Talking volunteering and community support with Wardeh Al Nasir

11.6 Wardeh Alnasir transcript

Intro

[00:00:00] Hello and welcome to Season 11 of the Meet the Mancunian podcast: social impact stories from Manchester. I'm your host, Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe, and I'm so glad you're listening to my podcast today.

[00:00:14] This season, I'm proud to collaborate once again with the Spirit of Manchester Awards to highlight some of this year's incredible nominees. These are personal stories of care, courage and commitment told in the voices of the people working quietly and passionately behind the scenes in our communities.

[00:00:35] Every Tuesday, I'll bring you thoughtful conversations that explore what drives these change makers, the impact they've made and the lessons they've learned along the way. I hope you find their stories as moving and as meaningful as I did.

[00:00:56] You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or my website www.meetthemancunian.co.uk. Let's discover the heart of Manchester, one story at a time.

Meet Wardeh Al Nasir

[00:01:13] Passionate about supporting disadvantaged communities? In the sixth episode of Season 11, we hear from Wardeh Al Nasir, Director, Community Thriving Together and nominee, volunteer of the year. This is the season finale and the Meet the Mancunian podcast will then take a break until spring 2025.

[00:01:37] In Wardeh's own words.

[00:01:39] Wardeh Alnasir: The language is a challenge and it's a barrier. But this challenge, we changed it into a bridge because through our organisation we introduced ourselves to the community as our identity, our uniqueness, and we have our own specialty and privacy. And also, because I speak the same language of our beneficiaries. So this is a merit that these people find a safe space to feel comfortable, not to feel scared to be judged or criticised about the language or feel embarrassed to express themselves.

[00:02:14] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much, Wardeh for joining me today.

[00:02:23] Wardeh Alnasir: Thank you, Deepa. Thank you very much for offering me this chance to speak about my journey in volunteering.

[00:02:30] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Looking forward to hearing about it, and it was great to know we both spent some time in Saudi Arabia.

[00:02:35] What first inspired your connection to the Manchester community? Is there a particular moment that started you on your journey?

Wardeh's Volunteering Journey

[00:02:43] Wardeh Alnasir: Actually, when I arrived to the UK, I felt lonely, excluded and I didn't have a job. So I started volunteering. I like volunteering. I have the passion of helping people, making a change, also improving myself for myself. I gave time and I gave effort for volunteering.

[00:03:06] I volunteered in lots of areas like with the rethink rebuild, Syrian Association, with the NHS during Corona, with the council in some events, activities. Then I realised that, volunteering gave me, not only I gave people through volunteering or the community.

[00:03:26] Also, I gained experience in many areas. I knew good people and made friends. Also, I improved my skills like communication skills, language skills, and other skills. So that's why, I encourage everybody to start volunteering and to improve themself and to also help others.

[00:03:49] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: It's a great story. Thank you so much for sharing how it started with your feeling isolated when you first got here. And then volunteering took you on a journey to improve your skills, to contribute to society and to make friends. And like you, I feel that volunteering is wonderful. Definitely, encourage everybody to take time and volunteer in different ways based on their passion area.

Founding Community Thriving Together

[00:04:13] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: How did your journey with Thriving Together begin and what does the organisation do?

[00:04:19] Wardeh Alnasir: Actually, during the Corona and the lockdown, people were like disconnected, isolated, and lots of migrants don't know others to help them. And to find support. So I started making WhatsApp groups for these people just to support each other, to socialise and to stay connected through online. I started adding more and more people and these WhatsApp groups proved that of they are of great benefit for connecting people and bringing people together.

[00:04:56] And so I realised the high need in the community for bringing these people together for helping disadvantaged people who are not represented and who don't have access to resources. From that, I started the organisation with events to bring these people together and to provide services.

[00:05:16] And also my passion as well. I have the passion. I feel happy when I see people are brought together or doing things together or supported. The idea came from two things. The need in the community and my passion as well.

[00:05:32] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you.

Impact of Thriving Together

[00:05:33] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: What would you say is Thriving Together? What does it do for the community?

