Meet Dr Sandeep: London Lifesaver and NHS Spurs prize draw winner

Over the summer, NHS Spurs Supporters' Club teamed up with London Lifesavers to encourage members to learn potentially life-saving CPR skills. Among those who completed the training was Dr Sandeep, who was also selected as one of our prize draw winners.

We caught up with Sandeep to find out more about their role in the NHS, why CPR training matters, and what being a Spurs supporter means to them.

Tell us a bit about your role.

"My role is a Chartered Counselling Psychologist within an NHS Talking Therapies service, and this involves conducting assessment and treatment sessions for individuals presenting with anxiety and depression and supporting them with techniques and understanding to be able to manage their difficulties.

"I enjoy the varied aspects of the client groups I see as often the presentations are so varied and diverse as everyone has their own experiences and stories."

You recently completed the London Lifesavers training and were one of our prize draw winners. Why is it important people learn basic CPR skills?

"It is so important to learn basic CPR skills as you never know when the smallest part of that learning will save someone's life. It does not have to even be in a professional capacity, this could be a family member or a friend and that basic skill could be the reason they make it through.

"For anyone thinking of completing the London Lifesavers training, just go for it, it could prove invaluable one day."

On a footballing note, why did you become a Spurs fan?

"I became a Spurs fan at the age of five when my mum took me to get a school bag and the shopkeeper presented me with a small Tottenham Hotspur bag. From then on there were little signs, whether it was a Spurs badge from a friend or finding a shiny Tottenham sticker for my collection. Tottenham always felt like the right fit as my team and has been part of my life in some form ever since."

What do you enjoy most about supporting Spurs?

"What I enjoy most about supporting Spurs is that, as amazing as the on-pitch successes are, it is the bigger community of fans and the connections the club has with them. From the Foundation's work to the little clips on social media of the team training or having a laugh together, the connections feel authentic. As a fan, it makes you feel part of something historical and bigger than yourself."

Could you be our next London Lifesaver?

The London Lifesavers training remains open to everyone and takes just a short time to complete online. The free course teaches simple but potentially life-saving skills, including how to recognise a cardiac arrest, perform CPR and use a defibrillator.

If you haven't completed the training yet, there's still time to join thousands of Londoners who have already signed up and gained the confidence to help in an emergency.

👉 Take the training today: https://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/getting-involved/become-a-london-lifesaver/