Business student completes placement with geocaching magazine

PinPoint is the UK’s only print magazine about the worldwide phenomenon of geocaching

Bishop Grosseteste University student, Lewis Garrett-Pughe, recently completed a placement with PinPoint, a magazine which explores the hobby of geocaching.

Geocaching is a real-world GPS treasure hunt game, where players use mobile technology to find containers hidden by other players. There are over 3.5 million geocaches and 350,000 players worldwide, in every country except North Korea!

BA Business student Lewis was placed with PinPoint for the final dissertation module of his programme in the spring of 2023. He was involved in a number of tasks and projects during this time, including designing a readers' feedback survey, editing and proofreading, interviewing contributors and contributing to web design.

PinPoint, the UK’s only print magazine about this game, was launched in spring of 2022 following a Kickstarter campaign by two lifelong friends, Jane Spencer and Andy Wright. Jane is a professional editor, proofreader and publisher, working with authors, publishers, businesses and organisations. Andy is a BGU alum and has also held a number of roles at the university, including Careers and Employability Co-ordinator.

Andy said: "It’s been an absolute pleasure having Lewis with us these past few weeks. He’s turned his hands to such a range of tasks and has challenged us to think about the way we do a few things. He’s been a great member of the team."

The final day of Lewis' placement was spent at 'London Calling' a large-scale gathering in Marylebone, London, known in geocaching as a Mega Event.

The convention saw players and suppliers from across the UK and several European countries gather for a day-long jamboree of puzzle-solving, litter-picking, searching and trading, as well as several social activities in the capital. Lewis was involved in selling magazines, including subscriptions, interacting with attendees, engaging with potential contributors and networking with a range of suppliers and event managers.

Reflecting on his time with PinPoint, Lewis said: "I am grateful for the placement opportunity with PinPoint over the last three months.

"I have learnt a lot of new skills as well as developed my existing knowledge along the way with the help of the organisation. It's great to get an insight into how a small business operates."