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What is your role and what does it involve?Ìý

I am the Public Affairs Manager in VPEE, we work to raise and promote the understanding of ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº in and around Westminster. No day is the same, especially with UK politics being in a state of flux recently along with a recent change of government! Day to day I can be writing letters of correspondence, organising visits from high-profile VIPs, responding to calls of evidence, developing key messaging, stakeholder management, monitoring updates in parliament, crises management and working on campaigns!ÌýÌý

How long have you been at ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº and what was your previous role?Ìý

Just over three years now, I previously worked in the Policy Impact Unit (PIU) in the Faculty of Engineering and now Public Affairs in VPEE. The move across was an easy one as working in policy impact is not too dissimilar to working in public affairs! My background is working in local government having completed the Local Government Association (LGA) graduate scheme and I spent my early career working for London Boroughs, council spinouts and county councils to design and deliver services to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of residents. I very much miss local government but I’m also enjoying the opportunity to delve deeper into the world of higher education and communications.ÌýÌý

What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?Ìý

I’ve long worked to drive forward progress for EDI, especially within the workplace and across the sector. I currently serve as Executive Committee Member for Women in Public Affairs (WiPA) – an external professional network of women who work in the sector. We’ve recently launched a campaign to address the barriers around pay and progression including addressing the intersectionality of pay disparity for those who work in the sector.ÌýÌýÌýÌý

Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do listÌý

Now that we have a new government, we are working on building on our relationships with our key stakeholders including Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, Jacqui Smith, Lord Patrick Vallance and Peter Kyle – to name a select few. This also includes prepping for party conference season where ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº will be present and, as time passes, looking to understand the priorities of this government in line with the needs and wants of the broader higher education sector. I also write the Public Affairs update so I’m always listening to podcasts/reading the latest intelligence to cascade across the organisation to make sure ¹û¶³Ó°Ôº is best placed to respond anything that comes our way!Ìý

What is your favourite album, film and novel?Ìý

Album: This is a tough one as I collect vinyl records and love going to gigs in my spare time! Saying that, I just saw Taylor Swift (VIP & front row, not that I’m bragging!) at Wembley Stadium so to narrow things down I’ll pick my favourite Taylor Swift album. I’ve got two which would be 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and Midnights.ÌýÌý

±·´Ç±¹±ð±ô:ÌýIn celebration of South Asian HeritageÌýMonth I will pick EmpirelandÌýby Sathnam Sanghera and The Right Sort of GirlÌýby Anita Rani.ÌýÌý

¹ó¾±±ô³¾:ÌýToo many to choose from so I’m going to cheat slightly and say anything by John Hughes (think The Breakfast Club and Uncle Buck). I also saw Dune: Part TwoÌýrecently which is a cinematic masterpiece and I can no longer look at a Colin the caterpillar cake without thinking of a sandworm!ÌýÌý

What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?Ìý

Because I work in public affairs I’ll choose a joke which is very Westminster-focused:

‘How many Prime Ministers does is take to change a light bulb? Who knows, they don’t stay in office long enough to find out!’ÌýÌý

Who would be your dream dinner guests?Ìý

I’ve thought long and hard about this as I’ve always wanted to do a spotlight interview! For me it's Freddie Mercury, Michelle Obama, Sadiq Khan, Angela Rayner, Adele and Zendaya. The cocktails will be flowing, the jokes would be cracking and the conversation would be rich in culture and politics!ÌýÌý

What advice would you give your younger self?Ìý

Not to sound cliché but anything by Michelle Obama. I would currently choose these two for my younger self ‘take up space and use your voice’ and ‘seek out older, wiser people for advice.’ÌýÌý

What would it surprise people to know about you?

My grandparents used to babysit me when I was young but they were community activists which meant tagging along when they went on marches for equality. Apparently, there’s an old newspaper clipping of me holding a tiny placard in one hand and a Ribena carton in the other!Ìý

What is your favourite place?  Ìý

Istanbul. I studied abroad for a year in Turkey under the now defunct Erasmus scheme which was the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s a place that holds great memories and there’s a group of us that meet up every year for our annual catch-up in Turkey!ÌýÌýÌý