A loyal and hard-working volunteer at a Birmingham hospital has been offered the chance of a full-time career in the NHS.
Harbaksh Kaur, of Handsworth Wood, had previously trained as a nurse in India after studying at the University of Punjab. But when the 26-year-old came to Britain in 2003, she found her hard-earned qualifications would not help her get a job as a nurse in this country.
Ms Kaur decided to work as a volunteer at City Hospital to familiarise herself with the health service and the local dialect. Ms Kaur, also known as Harry, said: "I thought about it, made some inquiries and had a chat with Alan Daniels, who is the head of volunteering services for Sand-well and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust. He appointed me a volunteer worker and I began supporting nurses and patients.
"I helped out at meal times and made sure patients were comfortable in their surroundings by ensuring their bedside areas were clean and tidy."
Mr Daniels said he feared Ms Kaur would "overstretch herself" by becoming a full-time volunteer, seven days a week.
" Harry reflects extremely well on both the volunteer service and the ward staff, who have given their support and encouragement. She's worked hard for this opportunity and thoroughly deserves it," he added.
Ward manager Pauline Mohan added: "It's been a great pleasure having Harry work with us for the last 13 months. She's so hard working and has been an extremely valuable member of our team.
"She's got a great sense of humour and has been very loyal to the ward. In fact, she often worked beyond the normal remit of her voluntary work.
"I'm so pleased for her - she's a real asset for the trust. From the first day she started with us, she wanted to become a regis-tered nurse in the UK and now she has achieved her dream."
Ms Kaur, who will soon be working as a qualified nurse, after completing a six-month adaptation course, cannot wait to start her new job.
She said: "My experience proves that voluntary work can help people gain future employment. I've learned such a lot being a volunteer - and gained a whole new career as well."
* Anyone interested in volunteer work with Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust can contact Alan Daniels on 0121 507 5190.
