Speakers Project

"Speaking out about organ donation raises awareness and ultimately saves lives, and those of us directly affected have the power to do this."

Over the years, we have discovered that one method of raising awareness triumphs above all others: sharing life stories with others, particularly when delivered in person.

In 2010, we rolled out an exciting new Speakers Project, where we support members of the transplant community and show them how to express themselves and tell their stories via talks and presentations. Feedback from attendees has been very positive, not least because it shows affected individuals that they are not alone, whatever their involvement with organ donation. This gives them strength to go forth and talk about their experiences.

We do not hold regular speaker training sessions, but please email us (info@livelifegivelife.org.uk) if you would like us to contact you when a date is set. There is no charge for attending.

Donate

What is The Speakers Project?

The Speakers Project is a LLGL initiative, which aims to help those affected by organ donation and transplantation to speak out and share their experiences. We are delighted to be affiliated with the US Charity Transplant Speakers International (TSI), who run a similar programme across the United States and have shared their tried and tested training programme with us. The speaker training programme aims to:

Aid those affected by organ donation in identifying the emotional aspects of their experiences
Give guidance on elements such as structure and timing
Support participants to maximise the potential of their own individual stories
Help individuals present their stories to the group with tips and advice on public speaking
Advise on how to secure public speaking engagements

Why is this a good idea?

The years have shown us that the most effective way to encourage others to think about organ donation is to tell a real life story. LLGL believe that people are more likely to empathise with a situation if it is humanised and they can relate to it. The programme is designed to enable the wider transplant community to confidently tell their stories and, by so doing, reach out to people and increase the awareness of organ donation. We hope this will help listeners make an informed decision when considering the very real benefits to so many when deciding whether to register as a donor.

Who is this suitable for?

The speaker training programme is suitable for anyone affected by organ donation or transplantation in whatever context, eg recipients, those waiting and donor families. The session is free of charge in a relaxed and informal setting and provides a great chance to meet and chat to others affected by organ donation.

How will we achieve our aims?

We will run training workshops with around ten attendees per session. These people should then be able to have the confidence, training and ability to speak confidently and openly about how organ donation has affected them personally. In addition, we will support volunteers in finding speaking engagements and match requests for speakers to our bank of volunteers.

How can I get involved?

Whether you are interested in volunteering or wish to request someone to come and speak at an occasion, please email info@livelifegivelife.org.uk and let us know what we can help you with - or use the contact form on this page.

If you would like to be alerted when a date is set, please email info@livelifegivelife.org.uk

Be part of the project

If you have any questions or want to participate in our next event send us an email using the form below:

SENT!!

Your message has been sent
We will be in touch