Year 12 work experience in Journalism - interested insports

[Lyla78]

My DD is required to do a week work experience placement next month, however everywhere she has approached has said she has to be 18 years or over.

She has asked me to put out a message on here to see if any parents/carers can give advice or guidance on how she can secure a weeks work experience in Journalism- ideally for her it would be in something like Sports Journalism and/or Nutrition & wellbeing. However, at this stage any type of Media and Journalism role would be absolutely fine.

We are even prepared to stay in the area of who could facilitate the work experience. Please do let us know of any establishments in England that would be able to facilitate a weeks work experience for a 17 year old next month.

Thank you so much in advance.

Try local large sports clubs, local radio / hospital radio stations, large event venues, marketing companies, any large company with their own comms / PR. Unfortunately the 18 bar is often because they get so many requests, not a legal issue, as those on recognised educational programmes flip legal status to become regarded as an adult in the workplace - see HSE guidance. Good luck.

Local or regional newspapers would be a good place to start.
A gym or spa where she might be able to create social media posts.
Large football, rugby and golf clubs would have a marketing/PR/press office. Otherwise if you’re happy to travel there’s Wimbledon for tennis, Lilleshall for gymnastics and probably other sports, Tamworth snow dome, and there’s bound to be a national skating rink somewhere - Nottingham maybe? Same for swimming/diving - think it’s called the National Aquatics Centre or similar but no idea where it is. There must also be a national cycling centre where training and competitions are held, same for athletics, then there’s Sadler’s Wells and other ballet companies.
A large, well established riding school/trekking centre might welcome someone to help with their social media and take photos of their families and horses, or maybe somewhere like the national trust who own and promote beauty spots. Go Ape or one of those similar abseiling organisations. PGL are bound to have a media office, ditto Centre Parcs. I know the Canals and River Trust do. The Pony Club? Specialist sports magazines or just generally fitness and well being magazines.
A local authority press office maybe as they promote leisure centres and many councils organise walks and activity sessions in parks.
If she’s in sixth form, worst case scenario and she doesn’t get a placement, she could report on sports matches for the school’s website or newsletter, or do the player of the week profile or whatever.
It’s thinking outside the box and being able to wax lyrical about the physical and mental benefits of exercise or just being out in nature, and about making it inclusive for everyone, whether it’s by putting wheelchair accessible paths through a forest or creating a sensory garden in a London park with plants you can smell, feel different textures, and listen to the sound of running water etc.
I was a journalist who then became a police media officer and also did a bit of freelance PR and media training. Social media is massive now compared to when I was in the industry but what hasn’t changed is promoting and selling to your audience with persuasive copy and photos.
She could prepare by thinking about what are the topical issues right now - inclusivity as per the examples above with wheelchair paths and sensory gardens (other ways of making places accessible might include signs in braille and other languages), the fight against obesity and making exercise and geeen spaces accessible to those who are not necessarily disabled but economically disadvantaged, or simply don’t feel it’s for them or don’t have the confidence or knowledge to start, and - the big one - trans people and changing rooms etc which is of course an absolute minefield. Your dd won’t be expected to write about these issues but it wouldn’t hurt to have some thoughts and basic knowledge.