Mykola Savchenko - My time at Lolly

Mykola Savchenko's Internship Experience at Lolly in Summer 2023

Mykola Savchenko comes from Mykolaiv in Ukraine. When Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in February 2022, Mykola moved with his mother to the UK along with a large group of other Ukrainians who were helped to settle temporarily in Toppesfield in Essex, and its surrounding villages.

He lived in the farmhouse next to Peter Moore and started to help out on the vineyard that Peter and his wife Jane run in their spare time. Mykola had always planned to return to Lithuania to complete his technology degree in July 2023. Before heading back to university, he undertook a one-month internship at Lolly HQ in Braintree.

Peter spotted the value that Mykola could add to the business, but more importantly, how this internship would provide Mykola with useful work experience that would help him in his future degree and career. Here Mykola describes his time working at Lolly in Summer 2023…

Q – What experience did you gain at Lolly? What tasks did you undertake when you were there?
I really enjoyed my internship at Lolly. In such a short space of time, I gained extensive knowledge in developing C# applications and had the opportunity to support the team in upgrading existing apps, which is something they are constantly working on. They never sit still and are always looking ahead to the next iteration.

Q – What support and help did you receive?
The Lolly team is so supportive. They are a really great bunch to work alongside, offering constant support and advice. I cannot thank them enough for their help. Everyone in the office is friendly and open. Chris Brown, the head of development, helped me to resolve and navigate any issues I faced.

Q – How do you plan to utilize this knowledge in the future?
The support I received is already helping me in my degree, and I feel I have a good grasp on app development. I got a good background in developing C# WPF and WinForms applications and now I am using this knowledge in projects. With this experience, I feel much stronger in programming and communication than I was before.