St Andrew’s PAT volunteers

St Andrew’s Pets As Therapy (PAT) volunteers, and their four-legged friends, bringing so much joy, comfort and companionship to our patients.

Volunteers make a huge contribution to the well-being and recovery of our patients and provide the perfect enhancement to our staff, in helping transform lives of people affected by mental health issues. Our support structure ensures that St Andrew's volunteers' gain as much as they give from volunteering.

What we provide to volunteers

Besides bringing real joy to our patients and staff, our PAT dog volunteers also benefit from the following:

• Reimbursement of costs
• Extra support
• Free training
• Social opportunities

Steps to becoming a PAT volunteer

Any and all dogs are welcome to join our Pets As Therapy team at St Andrew's Healthcare. We especially need volunteers at our Essex and Birmingham hospitals.

To become a PAT dog volunteer, you will need to:

• 1. have owned your dog for at least nine months
• 2. have registered with the national Pets As Therapy Association via their website here.

The Pets As Therapy (PAT) Association connects big-hearted pet owners and their amazing animals with people who could really use a lift. From schools to hospitals, care homes to community spaces, PAT volunteers and their pets brighten days, ease loneliness, reduce anxiety and help build confidence.

Join us as a PAT Volunteer

If you and your friendly dog would like to join our Volunteer Team in Birmingham or Essex, we would love to hear from you.

To find out more, please email our Voluntary Services team on: voluntaryservices@stah.org