Josie Hatton (Impact) and Amelia Cropley (Impact)
University can often seem like a bubble where interactions with the ‘real world’ are few and far between. But University of Nottingham (UoN) student volunteers are breaking through generational boundaries to support the wellbeing of Nottingham’s youngest and oldest.
Teddy Bear Hospital
Teddy Bear Hospital is a volunteer society that uses play as a way to educate children between the ages of three and seven-year- old about their bodies and what a doctor does.
UoN healthcare students teach over 600 primary school aged children a year about their health.
Teddy Bear Hospital society president Esther Sleigh, 23, says: “There’s nothing better than seeing how well the children engage and get excited about what we’re teaching them.”
Whilst it may seem like a lot to digest at that point in their lives, Esther described how the children get really stuck in and can lead to moments of wonder especially “the look of amazement on their faces when they can feel their heart beating.”
Each Teddy Bear Hospital session consists of a circuit with four or five stations based on healthcare and education. They use games and interactive methods like listening to teddy bear heartbeats with stethoscopes. The experience always finishes with singing ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.’
The society has run over twenty visits so far this year, sometimes for up to sixty children per school.
“We have really positive feedback from all the schools, requesting us year after year,” says Esther.
Healthcare degrees are notorious for their intense workloads. Esther started volunteering in her second year of university. Now in fifth year, she balances running the society alongside placement and national medical exams.
We are always oversubscribed with schools
“We are always oversubscribed with schools and unfortunately there are not enough weeks in the year for us to visit them all!”
The Nottingham branch has also helped set up other Teddy Bear Hospitals at other universities including Lincoln and Hull/York.
There are benefits for the volunteers themselves who develop key skills for placements and future careers. “Going on the visits has definitely improved my confidence when interacting with children,” says Esther.
But the main benefit is seen by the children.
This could help reduce the burden on A&E and the NHS as a whole
Continuation and expansion of programmes like Teddy Bear Hospital would help future generations to look after their bodies and overcome fears of going to the doctor. This could help reduce the burden on A&E and the NHS as a whole.
As testament to their success, Teddy Bear Hospital has been nominated for the UoNSU Charity and Volunteering Society of 2024/25, alongside Best Collaboration with SignSoc.
All volunteers are healthcare students with a DBS, meaning they already have some professional training and can ensure the children’s safety is guaranteed. They also receive annual training and refresher courses. Older students undergo specialist training to become ‘Clinic Leads’ and offer mentorship to newer volunteers.
Over 100 UoN students have been involved this year but the society is always welcoming new volunteers.
Reading Aloud
Seeking to engage the older generation, students from the Faculty of Arts and School of English visit care homes, memory cafes and hospitals where they read poetry to patients and residents.
Reading Aloud is led by UoN Associate Professor of Discourse Analysis Kevin Harvey. He says: “I cannot emphasise enough the contribution that students have made to people’s lives in care homes and hospitals.
“Often people with dementia are, if momentarily, brought back to themselves, quickened by the reading of poetry and the presence of others spending time with them.”
Literary words come alive and build a connection between the reader and their audience
Harvey explains how through reading aloud, literary words come alive and build a connection between the reader and their audience.
“When students step into a care home and spend time with residents, the aura of the place changes. The mood lifts,” says Harvey. “It’s such a wonderful thing to see.”
Reading Aloud volunteers prove themselves a far cry from the stereotypes of a disinterested younger generation unable to relate to older citizens. The students also take time to sit and chat with residents.
“Simply being with others has had a profound impact on the lives of socially isolated people.”
The older participants are often keen to tell their own stories
The older participants are often keen to tell their own stories to supportive listening ears. The intergenerational connections become meaningful for both parties.
Reading Aloud has been running for several years now. Many past and present volunteers have gone on to set up their own reading groups in their hometowns.
“At the end of each poetry session, the participants always ask when the students are coming back.”
“It’s deeply touching.”
As the saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But Teddy Bear Hospital and Reading Aloud offer an alternative.
Whether it’s running around playing the ‘bean game’ or sitting quietly in companionship, student volunteers are helping relieve pressures on the NHS- all while stitching back the fabric of Nottingham’s local community.
Josie Hatton (Impact) and Amelia Cropley (Impact)
Beyond the Campus is a collabroative reporting project involving over 20 students from 4 student publications in Nottingham and Birmingham. Impact, Redbrick, Platform and Lingo have joined forces to combat negative student stereotypes by spotlighting the ways they give back to their local communities.
Featured image courtesy of Kristine Wook via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 1 courtesy of @tbhnottingham via Instagram. No changes were made to these images.
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