. Would you believe me if I told you that until October last year, I hadn’t heard of the Foyer Fed? And would you laugh if I admitted that, prior to this, my understanding of Foyers was confined to the entrances of hotels or theatres? Considering this lack of prior awareness, it may come as a surprise to learn that I’ve been part of the Foyer Fed team in my role as Marketing Project Manager for the past six months.

So, how did I end up here? 

Why I joined Foyer Federation

As part of my time on the Civil Service Fast Stream – the UK Government's graduate development programme – I was given the opportunity to undertake a secondment to the Foyer Fed. Having spent my first year of the graduate scheme working in policymaking, I chose to apply for a six-month secondment as a way to try something new and in the process, see the big picture as to how work carried out by Civil Servants can impact other sectors. What better place to understand the importance of policymaking than by joining a charity such as the Foyer Fed?

Whilst I knew that my new role would differ from my previous one, I didn’t quite realise how many differences I would encounter even in my first week! For example, the ten-strong team at the Foyer Fed is worlds apart from the 500,000 people that work for the Civil Service. The initial intimidation, however, turned into an opportunity that has ultimately empowered me to take responsibility for my work over the past six months. This greater autonomy and experience of project management has proven invaluable for my personal development at this early stage of my career!

What my role has involved

My role was created to drive forward work on two projects: the launch of our new Advantaged Thinking website and the development of a refreshed Foyer Fed website. 

As we geared up for the Advantaged Thinking website launch in February this year, the team worked with marketing agency Frank & Friend to create a marketing strategy and plan. It was only my second week when I travelled down to London with Joel, Siobhan and Kate to take part in a workshop designed to gather insights and understanding about our vision for the website launch. With the marketing strategy and plan finalised a month or so later, it was time to put it into action! The initial phase of the plan was to create our Advantaged Thinking Instagram and LinkedIn pages, carefully crafted to ensure our messaging is consistent across the board. Behind the scenes, work is ongoing to champion the new website far and wide and ensure that like-minded organisations across the youth supported housing sector and beyond are able to benefit from an Advantaged Thinking approach.

On the topic of websites, I’ve also been working with the team at Venn Creative to review, rewrite and refresh the existing Foyer Fed website. Although my day job is far from that of a web developer or designer, it’s been extremely rewarding to see my vision come to life over the past few months. From drafting the new copy and creating an updated sitemap to refining the content and incorporating visuals, I’ve been in charge of the project from start to finish. When the website launches in early spring, I hope you’ll find it a useful resource for many years to come!

Alongside these two main projects, I’ve been fortunate enough to get involved with many other opportunities during my time here. Be it attending the strategy consultation day, supporting with the organisation’s comms, or conducting membership research, these experiences have been nothing but enriching. It’s safe to say that my time at the Foyer Fed has been a profound learning experience, and I’ll be taking many of these insights back to the Civil Service!

How you can get involved

Behind the scenes, the Foyer Fed is led by a team of dedicated and passionate individuals who have been extremely welcoming to a newbie like me. If you would like to find out more about the opportunities to work, volunteer and partner with us, then you can do so here.