Are you quite an outgoing sort? Love to share stories? Willing to face a barrage of questions (or absolute silence…) from teenagers? Then signing up as a Hero Project Volunteer, inspiring the lifesavers of the future, is ideal for you.
What will you be doing?
You’ll be delivering presentations on stem cell, blood, and organ donation to young people aged 16-18, so they can make informed choices on signing up to be a potential donor or even becoming volunteers themselves.
You’ll need to commit to at least five talks per year, which will usually be on weekdays, between 8.30am-4pm, and be confident giving talks to this younger audience. Presentations may be delivered in person or via video conferencing.
How does this help our lifesaving work?
It’s vital. Spreading the word with young people, particularly those from a minority ethnic background, is key for the stem cell register.
This is because patients from minority ethnic backgrounds currently have a lower chance of finding a matching donor, and doctors, given a choice of donors for a patient, are more likely to choose a younger donor as research shows they improve survival rates.
Your hard work and inspiring passion will ensure the best donors are ready and waiting on the stem cell register for the people who need them to survive.
You’ll also be inspiring the volunteers of the future and encouraging them to spread the word to their peers.
What skills will you need?
- An enthusiastic and outgoing nature.
- Confidence in speaking publicly.
- The ability to convey a message clearly and engage a young audience.
- Basic IT skills – a little familiarity with PowerPoint and video call software.
What will you get out of it?
A heck of a lot! You’ll learn:
- the presentation content and how to deliver it
- how to develop your public speaking and storytelling skills
- safeguarding training (handy if you’re considering working with young people)
- all about the lifesaving work of Anthony Nolan and NHS Blood and Transplant.
You’ll also get a huge sense of satisfaction from knowing how many of your audience go on to join the stem cell register, inspired by you!
You can view all our current volunteering opportunities by following the link below. If the role you’re interested in isn’t currently available, you can sign up for alerts.