When did you join ELBA?
I joined ELBA in September 2019 as part of the London Enterprise Adviser Network (LEAN) programme, and in June 2021 I joined the Mentoring Works as a Project Manager at BIG Alliance and was promoted to Team Leader for Mentoring Works a few months later.

What is your role and what does it involve?
As a Team Leader for Mentoring Works, I oversee the delivery of the programme in east London and Islington. I also have the responsibility of maintaining good rapport with corporate and school partners. Alongside Mentoring Works, I work closely with Euromonitor International, Inspire! and Samuel Rhodes School on their bespoke employability programme, which gives an opportunity to young people with Special Educational Needs to be supported by volunteer mentors to become more confident, independent and raise their awareness about the world of work.

Three words to describe yourself
Passionate, Enthusiastic, Driven

Tell us one thing that people may not know about you
I have been involved in volunteering at major sports events like the Winter Olympic Games in Turin (Italy) in 2006, European Football Championship in Austria in 2008, and the London Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Since I was young, I grew up watching sport events with my dad (former Junior champion in Romania in triple jump and competing in 110 hurdles). I have always dreamt about competing in pole vault, but it never materialised unfortunately. Instead, I ended up taking Latin American dance lessons and doing a bit of Shotokan Karate, which helped me with my coordination and channelling my energy in the right direction.

Volunteering at the Olympics gave me a chance to represent my country – Romania – but also meet new people, learn new things, discover cultures, etc. A truly transformational and memorable experience which I would highly recommend to anyone. Volunteering at the Olympics and Paralympics should be on everyone’s bucket list! Also, that is your chance to be part of the Olympic and Paralympic history.

Tell us the best thing about working for ELBA
ELBA has become a family to me because of the people I work with and the passion for making a positive change in people’s lives. I have been able to grow personally and professionally through my work and the volunteering I am able to do via ELBA, where I can  support my colleagues and the community. We do get two volunteering days leave per year through ELBA. I really enjoyed volunteering during ELBA’s Toy Appeal, helping  the Challenge team deliver toys to disadvantaged children in east London and Islington. Also, I volunteered to help with replanting the William Morris Flower installation from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022 in one of the Islington estates in collaboration with Arc Centre.

Being actively involved in the coordination of the Samuel Rhodes SEN programme has been an eye-opener about the benefits of volunteering and the positive impact on the lives of young people with disabilities.

Name your favourite place in east London and why
Columbia Road Flower Market because I love flowers and that is a flower heaven for me.

Complete this sentence ‘The absolute best thing about volunteering is….’
Letting yourself be immersed in the experience. You can look at my photographs and see for yourself!