ABOUT

Tell us who you are!

Saba Hassan, 27, Deputy CEO of Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank in London.

So what do you actually do?

I work at a Foodbank, where we support people in crisis through providing food and other support. I work with the CEO in overseeing our food distribution activities across the borough, our wider projects to support people out of their crisis and our people, including our staff and volunteers!

I play a role in representing the organisation externally too, at various meetings, events and the occasional media piece!

A few years ago, I also set up and run my own initiative called That’s A Wrap in West London, a charity that supports local charities and raises awareness about social issues through community collections! Check us out at https://thatsawrap.org.uk/ or on social media @ThatsAWrapLDN.

What has your career path been?

It wasn’t easy getting here! I explored many different fields - from a summer job at an architectural firm to working in retail to interning at a media production company and a local solicitors office - before finding my niche in the charity sector.

No connections or contacts to help me figure out a way in. I had to do lots of unpaid work to get a foot in the door.

I was underpaid and overworked in my first full-time role but in a charity I would describe as a progressive, dynamic ‘start up’ Foodbank charity. I got tons of excellent experience and I believe it has shaped my outlook and approach to work now – it was a 90 minute commute either way, but despite the struggle I met people who I now consider lifelong friends and the experience was very much a baptism of fire.

I was in a Manager role overseeing and supervising staff a lot older than myself. As a petite hijabi graduate in a very male dominated space, it was not easy to convince and reassure people that I was competent and able. I had to work hard to prove myself and I had to learn to be okay with taking up space and being heard! I learnt a lot and loved every minute of it.

After a couple of years I felt the need for a new challenge to ensure I continued to learn and grow. It was tough not knowing where my experience would take me after what I felt was a niche role in a niche sector. I made the hard decision to leave and it turned out to be the best thing I could have done.

It was at this point that I set up my own passion project (That’s A Wrap) and at the same time worked part time at my local Citizens Advice at their Office Manager (where they also agreed to train me up in welfare advice). I also took on a trustee role at a Grant making charity to learn more about governance and to get more involved in supporting my local community.

With new skills and experiences under my belt, I sought a slightly different role within a Foodbank. I applied for a role at a Trussell Trust Foodbank, Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank, and started here as Hub Manager managing one of their Foodbanks. A few months ago I was promoted to Deputy CEO!

What is the best part of your job?

Being in an organisation whose mission and ethos I believe in, in a role where I have a real opportunity to make change and support others. Not everyone has that luxury in their day job so I don’t take this for granted!

Meeting so many people from such different walks of life, working and connecting with the community and being able to work with so many wonderful people really is the best part.

Why do you do your job?

I want to make a difference in some small way and knowing that what we do helps others in a moment of crisis keeps me motivated.

One piece of advice for someone starting in your role?

For someone moving into a senior management role, my advice is to stay grounded, stay focused on the mission and be intentional about everything you do and how you do it.

Leadership means responsibility and accountability, and your decisions matter!

Check out Saba’s socials below!

DAY IN THE LIFE

DISCLAIMER – I started in my current role only 5 months ago!

My alarm goes off at 6.30am. Somehow my cat knows I’m awake before I do. She stands to attention by my bed and waits for her breakfast. I usually hit the snooze button and wait until my alarm goes off 5 minutes later before actually getting up!

I’ll wash up, feed the cat (she has been patiently waiting) and then stick the kettle on for a morning cuppa. I’ll usually grab porridge, cereal or toast. Something quick and easy. I like to take my time getting ready, I find playing with my makeup therapeutic and I’ll put a playlist on in the background until I leave home. Said playlist also plays while I’m in the car on my twenty-minute drive into work. I love my music, what can I say!

What I do at work will vary day to day but my important tasks are usually scheduled to be completed outside of when our Foodbank sessions are open to residents to visit to pick up their food parcels.

There are one or two foodbank sessions that take place a day from Monday to Saturday, across four different locations within the borough. I like to be available in case any emergencies come up or if I need to step in for any reason – this could be a safeguarding concern, insufficient number of volunteers on shift and sometimes staff on-site might need support and training with a new tool or system being implemented.

There can be some travelling around to other places too, such as our warehouse where we stock and sort all food donations, and sometimes I go between our two offices to check in with various staff.

All of my other important tasks and meetings are diarised in advance so everything happens when it needs to. This ranges from checking in with the staff team or the senior management team, to exploring new opportunities, to meeting representatives from other organisations and my own tasks. Working on my laptop occupies a significant amount of time – emails, report writing, putting together or reviewing documents such as project plans or grant applications.
I also support the CEO with strategic planning, line management and operational oversight.

The bulk of my work centres around ensuring our daily operations run smoothly and to a high standard, overseeing people, processes, embedding structure and ensuring what we do is sustainable and impactful. In practice, this can involve identifying and finding solutions for team training needs, updating operational manuals, communicating key procedures or speaking with colleagues to understand any potential barriers and working together to resolve things before they become problems.

On top of this – and this is the part that I enjoy - there is always something new to explore and support with – a new staff member, a new process or technology, or a new partnership opportunity.

Lunch will depend on where I’m working from that day and what’s convenient. I usually like to stop and have a chat over lunch but more often than not I’ll eat while I work. I’m usually the last to leave at the end of the day and find this the most productive time to finish tasks off uninterrupted. Before I leave, I check and update my diary for the next few days.

The drive home is usually twenty minutes and evenings are exclusively family and wind down time - dinner is always a family affair!