It’s Student Volunteering Week!
Student Volunteering Week is hosted by the Student Volunteering Network and is celebrated by universities and schools throughout the UK.
This national week encourages students to volunteer in their local community to help make a difference, improve their wellbeing and further develop their professional and personal skills.
This week’s blog is written by our Digital Resources Manager, Blayne who highlights our fantastic previous and current volunteers!
This Student Volunteering Week, I want to take a moment to recognise the outstanding work of our past and present student volunteers.
Our student volunteers have boosted our capacity, exceeded expectations and truly left their mark on me and the charity’s services. They understand the rare disease community and are ensuring that no one faces their rare journey alone.
Join me as I highlight (and thank!) our past and present student volunteers.
Previous volunteers
Alice Smail
Alice Smail volunteered with Beacon during Summer 2023 while getting her Masters at the University of Cambridge in genomics!
Alice researched, wrote and produced the graphics for our Introduction to genetics guide and our Introduction to advanced therapies guide on The Resources Hub, which you can enroll in now.
Read her full bio
“My name is Alice and I have really enjoyed volunteering at Beacon over the summer. I became interested in the genetics of rare disease after a close family member was diagnosed with a very rare neurodevelopmental disorder, after a long diagnostic odyssey.
I have recently finished a master’s degree in genomics, where I had to opportunity to study a group of rare conditions known as Mendelian Disorders of the Epigenetic Machinery, and in the future I hope to contribute to rare disease research!”
Georgia Kennedy
Georgia Kennedy volunteered with Beacon during Summer 2024 while studying biomedical science at Royal Holloway University!
Georgia researched and wrote our Exploring the ethics of genetic testing guide on The Resources Hub, which you can enroll in now!
Keep an eye out for:
- Exploring the ethics of prenatal testing
- Exploring the ethics of gene therapy
Guides coming soon!
If you’d like to learn more about Georgia’s volunteer experience with us, read her blog now!
Read her full bio
“My name is Georgia, and I volunteered with Beacon during my summer placement and really enjoyed it! I’m currently studying biomedical science at Royal Holloway University and hoping to move into a career in medical research or pharmaceuticals in the future!
Working with Beacon has really helped me rediscover my passion for helping others through research and I will continue to work towards this goal in my final year of university.
Genetics is a topic I find incredibly interesting and complex. I have loved having the opportunity to research it further and I am so happy to have this guide published as my first step towards helping others and making positive change.”
Rebekah “Beki” Warner
Beki volunteered with Beacon during Summer 2024 while studying for a BA in Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway University!
Beki researched, wrote and designed two guides with accompanying posters for the Resources Hub on:
- How patient groups can harness the voices of underserved communities
- Intersecting Identities: A Guide to Understanding Intersectionality
These resources will be published on The Resources Hub later this year, so keep an eye out for them!
Beki also made a downloadable poster for our LGBTQ+ rare reality course, which you can enroll in below.
If you’d like to learn more about Beki’s volunteer experience with us, read her blog now!
Read her full bio
“My name is Rebekah (Beki) Warner. I am entering my second year at Royal Holloway, University of London, studying for a BA in Politics and International Relations.
My passion is helping and supporting people through difficult times, and that is why I am grateful that I got the chance to volunteer for my summer placement at Beacon!
I am interested in international communication and aid, which is one of the reasons I wanted this placement. It’s about how we as a community can begin to share information and collaborate to benefit those around us.”
Robyn Beckett
Robyn volunteered with Beacon during Summer 2024 while studying for a BSc Biology degree at Royal Holloway University!
Robyn researched and wrote a guide on Developing a peer support programme.
This guide will be published on The Resources Hub later this year, so keep an eye out for it!
If you’d like to learn more about Robyn’s volunteer experience with us, read her blog now!
Read her full bio
“Hiya, I am Robyn Beckett, and I am a student at Royal Holloway, university of London. I am entering my third year, and I am studying towards a BSc Biology degree.
I have always been interested in the intersection of science with social work, so volunteering for Beacon and learning more about this was great!”
Current volunteers
Ellie Houghton
Ellie is currently volunteering with us!
