Strive 2026: Celebrating another year of talent, growth and opportunity

On Thursday 24^th September at Ashton Gate Stadium, we were pleased to welcome more than fifty interns, employers and partners to celebrate the end of the 2026 Strive Internship Programme.

For those who don’t know, the Strive Internship Programme matches undergraduate students from global majority backgrounds for 6-8 week paid internships over the summer holidays in organisations throughout the South West of the UK.

Sanderson have been proud to manage the programme since 2025, when we took over from the founders Hargreaves Lansdown, and throughout the programme we’ve been pleased to run in-person events and weekly Life Skills Sessions, all with the aim of supporting the interns to build their confidence, pick up crucial transferable skills and cement the beginnings of their professional networks.

In this blog we catch up with our Responsible Business Lead Ellie Barnfield on her reflections of the 2026 Strive Programme, including shining a light on some of this year’s brilliant interns and hearing from employers who took part.

Strive is continuing to grow year-on-year

From 29 placements last year to 46 this year, it’s clear that appetite for Strive is growing. This couldn’t be more timely given how challenging the graduate jobs market is right now.

In 2026, the average graduate role receives 140 applications. For context, in 2002/3, the average was 30 applications per graduate role. Simultaneously, graduate vacancies are at their lowest levels since 2012.

While this problem is felt across society, it’s particularly acute in underrepresented groups. Students from global majority backgrounds have persistently lower levels of employment post-university than their White counterparts, and introducing additional factors of disadvantage (such as neurodivergence or care experience) further exacerbates the gap.

For that reason, we’re delighted with the increase in placements.

But it isn’t just the interns themselves who benefit. It’s been brilliant to see growing recognition that early careers initiatives like Strive can create value for employers too.

More than work experience

We’ve heard from our employer partners this year that inviting interns into their organisations brings fresh thinking, new energy to teams and helps build future talent pipelines.

Other benefits that employers have felt include creating stronger links with local communities, supporting diversity and inclusion goals and even giving junior employees the opportunity to mentor and develop their own management skills.

Here are some testimonials from employers in the 2026 Strive Programme:

Dan Foster, Head of Talent Acquisition and Impact at Unite Students, said:

“As a Bristol-founded business, we’re passionate about investing in the communities and talent that contribute to our local economy. With increasing discussion around the decline in early careers opportunities, we saw Strive as a chance to create meaningful work experience and development opportunities for young people who may not otherwise have access to them. The opportunity to welcome nine interns into our business for seven weeks was something we were incredibly excited to support, and it aligned perfectly with both our talent and social impact ambitions.”

And Sophie Holmes, Legal Operations Team Leader at ARAG, said:

“The programme has had a very positive impact within the organisation. It allowed us to connect with enthusiastic and capable candidates from diverse backgrounds, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas. It also provided development opportunities for members of my team to get involved in mentoring and supporting others. In addition, it reinforced our commitment to attracting future talent and promoting social mobility within the legal profession.”

Strive 2026 in numbers

• 46 internships delivered
• 15 employer partners
• 633 applications
• Students from 17 universities
• 100% intern satisfaction
• 3 permanent roles offered

Recognising the stand-outs of the summer

This year for the first time, we were very excited to introduce the ‘Strive Awards’. Nominated by the interns and line managers who took part in Strive, the Awards recognised interns who shone and employers that created meaningful learning opportunities, invested time in mentoring and went above and beyond to help interns succeed. This year our winners were…

Intern Awards

Outstanding Internship Contribution: Nafisa Ahmed, Bishop Fleming (nominated by Anna Sherwood)

“Nafisa has made an exceptional contribution throughout her placement and has consistently exceeded expectations…What particularly stood out was Nafisa’s ability to recognise when she needed support while also being confident enough to take ownership of more complex areas of the audit. She was proactive in asking thoughtful questions, acted on feedback, and applied what she had learned to future work”. – Anna Sherwood, Bishop Fleming (nomination for Outstanding Internship Contribution)

Honourable Mention: Puren Sokmek, UWE (nominated by Emmanuel Adukwu)

Rising Star: Ashley Jacob, CFMS (nominated by Jory Griffin)

Honourable Mention: Josephine Cole, Avon & Somerset Police (nominated by Esther Wride)

Problem-Solver: Nicol Joseph, Unite Students (nominated by Dan Foster)

Future Leader: Hassan Noor, Sanderson (nominated by Deima Krisiuleviciute)

Top Teammate: Neve Hughes, Bristol City Council (nominated by Ash Kent)

Honourable Mention: Sharif Naim, Sanderson (nominated by Deima Krisiuleviciute)

Employer Awards

Outstanding Internship Host: Hargreaves Lansdown

Best Learning & Development Experience: Bishop Fleming

Outstanding Mentor or Supervisor: Ash Kent, Bristol City Council

“[Ash] has facilitated such a fun and inspiring during my time with the Bristol Council, whilst being kind at supportive throughout which really allowed me to feel a part of the team. Ash has also done an incredible job organising my weekly schedule, ensuring that each day is never the same, by introducing me to a variety of different teams and departments within the council. Overall, this experience has been so insightful for me, making the working world much less intimidating and has provided me the skills I need to purse a career in the environmental sector.” – Neve Hughes (nomination for Outstanding Mentor or Supervisor)

Looking ahead

The stories shared throughout the event reminded us that Strive creates benefits far beyond a summer placement. Students gain confidence, skills and professional networks. Employers gain fresh perspectives, engaged teams and the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the future workforce.

As another successful year comes to a close, the message from both interns and employers was clear: this is an experience worth being part of.

As we start looking towards next summer, we’re determined to continue growing the programme.

Our aim is to reach 60 placements in 2027. So if you think you could offer one of them, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected].