How volunteering at Healthwatch helped pursue a dream career
Liam Clark joined Healthwatch Leeds as a volunteer in 2017 while studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Film, Photography and Media at the University of Leeds. He continued volunteering until he completed his Master’s degree in Film, Photography and Media.
“I wanted to volunteer in a role where I could try to impact people’s lives in a positive way but also develop my skills as a creative.”
While volunteering, Liam was involved in several projects that enabled people's stories to be heard through short videos. He helped Healthwatch Leeds to tell individual stories through a project called ‘How Does It Feel For Me'.
You can find out more about Liam’s project:
- View Kari's story
- View Joyce’s story
- Learn more about the project “How Does It Feel For Me."
Liam said, “I’m very proud to have worked on a variety of different projects but the ‘how does it feel for me?’ project Is the one which stands out. It was incredible to be given the opportunity to tell the stories of Kari and Joyce over a series of months, highlighting the positives and negatives of their healthcare experiences.”
Healthwatch Leeds was proud to nominate him for the prestigious Leeds for Life community volunteer award. They were delighted when his volunteering input was recognised at the Leeds for Life Citizenship Awards Ceremony.
Since his time as a Healthwatch Leeds volunteer, Liam has worked with some of the biggest broadcasters, from BBC 1 to Channel 5, adding his name to well-known TV shows such as "999: What’s Your Emergency?" (Channel 4), "999: Police Hour of Duty" (Channel 5) and "Hospital Road to Recovery" (BBC 2), which documented how the NHS is coping two years on from the pandemic.
Liam attributes his success to the experience he gained while working at Healthwatch Leeds.
"My time at Healthwatch Leeds has played such a huge role in developing me into the professional I am today. In my job, I communicate with several vulnerable individuals who often share very challenging and sensitive stories on camera. My very first experience of this was during my time volunteering at Healthwatch Leeds. I was so fortunate that the team entrusted me to tell these stories and allow people to open up to me."
