Volunteers, Interns, Elective Students

The Centre's work has been developed by staff and exceptionally committed volunteers from around the world.  Some have volunteered alongside a regular job, others intensively during the university holiday months, and some in their retirement.  All volunteering positions are remote.  If you would like to help our work, we ask for a minimum commitment of 6 hours per week for 6 months or 30 hours per week for a period of 4 weeks* 

 

To apply as a volunteer, intern or elective student please complete this form

The next induction dates are:

  • Friday 1 December 2023 (4:45 pm -5:45 pm GMT)
  • Monday 5 February 2024 (4:45 pm - 5:45 pm GMT)
  • Monday 25 March 2024 (4:45pm - 5:45pm GMT)
  • Monday 8 April 2024  (4:45 pm - 5: 45 pm BST)
  • Monday 22 April 2024 (4:45 pm - 5:45 pm BST)
  • Monday 15 July 2024 (4:45 pm - 5:45 pm BST)

If you do not see a suitable date for your elective please contact educationadmin@sustainablehealthcare.org.uk to arrange an alternative. 

Programme Structure 

Induction: Once you are accepted you will be sent a package of preparatory instructions and activities. On the start date that you have chosen you will join an online induction to meet the Education Director, Volunteer Coordinator and discuss your interests and possible projects.  You will then be enrolled in our flagship course Introduction to Sustainable Healthcare and begin working on projects with CSH staff.

Weekly timetable:  You will work singly or in pairs with a CSH staff member on a sustainable healthcare project. On Thursdays at 4.45 pm an online meeting is held to to share progress and findings with each other.  New projects are assigned at that time; for full-time placements it is not uncommon to work on two or three different projects in a given week. 

*We consider volunteering to be an educational experience which is of most use for those who have at least 6 hours per week available. If you are not able to commit this amount of time, but would like to learn sustainable healthcare skills, please visit our free learning modules Building a Net Zero NHS and Sustainable Quality Improvement or join one of our short courses.

A few current volunteers are profiled below. Descriptions of student elective and internship experiences can be found here.

Dr Grace Singleton

I attended the CSH ‘Introduction to Sustainable Healthcare’ course last summer and have felt inspired ever since - turning my longstanding climate frustration into something more productive. I graduated from Glasgow University in 2012; after initially training in general medicine I moved to the GP training scheme in 2018. My training has been punctuated by the arrival of 2 small children who have galvanised my desire to act on the climate emergency.   

Catherine Potter

While studying for my masters in Occupational Therapy I hope to draw from my previous studies in philosophy to understand and contribute to sustainability practices within the healthcare sector. With a longstanding interest in environmental sustainability I hope to contribute to a more equitable healthcare service. One that can meet the needs of patients by incorporating practices that compliment rather than corrode our planet’s infrastructure.

 

jeniffer

Jennifer Lee

Jenn is a graduate of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, currently completing an MSc in paediatric dentistry at Ohio State University.  Her research evaluates the carbon footprint associated with paediatric dental care and aims to inform policies to increase preventative measures and decrease the carbon footprint of dentistry.

Nina Liebenberg

I am a Final Year Medical Student at the University of Southampton with an interest in sustainability and healthcare. I hope to use values and skills developed through medical school to positively impact the environment in my career, with the aim to make healthcare in the UK more sustainable. 

Ky-Leigh Ang

I am a final year medical student at Cardiff. My interest in sustainbility in healthcare grew whilse I was studying for my Masters is Epidemiology. Learning about principles of One Health highlighted the importance of developing and promoting sustainable practices in healthcare to benefit our patients and the population. 

Yamini Dabra

I am Yamini a final year medical student at Newcastle University. My interest in sustainability in healthcare was kickstarted by my experience in neurosurgery and neuro anaesthetics – where I was told about the impact of anaesthetic medication on the environment. I enjoy learning about extreme environment medicine specifically space medicine and am part of BUSEMA, where I am involved in collaborative events with other medical societies.  

