Email Phone
Sunshine & Smiles

Volunteers Urgently Needed - Learning By Experience for First Year Medical Students

The University of Leeds are looking for volunteers for their Chronic Illness & Disability Project, which offers students an opportunity to learn by experience about what is like to have, or to care for someone who has, a chronic illness or disability.

The university has worked for several years with community groups, including Sunshine & Smiles, who provide volunteers who talk to medical students about their experiences of illness or disability and the impact it has on their lives. 

Each volunteer family is paired with two first-year medical students who will make a single visit in either February or March 2023. Volunteers usually arrange to meet the student pair in their home or another convenient place (this must be within 60 minutes of Leeds city centre by public transport). Meetings usually last about an hour. 

The students who visit will be interested in your experiences and stories. This might include:

  • How you manage with your illness or disability (or that of someone you care for).
  • What you think about this illness or disability.
  • How things might have changed over time, or since the diagnosis.
  • The impact the illness or disability has had on your life and of others close to you.
  • Your experiences of medical and other support services.

All information will be treated in confidence but if there is anything you would prefer not to discuss, please do not feel under any pressure to do so.

If you are able to help with this project, please email ailith@sunshineandsmiles.org.uk by Sunday 5th February with the following information: 

  1. Name
  2. Address
  3. Telephone Number
  4. Email address

By sharing your experience you can help shape the care and support future families have from medical professionals.

More news articles

Breeze in the Park - Summer 2025 Relaxed Events

7th Jul 2025

Breeze in the Park - Relaxed events for children with additional needs who require a quieter session.

Read more...

Etta Grace Green Fundraising Day

7th Jul 2025

Etta Grace’s mum is holding a fundraiser on 10th August, and part of the funds raised will be donated to Sunshine & Smiles.

Read more...

Endure24 - Well done, everyone!

27th Jun 2025

We’re like to give a big WELL DONE and THANK You to all of our runners who participated in this weekend’s Endure 24 - a 24h race - to raise funds for Sunshine & Smiles!

Read more...

Sign up to our newsletter

Sunshine & Smiles will ensure your personal details are held securely to enable us to contact you moving forwards in line with our privacy notice.
We will never share them with anyone else. If you'd like to stop receiving our emails, please just contact us.