Inner city children inspired by NHS careers
Children from an inner city area have been inspired to follow careers in the NHS through an innovative outreach programme.
The youngsters, aged between eight and 12, took part in role play and interactive taster sessions as part of their school holiday club in Derby.
They met a GP, a recently qualified doctor, a student paramedic and a student dentist during the session delivered by the University of Derby.
The event was held at Bramblebrook Community Centre and produced by Derby Theatre, which has been working with the centre to support families in the heart of Stockbook for the past seven years.
The session was put on part of the Holiday Activity and Food Programme school holiday clubs, which are targeted at children who qualify for free school meals.
The session was put on part of the Holiday Activity and Food Programme, which are free holiday club places for children from reception to year 11 who receive benefit-related free school meals.
The clubs provide a safe and inspiring place for children to go and they are organised by Derby City Council working in partnership with Community Action Derby, funded by the Department for Education.
Dr Runa Saha, Founding Dean of Medicine at the University of Derby, said: “Part of our mission as a university is to support students from under-represented communities who aspire to study medicine and healthcare.
“We often work with older children who are considering life after school but this session with younger children was an absolute joy.
“The children met Mallika, who told them how long sugar stays on their teeth and who showed them how to brush their teeth effectively, using a giant toothbrush as a prop.
“They did a medical ‘escape room’ with Molly, who is resident doctor, where the clues involved diagnosing various medical conditions and prioritising patients based on their symptoms.
“And they got the chance to learn how to perform life support on medical mannikins that were supplied by student paramedic Aakash.
“When they finished two of the children said they wanted to be like the boy in the green jumper – who was the paramedic, another child wanted to be a dentist and a fourth wanted to be a doctor.
“We hope those aspirations will stay with them as they go through their school life.”
Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills at Derby City Council, said:
“The Holiday Activity and Food Programme provides children with a safe, supportive space to learn, be active and enjoy enriching experiences during school holidays. It’s fantastic to see sessions like this not only engaging young people but sparking real excitement about future careers in the NHS. When children leave talking about becoming doctors, dentists or paramedics, it shows just how powerful these opportunities can be in building confidence and inspiring their ambitions.”
The outreach was funded with the support of The Hub Plus Derbyshire, which supports the training of GP practice staff, and the Tom Donaldson Trust. Tom Donaldson was a newly qualified local doctor who died shortly after passing his final medical school exams, and whose family has created a trust in his name to support people from low-income backgrounds who want to study medicine at university.
Runa added: “Whilst a career in the NHS has its challenges, it can be extremely rewarding. Our series of events provide the opportunity for young people to get a taste of what those careers feel like, and will hopefully promote social mobility for those in Derbyshire.
“We aim to do more of this type of outreach so we can inspire more people to choose a career in the NHS.”