An NHS psychologist who quit her job to volunteer says she wants to help 'change the world', after spending three months working on a project with young people in Cambodia.

Cheyann Heap from Colne returned from taking part in the Government funded International Citizen Service (ICS) scheme in April, and wants other young people to consider the prospect of volunteering overseas.

Miss Heap said: "I spent three months working in rural Cambodia, helping young people develop projects to combat unemployment.

"There's a big problem with youth unemployment in Cambodia so by building up trust with the local people we helped to educate them on entrepreneurship, and help them find sustainable solutions to their problems.

"We share ideas and knowledge to help young people find opportunities so they can move forward in the future.

"There's services available to them, but it's educating them on how to access these services and share information between themselves."

Miss Heap said the whole scheme is paid for by the government, and all she had to do to secure her place was raise £800 and then continue to carry out work in her local community when she returned to the UK.

She said: "So far since I've been back I've been in contact with my local library in Colne and also the local Brownies to discuss doing some sessions on volunteering."

Miss Heap first became involved with the International Citizen Service in 2011, when she volunteered on a project in Bolivia.

Following this, the 28-year-old decided to take her volunteering a step further and re-applied for the scheme in a team leader capacity.

She said: "For me, it was an incredible opportunity to help young people, and was a privilege to be involved with. A lot of the ideas came from the young people themselves, such as setting up youth clubs, and despite them not having much, they were so friendly and loving.

"I went to try and change the world and feel I had a unique opportunity. I now want to try and promote volunteering as a concept and try and engage more people in the benefits of volunteering in their local areas."

The International Citizen Service is funded by the Government's Department for International Development (DFID), which leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty.

Any young person between18 and 25 can apply to the scheme as a volunteer, with adults up to the age of 35 eligible to apply for team leader positions.

Successful applicants will be offered opportunities to volunteer on projects in several different countries, from Nepal to Uganda.

The DFID says it believes in the power of young people to bring about positive change in some of the poorest communities around the world.

Anyone interested in taking part in the International Citizen Service should visit www.volunteerics.org/