On Monday 1st August, a group of us went up to London to visit the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The trip was arranged by Thomas Baldock, a past Chair of the MYC. Thomas was more than welcoming and gave us the “grand tour” of the site –the highlight! For the entire journey, we couldn’t stop talking about the architecture and the murals, these pieces were all reminders of such significant times in historical politics and world affairs, and they garnered a new light when Thomas filled in the gaps with the context behind them. It also made me question how far the people that worked there knew of the importance of where they are sitting. Some of the most powerful decisions across the span of history were made under the same roof we were meeting in – it was kind of surreal. I felt the trip was very enlightening; It introduced us to a new and perhaps alternative side to civil service that many of us were unfamiliar with or were yet to consider. We also heard from Jai, one of Thomas’ co-workers, and he spoke of his experience in his one-year placement. They really helped to explain the flexibility of joining civil service and the different pathways to do so. It was also pretty cool to see someone who used to be in our shoes, create change on a global scale. Moreover, it was nice to hear of how much Thomas really appreciated his time in the MYC and, his interest in hearing our campaign ideas and helping with local issues we were struggling with made us reflect on the change we are trying to create. Thanks Thomas, it was lovely meeting you all! After, we visited the National Gallery which was a relaxed ending to the amazing day we all had.