Volunteering as a Birmingham Resilience Champion

 Over the last year one of the Birmingham Resilience Champions, Saajeda Bandhali has been supporting the Resilience Team when we have been out and about at community events promoting the emergency preparedness message. Saajeda has written a piece about her experiences, have a read below. We think she’s been doing an excellent job in supporting the team at events.

“Volunteering with Birmingham Resilience over the past few months has given me the opportunity to develop new skills and work on existing ones. Attending various events, displaying material and promoting the Birmingham Community Alert has been a great experience. Learning about the various events that take place in Birmingham (which I never even knew about!) and being part of them has been a tremendous benefit. From the Art Festival, Lord Mayor’s Show, St Georges Day, Lord Mayor’s Big Blood Pressure Challenge to the Tally Ho Community Open Day, amongst various others, there is always something entertaining to keep you engaged.

Not only do I get to work alongside a very talented and enthusiastic team, but also meet and talk to a variety of interesting people including the Lord Mayor of Birmingham! Talking to members of the public has definitely helped me gain more confidence in myself and improved my communication skills.One of the key benefits for me has been doing something I am interested in. Having done degrees in natural hazards, which also involved management of disasters/emergencies, working to promote the Community Alert has helped me become involved in the front line and gain an understanding of public perception towards emergency preparedness.

It has been fascinating to witness the public’s reaction to the issue as well as use my knowledge and experience to answer their questions.Working with the Birmingham Resilience Team is an experience that has taught me a great deal and I look forward to continuing my contribution to the team.”

Saajeda Bandali

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