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Three-month placement with Signpost International helps students build practical skills while tackling food insecurity
Two Abertay University students are preparing for the next stage of their studies after completing a three-month placement with a Dundee charity, gaining valuable experience ahead of their future careers.
As part of their Honours Degree in Food, Nutrition and Health, Anna Jarvis and Kate Biddulph undertook a full-time placement with Signpost International in Whitfield. The charity rescues surplus food from supermarkets, greengrocers, bakeries and allotments, transforming it into nutritious frozen meals that are distributed to those in need through foodbanks and community larders. Beyond food provision, Signpost International works closely with families, school pupils and young people to build confidence, develop practical skills, and promote an understanding of how to grow, preserve and cook fresh, healthy food.
During their placement, Anna and Kate helped launch the charity’s new community fridge. They also supported, planned and delivered cooking classes, cooked community meals and organised family events.
Anna said:
Completing my placement at The Roundhouse has been a wonderful opportunity. Through this work experience, I have been able to apply my course theory to practice, gain confidence in my skills, and make memorable connections. My highlight was getting so familiar with The Roundhouse that I was able to lead others on several occasions and help train the volunteers. I like teaching and it was confidence-boosting to see how much I had grown in my knowledge and intuitively began to know what tasks needed doing or how to solve commonly encountered problems.
Kate, who had previously volunteered in the Signpost International kitchen and with children’s activities, added:
My placement at The Roundhouse allowed me to develop my teaching, organisational, and culinary skills while making a tangible difference in the community. It was incredibly rewarding to contribute to the events and classes, as well as the essential behind-the-scenes work that keeps the space running. The highlight was definitely the connection I made with others, interacting with a wide range of people and feeling useful in a community space that truly needs support. I particularly loved the experience of teaching the children's groups and cooking for them at the Tea Club.
Dr Karen Barton, Senior Lecturer in Public Health Nutrition and Subject Lead for Food Science, Nutrition and Wellbeing Programmes at Abertay University, believes the placements offer significant benefits to students. She said:
Placements provide invaluable real-world experience, helping our students develop essential employability skills and stand out in a competitive job market. At Signpost, they are involved in a diverse range of projects and activities, while also learning to work effectively as part of a team, an essential skill for their future careers. Through their day-to-day work, students have seen first-hand how food can bring people together and connect communities, while building their own confidence and communication skills. They have also engaged with a wide range of people, including children and those from harder-to-reach groups. We hope to continue strengthening our partnership with the charity, so that more students can benefit from this rewarding and inspiring experience as they explore their next steps.
Steph Dolan, Education and Community Worker at Signpost International, and herself a graduate of Abertay University’s Food, Nutrition and Health degree, added, “We have a long history of working with Abertay, so we were delighted to welcome Anna and Kate to the team, and it was hard to see them go! Students learn so much from their time here, but we also learn a lot from them. We wish them well in their chosen careers and hope they stay in touch with the charity as they progress through life.”
While rooted in Dundee, Signpost International also supports communities worldwide. Through global partnerships, the charity empowers people to tackle poverty and injustice, helping to build thriving, resilient communities. Its work focuses on four key themes: food security, sustainable livelihoods, water, sanitation and hygiene, and global citizenship, impacting 30,000 to 35,000 people annually.
Learn more about volunteering with Signpost International here.
