OVERVIEW
Most volunteers are working NHS staff so can only commit to ‘short term’ projects, giving up their annual leave to support us. They are selected for their expertise and ability to work well in teams and are drawn mainly from NHS organisations in SW England. They are not paid and may spend 1-2 weeks on our projects.
Volunteers are issued with a handbook and a volunteer agreement. These documents can be found:
Our work has been greatly enhanced by some long-term volunteers, supported by grants or their own resources. The following spent more than three continuous months volunteering for us. We owe them so much.
Dr Ellie Gregory / Dr Alice Edwards / Dr Joe Bourdillon-Schicker / Dr Cathy Price / Ms Fiona Mckeown / Dr Holly Eadsforth / Dr Craig Miller / Dr MaryIrene Ibeto / Ms Katy Vidler / Dr Sancos Boland / Ms Lizzie Troy
Since 2021, we have benefitted from the input of several Health Education England (HEE) ‘Improving Global Health (IGH) Fellows. Although most of their work is in the UK, they are able to provide some invaluable input to help us to progreaa various aspects of our work. Their time is paid for by HEE.
If you’re interested in volunteering, please email: info@futurehealthafrica.org.
TRAUMA TEAM
The Trauma Team takes the largest number of UK volunteers. For profiles of the Trauma Team Project Leads, please visit the Trauma Team project page or click on the the links to the right >
The following people wanted to share with you what it has meant to them to volunteer with Future Health Africa.
All of them have played a vital role in the delivery of the Trauma Team objectives.
PROJECT LEADS - click to see profiles
Alice Inman - Physiotherapy Lead
Christoph McAllen - Surgical Lead (UK)
Darren Munn - Theatre Team Lead
Dr. Mary Nduta Kibote - Medical Doctor
Will Jewell - Anaesthesia Lead
Dr Samual Ndanya - Surgical Lead (Kenya)
Carole Edwards,
Operating Department Practitioner (ODP)
I have been volunteering for the Trauma Team projects in Kenya since 2010. Our projects aim to, not only facilitate operations in the local hospitals but also to exchange knowledge and skills. It’s amazing how the volunteers often meet for the first time at the airport or on the plane, yet almost immediately form a cohesive team. I have had some unforgettable experiences, sometimes working in challenging situations and often having to ‘think outside the box’.
Danielle Taylor,
Scrub Nurse
I have been on several Trauma Team projects to Kenya and I always find them extremely rewarding. I enjoy the challenge of working in a completely different environment with limited resources to achieve life changing surgery. The UK and Kenyan teams come together to teach, learn and care for our patients in such a fantastic way. It is a privilege to be a part of that.
Jim Hughes,
Radiographer
I've been the Trauma Team radiographer on three projects; twice in Nanyuki and once in Marsabit. From working on the project I've learned so much about the effects of what we do, and how much impact it can have on people’s lives and well-being. I've also learned a lot about improvising and working around problems to ensure we can have as positive an outcome as possible.
Ben Holroyd,
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
I've been involved with the charity since 2010, when I finally caved in to pressure from Lucy to get involved! The ten day November projects are now an annual fixture in my diary. I hope that by constantly fine tuning how we work with our Kenyan hosts and colleagues that we can optimise the impact of the charity's work.
Having found the whole experience richly rewarding both personally and professionally, I hope to be involved for many years to come and would highly recommend it to other surgeons and healthcare professionals.
Chloe Rich, Operating Department Practitioner (ODP)
As well as being an ODP, I’m a lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and elected trustee of the Association for Perioperative Practice. Clinically I practice within an anaesthetic and post-anaesthetic care role, and work within this capacity whilst in Kenya. Teamwork is vital on FHA projects and I thoroughly enjoy working alongside and providing support to the entire surgical team.
My passion lies within education, and having the opportunity to be involved with a two-way teaching and learning process with the local Kenyan teams is perhaps my favourite element of the projects. Not only do I come back to the UK each time with a refreshed sense of humility and privilege, I use my experiences to provide better care for my patients, better teaching for my students and to inspire others to get involved in charity aid work.
To know you have made a true difference to people’s lives is the best feeling a health care professional could ever ask for, and that is exactly what the FHA team does, transform lives. I have made some life-long friends on these trips, and will be forever grateful for being given the opportunity to be a part of such a special charity.
↓ Pam Dunbar, Anaesthetic ODP
Volunteering in Kenya meant a lot to me. I felt very privileged being able to pass on my skills, knowledge and experience as a theatre practitioner. The program was incredibly rewarding; both patients and Kenyan staff were overwhelming grateful. Volunteering in Nyahururu was a fantastic opportunity that I would highly recommend to any ODP/theatre nurse looking for a professional challenge. The charity and its volunteers are very supportive and especially welcoming to newcomers.
↑ Tom Knowles, Theatre Healthcare Assistant
I started working in theatres in the UK in 2008, and in 2014 was offered the opportunity to volunteer for Future Health Africa’s Trauma Team. I was the first Healthcare Assistant to be involved in the project and the experience was amazing. The resilience of the Kenyan medics in coping with minimal equipment and difficult operations is beyond belief, and I learned as much from them as they did from us.
The importance of treating fractures is paramount for local farmers and other workers, as usually they have no support or fall-back if they are injured and would become dependent on their families. After some of the worst injuries I have ever seen, it’s such an emotional experience to see how grateful and happy these patients are to be given a chance to carry on with their lives and continue to support themselves and their families.
The Trauma Team project is one of the best experiences of my working life. At the time of writing I have taken part in three projects to Kenya (2014, 2016 & 2018) and will continue to volunteer in the future; it’s hard work but the benefits to the patients and to us are vast.
Linda Chappell, Radiographer
My usual job is Operational Superintendent Radiographer at Dorset County Hospital, responsible for the day to day running of the Imaging department. I saw an appeal for radiographers to take part in the project and thought this was something I could do.
I travelled to Nyahururu in Kenya in Nov 2018, and worked for a week at Nyahururu County Hospital. The department is reasonably well equipped with digital plain film, digital mobile, image intensifier and an ultrasound machine, although short of the other bits and pieces we would take for granted in the UK. There was no PACS system at the time so all images were printed on to film.
As well as treating patients, the charity projects focus on mutual exchange of skills between UK volunteers and local staff, and I spent most of the week working alongside the local radiographers. Most of the surgical procedures the team undertook are not routinely carried out at the hospital and the radiographers were keen to see and to learn the techniques we would use in the UK for such procedures.
The week was tough; we worked long hours in order to treat as many people as possible, but we worked together as a team and I got pretty good at washing and sterilising kit between theatre cases.
If you enjoy working hard as part of a team, I would recommend taking part in a future project. It is hugely satisfying to see the massive difference the project makes to the lives of the patients treated. Working with colleagues and patients in a completely different healthcare environment will also develop and enhance your existing skills.
