ELBA’s Volunteer of the Month for August is Fahim Kadar of S&P Global. Fahim was selected for his work organising a successful skills-based workshop with the National Citizenship Service (NCS), helping young people gain new skills.

NCS sessions are typically booked by CSR teams rather than individual volunteers, but Fahim saw the opportunity and decided to organise a session for his colleagues. He was very enthusiastic about volunteering and quickly recruited a team of volunteers, as well as ensuring everything was prepared ahead of the event. On the day of the workshop, Fahim acted as the lead volunteer, introducing the company at the start, motivating his fellow volunteers and engaging brilliantly with the young people from NCS. He was able to clearly communicate his feedback and make S&P Global feel like an accessible place for the young people.

Fahim explained that he decided to volunteer as he has volunteered with ELBA’s Education Team several times before and is passionate about inspiring young people. We spoke to Fahim to find out more about what motivates him:

Hi Fahim, why did you decide to volunteer?
I volunteered for so many reasons, but if I had to choose one, it would be the opportunity to interact with people that ordinarily I would never have the chance to meet. S&P has been a business partner of ELBA for a number of years, and the organisation provides a fantastic platform for anyone looking to make a positive contribution to society. I believe that volunteering of this kind is valuable as it helps other people like me to genuinely believe they have the ability to not only achieve, but to exceed any expectations set of them.

What have you gained from your volunteering experience?
The understanding that sometimes just speaking with people is enough. It is great to help people with your attributes and skillset, and vitally important they gain something from these sessions. However of equal importance are the simple things: knowing they can strive to be in the same position as me and that success can be achieved regardless of background and upbringing. This doesn’t require anything more than a conversation and understanding of where the person is coming from.

Would you recommend volunteering to a colleague and if so, why?
Absolutely! You don’t need anything other than a positive mind-set to be a part of this set-up. ELBA provides fantastic opportunities at all comfort levels and works with you hand-in-hand. Give it a go, you might just like it!

Fahim’s volunteering is a great example of how professional business skills can be used to meet community need. If you think your skills could benefit an east London based charity then please contact Jonathan Tait via jonathan.tait@elba-1.org.uk.