[00:05:37] Wardeh Alnasir: Community Thriving Together, CIC. It's an organisation for bringing people of different backgrounds and cultures together and providing services to help and support these people achieve their potential. And mainly people from disadvantage and underrepresented communities who don't have access to resources due to cultural restrictions, language barriers, other challenges like financial hardship.

[00:06:06] We try to make bridges and fill the gap to support these people, to access to the services. Because the services are there, but the people don't know how to access. So we did this and we are so happy seeing these people increasing their confidence, improving mental health and also wellbeing and physical health. Lots of benefits and big change for the lives of these people.

[00:06:35] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: It does sound like a really worthwhile organisation.

[00:06:38] What does being nominated for the Spirit of Manchester Awards as volunteer of the year mean to you and your organisation?

[00:06:46] Wardeh Alnasir: To be nominated for the Spirit of Manchester Award means a lot for me. And it's not only for me, but it's a celebration for all the people who walked along with me - the women, children, and everyone who has been, working, and the volunteers as well.

[00:07:04] It also means, not the end, but the start of bigger, stronger to grow more in our journey and to provide more services. It gives me the responsibility to help these people who are underrepresented because without our services, these people will stay underrepresented and will not access to resources.

[00:07:26] I was not hoping for being nominated. I was just helping for the sake of helping, for me also to improve myself and to feel happy. And because as I told you, it's like the need and the passion, but the nomination made me feel like, and the organisation as well. We felt like seen, heard, and valid.

[00:07:49] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That's such a lovely way to express it, both that you are feeling the responsibility to do even more to support those who are underrepresented in Manchester, but also that you're feeling seen and heard and validated through the nomination for the volunteer of the year.

[00:08:08] Good luck for the award ceremony, and I definitely hope you can get the recognition you deserve.

[00:08:15] Wardeh Alnasir: I hope so.

Challenges and Overcoming Them

[00:08:15] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: What are some of the toughest moments you had in this journey, and how did you get through them?

[00:08:20] Wardeh Alnasir: Other journeys maybe work. Our journey was completely challenging and lots of hard times and hard things like being not supported. Because I myself from the same background and from the underrepresented communities. And I myself have language barriers and, also feel sometimes excluded and not seen, not valid.

[00:08:47] All the people who work with me are from the same background. So this is one of the most challenges also because the people we work with are from also the same background and from restricted backgrounds. And it's hard sometimes to get them to access to services and to involve them in the activities.

[00:09:10] And one main thing is to be supported financially. And because also me and all the people I work with are from low-income backgrounds. And we struggle to do the activities and I myself struggle to access training or things that cost, travelling costs or other costing for the training.

[00:09:34] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you for sharing that both you yourself feeling that you are not able to sometimes access the support that you needed as well as some of the other challenges, like you said, language or travelling costs. And therefore that caused its own challenges to the growth of the organisation.

[00:09:53] Do you want to say something about how you overcome those challenges?

[00:09:56] Wardeh Alnasir: The language is a challenge and it's a barrier. But this challenge, we changed it into a bridge because through our organisation we introduced ourself to the community as our identity, our uniqueness, and we have our own specialty and privacy. And also because I speak the same language of our beneficiaries. So this is a merit that these people find a safe space to feel comfortable, not to feel scared to be judged or criticised about the language or feel embarrassed to express themselves.

[00:10:31] Because also the same background, the same culture as well. So we respect these people's cultural sensitivities, and we let them feel that sisterhood or home, family safe environment. And also, because we are from restricted backgrounds, we could also reach the people from the same background who like to be in women only spaces, which there is a lack for these spaces in Manchester. We could like sometimes, create from the challenges bridges or strong points for our organisation.

[00:11:10] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That's lovely. Like you said that cultural identity and that cultural sensitivity that you could display because you've gone through similar experiences to your beneficiaries is definitely not just a bridge, I guess a strong bonding point and a connection for people to really feel that confidence in yourself and the services that your organisation provides.

[00:11:33] Can you share a little bit about the impact of your work?

