Free reference letter template
A warm, specific letter of recommendation on letterhead for a colleague, employee or student applying for a job or program. Sample letter included.
What's in this template
Thornbury Community Trust 22 Castle Street, Bristol BS1 3HJ · 0117 496 0721 · thornburytrust.example |
Dr Helen Ashworth
Programme Director, Thornbury Community Trust
helen.ashworth@thornburytrust.example · 0117 496 0721
12 October 2026
To the Admissions Committee, MSc Social Policy, London School of Economics
Letter of recommendation
I am delighted to recommend Oliver Bennett for admission to the MSc in Social Policy at the London School of Economics. I have known Oliver for three years as his manager at Thornbury Community Trust, where he has worked as a Youth Programmes Coordinator, and he is among the most thoughtful and dependable people I have worked with.
Strengths
During our time together, Oliver consistently showed:
- Clear thinking with data: he designed our first outcomes survey for 420 young people and turned the results into a report that secured a £180,000 grant renewal from the city council
- Calm leadership: he recruited and trained 35 volunteer mentors and kept volunteer retention above 80% for two years running
- Genuine care for people: families ask for him by name, and he treats every young person as someone worth listening to
One moment stands out. When a funding cut threatened to close our evening study club in Lawrence Hill, Oliver mapped which sessions were busiest, partnered with a local library to share space and kept the club open four nights a week at half the cost. Attendance actually rose by a third that term.
Why he is a strong fit
Oliver wants to understand why the problems he sees every day persist, and how policy can change them. Your programme's focus on evidence and evaluation is exactly what he needs, and I am confident he will bring real-world insight to seminar discussions and leave ready to shape policy that works.
I recommend Oliver without reservation. Please contact me at helen.ashworth@thornburytrust.example or 0117 496 0721 if you would like more information.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Helen Ashworth
Programme Director, Thornbury Community Trust
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