ELBA considers itself a family and we like to keep in touch with former staff. Photographer extraordinaire Saskia Nelson tells us about her time at ELBA and what she’s been up to since.

When did you join ELBA?
Initially in 2001 as a project manager for the Isle of Dogs. I then left in 2004 to work in Sky’s CSR team before returning in 2008 as a deputy to the lovely Peter Welton in the Legacy 2020 team. After he sadly passed, I took over leading the Legacy team to help deliver the strategy he envisioned.

What was your role and what did it involve?
Legacy 2020 was set up to help east London capture a positive social and economic legacy from hosting the 2012 Games. We worked with our Legacy member companies to bring private sector imagination and investment into the legacy planning process, alongside national and global partners with a strong focus on culture, sports and education. During my time, we also secured a substantial three- year grant from the Olympic Lottery Distributor to deliver a series of projects with the support of our member companies, that impacted well over 22.000 people across east London.

Three words to describe yourself
Creative, playful and upbeat.

Tell us one thing that people may not know about you
I think most people who know me, probably know that I left ELBA to set up my own specialist dating photo agency. Hey Saturday, which operates in the UK and US now, celebrates its 10^th birthday in 2023. One thing that people may not know is that Martin Parr, the UK photographer, booked me for a dating photoshoot as part of his auto portrait series. That was definitely one of the most nerve-wracking days of my post-ELBA life. But I’m so glad I worked through my nerves and did a shoot with him, as one of my photos of him appears in his book, Only Human, and was featured in his exhibition of the same name at the National Portrait Gallery. That definitely wasn’t something I imagined happening in my post-ELBA life.

Tell us the best thing about working for ELBA
The opportunity to work with so many talented, passionate, dedicated people from all walks of life who became like family to me. Indeed, many of whom still feel like family to me. Liam Kane, who was the Chief Executive during my time, cared about the staff deeply, which in turn meant that we all cared deeply for each other and from that family grows. It always felt like a privilege to work with such an incredible team.

Name your favourite place in east London and why
Oh wow, it’s difficult to choose just one. If I’m heading over to east London, then I’m probably going to want to visit a few places. I’d start off by making a flying visit to Brick Lane’s Beigel Bake and grabbing a couple of their iconic bagels to-go. Then I’d make the short walk up to Colombia Road Flower Market to pick up some new plants, making sure to enjoy the street art on the way. Then I’d hop on a bus up to the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden to enjoy a quiet drink in this cosy community garden. After that, if I was up to it, I’d go for a nice walk along the canal to the beautiful Victoria Park.

Complete this sentence ‘The absolute best thing about volunteering is….’
…the opportunity for personal growth and human connection that it offers you.’