Kiana Kamrava

I am a junior at George Washington University in D.C. I major in neuroscience and minor in sustainability and anatomy. I have always been interested in sustainable health care since I have a lot of experience in both lab and clinical settings. I also work as a recruit at a fire station waiting to get my EMT and ALS certificates. I am interested in carbon footprinting for health care and paramedic sustainable healthcare. If possible I would also love to be involved in green infrastructure for sustainable healthcare.

Emily Usselmann

I am a Final Year Medical Student at the University of Southampton, with a growing interest in sustainable healthcare. Through my course, I have enjoyed attending teaching sessions on planetary health and sustainable healthcare and I would like to further expand my knowledge in this area. I hope to use the skills I gain to help make our healthcare services more environmentally friendly, throughout my future career.

Abdul Kazim

I'm Kazim, and I'm in my final year of medical school at the University of Bristol. Sustainable healthcare has really caught my attention during my time at university. As I get ready to step into my medical career, I'm excited about the chance to contribute positively to healthcare sustainability. I'm looking forward to teaming up with like-minded individuals and organisations to create greener healthcare systems which benefits both our patients and our planet.

Eleanor Corlass

I am a Physician Associate based in general practice in Hackney. Since attending a climate change awareness course in lockdown I have made numerous changes to my personal life to live more sustainably. The opportunity to incorporate this interest into my professional career is very exciting. I hope to work on projects that aim to reduce carbon emissions within the NHS and promote greener healthcare for patients and the planet. 

Abdulahi Mohamed

I am a final year medical student at the university of Bristol. I have had a long standing interest in Sustainable healthcare and began to build on this in my third year and fourth years through my student choice projects where I had the opportunity to help a GP practice I was working with to implement changes to reduce their carbon footprint. I am looking forward to working with the team and hopefully continuing to build on past experiences in medical school.

Rokaiba Afrin

I am a Final Year Medical Student at the University of Oxford and am interested in how we can make the NHS more sustainable for the future.  There are many aspects of our healthcare system which could be improved and I hope to be able to contribute towards keeping it thriving for many years to come.

Dr Chloe Saunders

My name is Chloe Saunders. I am a Psychiatry Registrar taking three years out of clinical training in Edinburgh to work on a PhD project in Aarhus, Denmark. In my PhD I study models and explanations for functional somatic symptoms. Patients with functional symptoms are poorly looked after in the current healthcare system, so this ties in with my interest in working towards more appropriate and sustainable ways to design services that provide healthcare.

Emily Lomax

Hello, I’m Emily. I’m currently a Public Health master’s student, with previous experience in communications for an advocacy charity. My interests lie in the wider determinants of health and wellbeing — social and environmental, and in how health systems can better meet people’s needs. So I am excited to learn more about how sustainability principles and practices are being integrated into health services and education. 

 

Rebecca Kenny

My name is Rebecca Kenny, I am currently a second year MSci nursing student. I am studying Adult and Child fields. I feel like sustainability is a very current and prominent issue that needs addressing within all sectors, for the future of both healthcare sectors and the planet. I believe it will be beneficial for everyone to learn better ways to lower their carbon footprint and environmental impact and enable forward thinking in terms of sustainability and quality improvement.

Aisha Elahi

I am a third-year medical student at Plymouth University with an interest in planetary health. I am fascinated by the impact of the environment on human health and have been for a long while so have been looking for an opportunity to develop my knowledge and work alongside like-minded people who recognise the need to act. I look forward to learning about new challenges healthcare services face and being part of a proactive team.

Rebecca Riddell

Hi my name is Rebecca, my friends call my Becky. I am 27 years old and I have a 9 year child who’s got special needs. I live in Liverpool. I’m currently a 2nd year student at Edge hill university, studying paediatric nursing. I enjoy spending time outdoors seeking out new places such as visits to delamere forest to promote positive self care. My areas of interests of sustainable healthcare is patient empowerment and self care as I like to encourage positive wellbeing throughout my family life and I have particular interest in reducing carbon footprint throughout my nursing practice. 

