Joe Antcliff

VOLUNTEER

My name is Joe Antcliff and I am 26 years old. I’m from Sheffield in England and currently a third-year student at York St John University. I was at CRP for 11 weeks to conduct my profession practice placement for my occupational therapy degree.

During my stay at CRP, I worked in the Spinal Cord Injury Unit and the Hand therapy unit. The Occupational therapists in these departments helped and supported me greatly. Also, me and Emily Hirst created a piece of preventative equipment to prevent fruit pickers falling from heights and sustaining a spinal cord injury when in trees.  I hope I contributed in some way to CRP. I was lucky enough to work with some wonderful patients while I was here. However, I tried to use my knowledge I have learnt at university to treat the patients effectively.

The best part of being here at CRP was meeting the Bangladeshi people. They are by far the friendliest people I have and will ever meet. I loved working with the incredible people here at CRP, especially the OT’s. I’ve loved the culture, the language, the colours, the people, the patients, and of course the wheelchair basketball. There was only one thing I disliked, and that was the mosquitoes!!! But man, they sure liked me!!!  CRP is known worldwide for the great things it does for the people of Bangladesh and I have been lucky to have been a little part of that.

I will never forget my time here at CRP or in Bangladesh. This was my first visit to an Asian country and it won’t be the last. Whatever I do in my life I will look back on this time here with fondness and know it was a great experience.