[00:11:37] Wardeh Alnasir: Lots of change. We have done through over the three years, for women, for children. For example, just recently in summer we were doing a project for activities for children. A child called Muhammad, just eight or nine years old. And he was so shy and embarassed to be involved in the activities and refused to play. And just all the time covering his face and refused to be in the video or to be taken photos for.

[00:12:08] Then his mom left him with us and we could provide confidence. He was gaining confidence through maybe only in a few days. And he could just speak without covering his face. Then at the end of the project, he himself asked to be in the videos and photos and was playing, and he himself was, encouraged to play with the children. And his mom was, oh, I can't believe that.

[00:12:34] And he was speaking to his dad about what he has been doing in the activities. And then he asked her when I'm going to go there again. I want to go. And at the beginning he refused. And then at the end of the project we saw the impact and the change for the child. And we were so happy with that. Just because, we listened to him. He needs somebody to listen to and to be patient to them, to encourage him. And this made a difference for the child.

[00:13:02] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: It's a complete transformation. Like you said, being very shy initially and not being keen to be captured on video or photo and then gaining in confidence and being able to both play with the children and also share his experiences with other people. So that's a true story of transformation.

[00:13:22] Wardeh Alnasir: Thank you. Another story is a story of old women. She is in her seventies, maybe 75 or more. And she has also broken leg, and she has been in the UK for about 20 years. And she hasn't been involved in any socialising. So when we invited her to our project and the activities, she was so happy because also she has lots of skills and she never had the opportunity to share these skills with people.

[00:13:52] And she felt so proud sharing the skills, crafts with the people. And even she is old. And she needs help with coming and joining the activities. She was keen to join all the activities and also we involved her in the International Women's Day to speak about her journey. And she said, oh, it's the first time I could speak in front of the public. I feel so proud. And really, she was so happy And, this made a big difference for her, and she shared that with the women and she said that her life is completely changed now.

[00:14:27] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That is wonderful because like you said, she's been here 20 years, but in those 20 years she was not as outgoing and not getting a chance to use her skills. And by giving her a little platform to share her skills, she then got that confidence. And it's lovely that she was able to share her story on International Women's Day and maybe inspire other people like herself who might be held back by culture or tradition or even their own experience. And it's really wonderful.

[00:14:59] Are there any common myths about your work or the voluntary sector you might want to clear up?

[00:15:05] Wardeh Alnasir: I can't think of any myths, but maybe the beliefs and myths in between in the community themselves, there are from their background, their culture, some myths. And we all the time try to get these people to know what is right and what's wrong. The women mainly.

[00:15:23] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Do you want to talk about any one example?

[00:15:26] Wardeh Alnasir: For example, when we were doing a project about cancer, some women say that the self-check for breast cancer is causing women damage. They don't want to do it. And we could explain that it's quite safe and they need to do that. And this is the first analysis or check at home how they can observe the health of their breast.

[00:15:52] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That's so important, isn't it, that they do that initial screening and if they felt that, that could be a worry. It takes me back to Covid times when a lot of the underrepresented communities in UK had a lot of perceptions about not taking the vaccine because they thought it was not appropriate for them. It's really important to sometimes understand what are the barriers in the community and see how you can support them through it.

Advice for Aspiring Volunteers

[00:16:20] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: What is your go-to piece of advice for listeners keen to support their community? Our listeners come from almost 70 countries, and they may want to support communities like you are. How should they get started?

[00:16:35] Wardeh Alnasir: My advice actually is quite simple. It's just for people not to feel embarrassed about their language skills or about their background or their qualification or anything else. Because they have their uniqueness. And they have strong points and by being involved, they will improve their language, they will improve their skills and practice give them the experience as well.

[00:17:03] So just to start, what they need is the passion. All what they need is to be true, to be honest, and not the experience, not the qualification and not the high language skills. They don't need all this. They just need to be passionate and to be honest and true.

[00:17:22] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I like that very much about it's all starts with passion. As long as you have that, everything else will come. Rather than trying to hold yourself back saying, I don't have the skills, and I don't have the language expertise, but like you said, through the practice, you will get that.

