Myat joined Brighton & Hove Food Partnership for a 12-week internship in spring 2026.
She had recently moved to Brighton after coming to the UK as a refugee and wanted to gain experience in a UK workplace, make social connections and build her confidence.
“I wanted to learn about working culture in the UK. I also wanted to learn more about environmental sustainability.”
During her internship, Myat worked across Food Use Places, Community Composting and the Community Kitchen. She supported the day-to-day running of the projects through administration, data entry and kitchen tasks. She also created videos and social media content and spoke with members of the public at community events.
At the start of the placement, Myat found approaching unfamiliar people challenging. With encouragement from colleagues, she became increasingly comfortable speaking with members of the public and inviting them to take part in activities.
“This internship really boosted my confidence. I am now much more comfortable interacting with people and engaging in the community.”
Myat also developed her knowledge of food waste, recycling and composting. She began sharing what she had learnt with her housemates and hopes eventually to introduce community composting approaches in her home country.
“After learning about the composting project, I am more aware of how food scraps can go back to nature and become usable compost. I would like to introduce that technique in my home country one day.”
Following the internship, Myat began a Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at the University of Oxford. She hopes to continue working in community development or environmental sustainability.
Myat’s internship was funded by The National Lottery Community Fund through the Food Use Places project.
