In July 2025, Theodore (Tatta) Agatha joined us as an intern through the University of Exeter’s Professional Pathways programme. During her internship Tatta visited some of the organisations we have funded to learn more about what they do and to see some of their work in action. She also spent time researching how young people view philanthropy, and what inspires them to give. In this blog post she shares some of what she learned during her time with us.
Over the last two weeks, I have been working with Devon Community Foundation as part of my internship with University of Exeter’s Professional Pathways programme.
As a young person passionate about volunteering and charity work, I am keen to find out what motivates young people to give. I had the opportunity to speak with various young people from different backgrounds, sharing their views on philanthropy and charity.
I found that young people are motivated to support a range of causes, including the environment, social justice and mental health. And it was interesting to see that as people’s life priorities changes, their philanthropic interests may evolve too. One interviewee who had recently had a son shared that becoming a parent had prompted her to give more to charities supporting children experiencing homelessness, particularly LGBTQ+ children who have been made homeless or have become estranged from their families.
Another interviewee spoke about how the true meaning of philanthropy is “love of mankind”, from the Greek word philanthropia, and how trying to love and support people you don’t know can be challenging. He said: “Giving your little brother some money is not loving him – it’s simply giving him money. Finding ways to love people is difficult, but that is why you have these community foundations who know their people best.”
The young people I spoke to also discussed how important it was to see that the money they give is having a real impact. During my time with Devon Community Foundation I was able to experience this impact firsthand as I joined a visit to North Devon to meet a few of the groups DCF has funded through a partnership with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
One of the groups we visited was Addicts to Athletes and I had the opportunity to talk to its founder, Connor Shannon. Connor shared how he battled with substance abuse as a teenager and described how discovering a passion for running helped him to overcome his addiction. He started a YouTube channel documenting his journey and this developed into a charity using sports to help others recover from addiction. With the help of funding from Devon Community Foundation and PCC, Addicts to Athletes has supported many people across North Devon on their recovery journey.
I also met Andy, one of Addicts to Athletes’ service users. Andy is a former firefighter who was medically retired in 2002 due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and turned to drinking as a coping mechanism. He said: “I only drank in the evening, so I wasn’t considered an addict. From the outside, my world looked great. I didn’t tick many of the boxes that an addict has.”
With the help of his GP, Andy joined a support group led by people with lived experience and from there he discovered Addicts to Athletes. Through Addicts to Athletes Andy joined tennis, hiking, running, trained for a 5K, and even tried coasteering.
He said: “When I say it’s been life changing, I’m not exaggerating. I went from the lowest of the low, and now I enjoy being alive again.”
My second visit was to Surviving Abuse North Devon (SAND), where I met the CEO, Josie Knight. Josie shared how she stepped into leadership at a pivotal time for the organisation, helping to stabilise and grow SAND into the trusted, trauma-informed service it is today. Like many grassroots charities, SAND continues to navigate challenges in a competitive funding landscape, particularly for services supporting survivors of sexual violence. SAND specialises in supporting male and female adults in its central rural premises in North Devon.
The visit made me realise the significant impact that community foundations have on our communities. The grants that DCF makes to charities like Addicts to Athletes and SAND are vital because they empower grassroot organisations to deliver life-changing support where it’s needed most. The grants help people overcome trauma, addiction, and isolation. They don’t just support services – they invest in hope, recovery, and resilience.
My internship with DCF has reaffirmed my love and passion for working within the voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) sector. I am forever grateful for the people at DCF who have guided me through my time there.