Signature Questions 

[00:17:39] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I'll now move us to the signature questions I ask all my guests.

[00:17:44] If Manchester's community spirit could be bottled up, what would you say is its secret ingredient?

[00:17:51] Wardeh Alnasir: I think the diverse communities, the people accepting each other and equality. Nobody is left behind.

[00:18:01] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Basically, acceptance is the heart of its secret ingredient.

[00:18:06] If you could build a Manchester Community Hall of Fame, who's the first person you'd induct and what would their plaque say?

[00:18:13] Wardeh Alnasir: The first one, I should say Lisa from Forever Manchester. I'm so proud of Lisa, she does her work with passion, with love, with kindness, and she inspires all people. And she was the first one by the way I meet. And she's the one who inspire me to start volunteering, to start also the organisation. And she kept supporting me in lots of areas, believing in me all the time to do more and to keep going.

[00:18:45] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: And what would her plaque say?

[00:18:47] Wardeh Alnasir: Inspiring.

[00:18:49] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Inspiring. That's really interesting. I love hearing all these different answers that people have and such wonderful people in Manchester.

[00:18:58] What is a Made in Manchester moment that you won't forget something that could have only happened in Manchester?

[00:19:05] Wardeh Alnasir: The Gorton Cultural festival, which is a brand new event that started last year. Just last year. It was really amazing. I saw people of different ages, different backgrounds, different cultures together enjoying sharing the food, the playing together. The children are happy.

[00:19:25] People feel safe, feel accepted, feel, like all the community, like one family. It made me feel very happy and proud I was part of the festival.

[00:19:35] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That sounds wonderful. The Gorton Cultural Festival as a Made in Manchester moment where everyone came together across all age groups.

[00:19:45] Looking back, what's the most valuable lesson your work or your life has taught you?

[00:19:51] Wardeh Alnasir: The most valuable lesson is all the time. We don't need to be perfect to start. We just need our passion, our dedication, our being true and being ourselves and the start. And just by keep going and keep believing in what we do. We will be perfect by gaining the experience.

[00:20:13] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I like that very much. Like sometimes we wait till we are perfect to start, but actually we should start and become perfect along the way and not hold ourselves back. So that's a wonderful piece of advice.

[00:20:25] Wardeh Alnasir: And all of us have something unique, have something different. Even we don't have the other skills that people have or the other qualifications that other people have, but we still have something different. We still have something unique that people don't have. And this, maybe it's a challenge, but it'll be a bridge.

[00:20:44] It'll be the stronger point, like what I mentioned, the language. The language was my challenge or was my barrier, then it was the strongest point because I could reach people who speak these languages and don't have the English skills so we could provide the services for them and help them.

[00:21:02] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: And also thinking about, like you said, everybody's got something unique and something different that they can contribute and we should celebrate that.

[00:21:10] What's the best way for people to get in touch with you and learn more about your work? Is there a website or social media you can mention?

[00:21:18] Wardeh Alnasir: We are on Facebook. Our group is Thriving Together. Also people can come and join our activities. We have activities for all people, and mainly for women. And people can be involved and I'm sure once they try, they will keep coming. And this is what happens. People come once and then they keep coming, and they invite other people also to get involved and to have part in our activities.

[00:21:46] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much, Wardeh. It's been a wonderful conversation.

[00:21:49] Wardeh Alnasir: Thank you, Deepa.

Outro

[00:21:51] Thank you for listening to the Meet the Mancunian podcast. I hope today's episode gave you a deeper appreciation of the powerful work happening right here in Manchester. It's been a real honour for me to feature the spirit of Manchester Award nominees and share their stories with you. If something you heard today resonated with you, please share the episode or leave a review. It really helps other listeners find the podcast.

[00:22:18] I'd love to hear from you. Visit www.meetthemancunian.co.uk or connect with me on social media @MeettheMancunian on Instagram, Facebook, and Blue Sky. And @MeettheMancunianPodcast on YouTube.

[00:22:35] Until next time, keep championing kindness, connection, and community. Together, we can make our world just a little bit brighter.

[00:22:45] Thank you.