A St Andrew's volunteer is urging others to "commit, be consistent and remain curious" should they decide to help out at the charity hospital.

Since joining the volunteers team in February, Sarrah Fatima has since landed a full-time job at the organisation as a research assistant. 

Sarrah said she wanted to start helping out after completing a degree in psychology and counselling and prior to that she had also been volunteering and working part-time at the Samaritans and Cancer Research UK. 

Explaining why she chose St Andrew's, Sarrah said: "I wanted to implement the theoretical knowledge I had learnt from my degree. I am also hoping to pursue a path into clinical psychology and wanted to gain exposure into that environment but also have a realistic picture into what such a role would entail and the kind of patients I may encounter."

In just a few months Sarrah said she has "improved" her communication skills with patients and is now more adept at "adapting to their needs". 

When asked what advice she has for anyone considering volunteering at St Andrew's, she said: "It’s a great experience which connects you with industry professionals. My advice would be to commit and be consistent each week, ensuring you are remaining curious and inquisitive so that you can make the most out of your experience.

"The volunteer role led me to getting a full time job as a research assistant which I would not have got if it wasn’t for my time as a voluntary assistant psychologist (VAP).

To find out more about Volunteering at St Andrew's, click here.