The UEA students worked through the summer on their placements, but spent one afternoon each week working for the Benjamin Foundation.

Based in North Walsham, the charity helps people in the county deal with a wide range of issues including abuse and homelessness.

Marketing and fundraising manager Chris Elliott, 48, set the students the task of using what they were learning for the benefit of the charity.

'The challenge I gave them was to look at our marketing and fundraising and what we're trying to achieve as a charity, who we help and come up with an event.'

Charlotte Standen, Joe Duffy, Chloe Lamb and Myles Earle then worked together once a week for two months to work on a presentation for the charity.

Mr Elliott said: 'They came up with a number of ideas in a 45-minute presentation and a 20-page document so we are now able to take that really good bit of thinking and try and figure out what we might do and how we might do it.'

The ideas, which included an art installation to walk people through the Benjamin Foundation's work at home, to a competition for schoolchildren to have a go at redesigning the charity's butterfly logo, are all now being considered.

'We're keeing in touch with the group, even though three of them have now graduated,' said Mr Elliot.

'We will have a chat about the next step for their ideas, but the real benefit for us was we had this group of really bright students working for us.

'They were a great resource and did some really great thinking for us.'

One of the students, Miss Lamb, completed her internship with The Good Spa guide and now has a job in social media.

She said: 'I have loved my experience as an intern, both my host placement and our Benjamin Foundation project have given me transferable marketing skills which I will take with me into my future career.'

For more information, search for The Benjamin Foundation on Facebook.

Do you know an organisation encouraging its staff to help a local charity? Email locallife@archant.co.uk.