My name is Maddy Boylan George and I am doing an internship at the Bishops Palace for the next 3-6 months. I recently moved to Wells, having lived in Liverpool and London for the past four years, where I worked as an Immigration Adviser for the Home Office. I wanted a change in career and lifestyle, and was keen to learn more about the Heritage sector, as I studied History and University, and spend most weekends visiting National Trust and English Heritage sites. The Bishop’s Palace is the perfect place for an internship, as it has played such an important historic role in the history of Wells and Somerset, and continues to do so.
Enjoying the sunshine in lockdown!
I started my internship the same week that the UK went into lockdown, due to the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic. Slightly unfortunate timing as the Bishops’ Palace subsequently closed to all visitors, so my internship suddenly became unusual and virtual! The lack of a physical location has not been a deterrent however.
The Bishop’s Palace and other charities/ organisations have teamed up to form the Wells Coronavirus Network (WCN). As part of my internship, within the Bishop’s Palace Civic Engagement, I volunteered to be a Ward Area Coordinator for WCN. WCN was formed to provide services to vulnerable or isolated households. These services include companion calling, collecting medical prescriptions, grocery shopping etc.
My role in the WCN is to receive messages about an individual requiring assistance, and allocate a volunteer to that task, acting as an intermediary. WCN has been up and running for the past couple of weeks and will continue to provide support for as long as necessary. The number of people wanting to help is fantastic, and a genuine testament to Wells as a community, a feeling that the Bishop’s Palace certainly embodies, as the heart of Wells.