3rd September 2025
| My name is Alek. I have just finished my final year of Medicine at Queens University Belfast! I came across the opportunity to join StreetDoctors and the new Northern Ireland team in 2021 during one of my student selected modules in Paediatric Emergency Medicine. |
| Having enjoyed working with young people in other roles, I really liked the idea of using education to address youth violence and empower young people to be a force for change in their communities. It’s been a fantastic experience travelling across Northern Ireland and delivering sessions to so many young people over the last 4 years! Gaining confidence is the biggest impact I’ve recognised that StreetDoctors provides to both young people and ourselves as volunteers. Once a young person realises they can make a real difference in an emergency and knows what steps to take, you can really see how their confidence grows over several sessions. I’ve also benefitted from this confidence boost as a result of delivering sessions to lots of different groups (sometimes large and disruptive!) and becoming more comfortable with speaking to a group and answering their questions on the spot. StreetDoctors has also been a great way to develop teamworking, communication, and organisational skills. |
As well as supporting the work of StreetDoctors that I have been involved in myself, I also wanted to raise more awareness of StreetDoctors through my fundraising as I feel that it’s not as well- known as other charities among medical students and the general public.
I ran the Belfast Marathon on the 4th of May 2025. Although I have some previous running experience, this was my first time running anywhere near this distance so it was definitely a challenge! The marathon attracts lots of medical students who fundraise for all different charities in both the full marathon and the team relay.
Overall it was a really fun day out doing a final ‘victory lap’ of Belfast that I enjoyed with friends and family.
To anyone considering raising money for StreetDoctors, I say go for it! The funds will have a real impact on the lives of young people in our communities. Plus, it’s a great excuse to get together with friends and enjoy yourself!