Hello everyone! My name is Daniel Jillings, and I am a second-year university student. I am also profoundly Deaf and use British Sign Language (BSL) as my first language. The reason why I'm crowdfunding on this website is to ask you for your support to fund my volunteer trip to Sri Lanka (August 2nd to August 15th) in 2026 with VoluntEars, a Deaf organisation that recruits Deaf volunteers to travel to various countries to support local Deaf schools (https://voluntears.info/). In this case, I will be travelling to Sri Lanka with an amazing team of Deaf volunteers, who I hope to work with to create a positive experience on this trip.
What will I be doing in the field? I will be visiting a Deaf school near Colombo. We will contribute to the refurbishment of the school building while also engaging with the local Deaf community. We will also be working with pupils in the school and hopefully developing our confidence in teaching. I aspire to become a teacher myself, so this is the perfect way to hone my teaching skills! Furthermore, we will learn more about Sri Lankan culture and learn Sri Lankan Sign Language. In essence, this trip is all about building confidence for volunteers and having a positive impact on the Deaf schools and community that we will be supporting during this trip. This will be my first time travelling abroad without family, and I hope this trip will bring positive experiences for me to value. VoluntEars is a brilliant organisation to support as they create wonderful opportunities for Deaf people to volunteer overseas and support the global Deaf community.
How much money will I need to raise? I have already secured a place on the trip and paid my deposit. However, I need your help to raise £1,500 to pay for the balance of the trip cost. This does not include air travel, which I am funding myself, but the money I hope to raise will pay for absolutely everything in Sri Lanka, from food to accommodation. I know it's a big ask, but anything you can donate would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this fundraising page, but feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Deadline is 19th April 2026.