Rachel Grant

Hello, my name is Rachel and I am an anaesthetics trainee. I first got involved in a sustainability project as a core trainee which resulted in the removal of desflurane, an anaesthetic gas very hazardous to the environment. This project really peaked my interest in improving sustainability within healthcare and I wish to focus on how that can be done on the ground in clinical areas. 

Elizabeth Adetunji

I’m a dedicated and accomplished individual in the field of public health with expertise in data analysis, health needs assessment, and research methodology. My commitment to sustainable healthcare and social improvement drive my passion for community impact. I have recently completed a master's in Public Health from the University of South Wales and hold a bachelor's of science in Physiology from Osun State University. My leadership ability is evident through my role as Faculty President and active membership in prestigious public health organisation.

Anna Davies

I’m Anna, I will be commencing my final year of medical school at Liverpool University in September. I feel we all have a responsibility to look at our carbon footprint and how we can reduce this. Having worked in the NHS prior to medical school I am acutely aware of just how significant the carbon footprint of health and social care is and how we all need to work together to reduce this.

Abigail Beamish

I am going into my final year as a medical student at the University of Liverpool. I studied global Child Health at UCL and became interested in the impact that the climate crisis will have on our health and particularly how this will affect female and paediatric populations worldwide. I am interested in learning more about how I can promote sustainable clinical practice in my career.”

Zahara Matin

Hello, my name is Zahara Matin, and I just finished my second year of pharmacy school at University College London (UCL). I have grown passionate about sustainable healthcare during my academic career and its critical role in tackling the urgent environmental concerns we currently face. I've become more motivated to contribute to the solution as a result of seeing how climate change is affecting public health.

Arusa Waseem

I am currently a 3rd year MPharm student at the University of Reading with an interest in sustainability within healthcare. This interest has developed through gaining an awareness of just how much of an impact the pharmaceutical industry has on the environment, in particular its carbon footprint. I hope to use the knowledge and skills obtained during this course to contribute towards making changes within healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, ultimately contributing to greener practices.

Olivia Garrow

My name is Olivia, I am an Australian Registered Nurse. My background is in adult nursing, specifically as a relief nurse on a myriad of wards including; trauma and plastics, cardiology, infectious diseases, general medicine and intensive care. Most recently I have been working in Emergency medicine. Like many of my colleagues the pandemic really highlighted the excessive waste within the healthcare sector globally, this inspired me to do more. I have completed a short course in Sustainability in Healthcare through Monash University.

Sheni Akinfie

I am a final year medical student at King’s College London. I have been fortunate to have had opportunities throughout medical school to work on projects and participate in extra-curricular activities that champion sustainable approaches to healthcare and social improvements. As medicine continues to progress and patients develop more complex care needs, it’s clear that prioritising sustainability and minimising our environmental impact is hugely important. I’m excited to learn  how the key principles of sustainability are being implemented in clinical practice.

Alexandra Low

I am a final year Pharmacy student at University College London. With a passion for science, medicine and the environment, I hope to develop new skills that will enable me to deliver patient-centred care using sustainable measures. 

Katherine Taylor

I have been working in London as a GP for over 10 years and have a Master’s in Public Health. I’m interested in the benefits of sustainable healthcare for both the health of our planet and local environment, as well as our individual patients and the wider population. I am also passionate about the effect of connecting with nature on our health, particularly young people and for reducing social isolation.

Abimbola Johnson Olabode

Abimbola is a graduate of both King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience and University of East London’s School of Health, Sport and Bioscience, currently completing his final year of Medicine at the University of Bristol. His growing interest in sustainable healthcare started during the pandemic after completing a short course that looked at the sustainability challenges of the modern world.