Volunteer Stories: Abdul Sheikh
"I work for the Local Authority as Social Regeneration Projects Officer. I am a Consultant and Lead Officer on ethnic minorities. I also work with the homelessness department, giving them information from the ethnic minority perspective.
As a Trustee for Emmaus Medway I have been working with the steering group to look for a suitable site for a new Community and also trying to get some funding. For my job I do quite a lot of bidding within the country and also to the European Commission to attract funding to local projects and so I hope I will bring this experience to bear in my role as an Emmaus Trustee.
When you are a Trustee there are always difficult decisions to be made. You have to be very patient, diplomatic and dedicated. Although it can be challenging, there is a lot of satisfaction associated with the role. I feel as if I am in a position to make positive change. The thought that I have done something for someone else, which would not have happened otherwise, is my main driving force.
Being a Trustee gives people a lot of experience and responsibility. Working in a team, making decisions, handling finances, all those things are required within any area of work. Being a Trustee can help immensely with career development and confidence.
We all learn while we are doing things. People who have specific experience and skills are needed as Trustees, but others with less experience could make a valuable contribution because everyone helps each other. New people who have enthusiasm often come with fresh and good ideas. Sometime such people can offer a different perspective and make the professionals see things from different angle. There has to be a good mixture of people from different backgrounds."
