When mature student Menik Dona finished her Master’s degree she knew she wanted to work in healthcare and improve people’s lives but lacked experience.
So the 39-year-old applied to volunteer at a local hospital and five months later she secured a permanent job.
Menik, originally from Sri Lanka, headed to the UK to study at the University of Northampton after working in healthcare roles in her homeland, especially during the COVID-19 years.
After completing her studies in business analytics, she gained volunteering work at Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) working in the Estates and Facilities teams. Initially she was volunteering to do administration work but could soon see the team needed her data skills and put them to use, gaining the vital experience she needed.
A few months later she saw a job for a development support manager based in Rotherham, applied for the role and was successful.
Menik said:
“I’d like to thank the Estates and Facilities team for giving me the opportunity to volunteer. I was helping with administration tasks and digitalising documents in the department. I saw I could use my knowledge further and supported the team with analytics. Five months later I was looking at internal job opportunities at RDaSH and saw the job I’m now employed in.”
Menik started the role in May this year and said:
“I love my job. I work with a wonderful team and I am doing what I love, working in process and service improvements. I’m so happy about it all.
“I would say to anyone if you get an opportunity to volunteer just go and do it and go the extra mile,” she added. “It gives you the experience you need to then apply and hopefully be successful in gaining a job.”
Jo Perkins, Continuous Service Improvement Lead, said:
“Menik has been a fantastic addition to our team. She stepped seamlessly into her new role and has quickly become an integral member of the team, always willing to share her knowledge and skills. Her time as a volunteer demonstrated her strong commitment to working at RDaSH, and during the interview process, she was able to draw on that experience to support her application. Combined with her qualifications and previous professional experience in Sri Lanka, Menik was well-positioned to take on this opportunity.”
Anyone wanting to know more about volunteering at RDaSH should email rdash.volunteers@nhs.net.
Published: October 13, 2025
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