Ellie is on her Industrial Placement year in Cambridge and is studying Biochemistry at Imperial College London.
Ellie has attended The Cambridge Rare Disease Showcase 2024 (which you can watch on The Resources Hub here!) and has researched and written a guide for The Resource Hub on What are non-genetic rare diseases? (Coming soon!)
Ellie’s guide will be published on The Resources Hub later this year and you can catch her with our Scientific Projects team at Kidney Research UK’s Crick Symposium 2025 in March!
Read her full bio
“My name is Ellie and I have really enjoyed volunteering at Beacon while on my Industrial Placement year in Cambridge. I’m currently studying Biochemistry at Imperial College London and hope to complete a PhD in the future!
Working with Beacon has been an amazing opportunity for me to learn more about a topic I’m passionate about, whilst also helping others. Non-genetic rare diseases are a topic I find particularly fascinating, and I have been fortunate to be able to develop my knowledge through researching this guide and through my placement year, where I have learnt more about rare kidney diseases.
I’m excited to keep volunteering with Beacon over the coming year and I’m so happy to have this guide published so that others can also enjoy learning about this important topic.”
Madison James
Madison is currently volunteering with us!
Madison is studying for a Masters in Newspaper Journalism at City, University of London!
Madison is working closely with our Communications Officer, Niamh to help create impactful social media posts.
Madison is coordinating Instagram reel content that promotes the courses on our Resources Hub and will be conducting patient interviews later this year.
Fun fact: Madison worked as an External Communications Intern for EURORDIS in Paris for a year!
Read her full bio
Madison is a journalist and a recent graduate in Politics and French. During her year abroad, she completed a communications internship at EURORDIS – Rare Diseases Europe in Paris, where she produced articles and social media content advocating for improved quality of life for those living with a rare disease. She is currently studying a master’s degree in Newspaper Journalism at City, University of London.
Natalie Lough
Natalie is currently volunteering with us!
Natalie is studying for an Honours BMSc in Microbiology and Immunology, and Medical Cell Biology at the University of Western Ontario in Canada.
Natalie is now finalising her guide on How to launch a podcast for your rare condition, which will be available to enrol in The Resources Hub later this year!
Keep your eye out for the release of her guide, which includes plenty of rare disease patient group podcast examples.
Amelie Sim
Amelie is currently volunteering with us!
Amelie is a final-year psychology undergraduate student at the University of York.
Amelie is working on researching and writing a guide on Getting the most out of Canva for The Resources Hub!
Amelie’s guide will be added to our “Getting the most out of…” series on The Resources Hub, which includes the following three courses that are available to enroll in now:
Keep an eye out for Amelie’s Canva course coming soon!
Read her full bio
“Hello, my name is Amelie and I’m a final year psychology undergraduate student at the University of York.
I am so excited to volunteer for Beacon and hope to bring a positive impact to the amazing patient groups. Beacon is a charity that really inspires me and I love how person-centred it is. It showcases how human connection is at the heart of everything and I am so glad to be a part of this cause.
In my spare time, I enjoy trying new matcha recipes, collecting cute stickers for journalling, and being out in nature!”
Why volunteer with Beacon?
Because you’ll get to work with me and the team obviously!
But seriously, we’d be thrilled if you chose to share your skills and passion with us.
We truly value the addition of new voices and perspectives.
Introducing students to rare diseases and the power of patient groups is extremely rewarding, so if you can’t decide whether or not to apply to volunteer with us, let me give you five good reasons why you should:
- Volunteering with us is low commitment – You can give as much time and energy to volunteering as your lifestyle and priorities allow.
- You can volunteer remotely! Natalie is living and studying in Ontario, Canada.
- You’ll develop new skills! Improve your writing skills, scientific knowledge and professional confidence.
- Our volunteer work is designed to suit your specific skills, availability and personal development goals.
Most importantly of all…
Your volunteer work will make a measurable difference in the lives of rare disease patient groups, so no one faces their rare journey alone.
Fill out our form to apply to volunteer today and we look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and learn more about our wonderful student volunteers.
Are you interested in volunteering with us? Apply today!
