Hello, and thank you for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

 

As many of you may know, after working within the performance/strategy/policy/project side of health and social care over the past 7 years, I have looked for a new challenge...

 

…so…

 

 ...on the 9th February 2011, I will be leaving the UK for a 2 year placement in Banteay Meanchey Province, Cambodia.  My placement is through Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), and I am working within VSO’s health programme.

 

 

This programme has the overall aim to support the development of stronger, more inclusive and accessible health systems to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations.  Specifically, I will be working within Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, which provides both clinical and management support to improving the quality of midwifery services within government hospitals, pre-natal services, safe delivery and improved nutrition.  The health programme also works to provide management support, sexual health advice and training of health workers.

 

My volunteer role within Cambodia will be as a Hospital Management Advisor, where I will be based in rural hospitals and health centres living and working alongside local clinical and administrative staff.  My role will be incredibly varied, from providing basic management support to HR and other ‘business’ functions, through to helping to improve referral and information systems for patients.  I will also be helping to support the local health authorities to review acute, non-acute and public health services, as well as collaborating on new bids for greater funding from international organisations.

 

As you can imagine, I am very excited at the prospect of such a challenging and daunting adventure! 

 

VSO ask all volunteers to try and fundraise at least £900 before they depart, not to pay for their specific placement, but rather to contribute to the overall funding of VSO; this enables future placements to be funded and new volunteers to be supported.  Whatever you may be able to donate, however large or small, would be sincerely appreciated – your money will make a real, tangible difference to the lives of the poorest and most deprived people across the globe. 

 

So, please dig deep and donate whatever you can – rather shamelessly, from the point of view of this JustGiving page, ‘it’s all about the Benjamins’!

 

Thank you for your support,

 

 

Pete