Photograph: Staff from Newham in the Hope Garden which the ELFT Charity has supported. Fuad is already out and about - you can see him crouched on the far right of this photograph.
A big warm ELFT welcome to Fuad Uddin, the ELFT Charity's new fundraising lead. Hear more about Fuad below, his background, his hopes for the charity and his views on marmite!
What attracted you to the role of fundraiser for the ELFT Charity?
I've been looking at returning to the voluntary and community sector for a while. So I am delighted to have started in my new role as Fundraising Lead for ELFT Charity. The Charity carries an NHS identity which I am passionate about supporting. This role presents several challenges and opportunities for developing ELFT Charity to fund more projects and ultimately help make the NHS go further. I was especially drawn to how the Charity focuses on improving the health and happiness of staff and patients across ELFT. The ELFT Charity has lots of potential and I am keen to see it grow to support more people.
What is your background?
I am a business and charity professional; I’m keen to bring strategic leadership and operational expertise to the ELFT Charity. I have senior level experience at an IT services firm and as Deputy CEO of a voluntary and community sector support organisation. I can support the development goals of the ELFT Charity with my track record in quality, compliance, and business development; especially fundraising.
What do you think the key impact of the charity is?
My view is that all NHS Charities can help the NHS go further. Therefore, ELFT Charity is here to help East London NHS Foundation Trust go further in supporting patient health and wellbeing. The potential for deepening the impact of ELFT Charity is immense—moving beyond financial support to championing wellbeing at every level.
What plans have you got for the future to bring in more funds?
We’re developing a roadmap of fundraising ideas to help build the resilience, profile and reach of the Charity. I’ve joined at an exciting time, and want to do what I can to enable the Charity to reach its optimum. Some ideas on the table are more fun runs, gala dinners, as well as greater engagement with local communities and businesses. The support from Compass Wellbeing* will be instrumental in ensuring we have the resources and partnerships necessary to make these events successful and impactful.
Given your experience working across different sectors, how will you adapt your fundraising strategies to engage with diverse stakeholders within the ELFT community?
Having worked in both the voluntary and community sector, and the private sector, I've learned the importance of tailoring fundraising strategies to suit diverse audiences. Within the East London NHS Foundation Trust community, there are many different stakeholders, including patients, staff, volunteers, local residents, businesses, and other investors. My approach is to find common ground and create long-lasting partnerships that capture the local vibe of ELFT, where people feel more connected and care about each other, irrespective of where they are from or what they do.
What have been your first steps?
Getting out and about to meet people. Please look out for me as I will be making visits and contacts around ELFT to learn more about our services, the needs of our communities, and how the Charity can support some of these. And to any staff reading this, if you haven’t signed up to Microhive*… you’ll be hearing from us! We are also organising this year's Fun Runs to raise money for the Charity. Anyone interested in running for us can contact me directly or email elft.charity@nhs.net.
What is your favourite meal?
I do love my mum's lamb and pumpkin curry. But I also enjoy doing a roast turkey over the Christmas holiday.
Marmite yes or no?
Yes. Although it's been a while. I might pick some up next shop.
Which celebrity would you most like to be stuck in a lift with?
Mr Blobby. But I think he's retired now. I'm sure he'd make the stuck-in-lift experience more fun.
* Compass Wellbeing CIC is a community interest company, wholly owned by the East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT), we work to support the ambitions of ELFT as the first Marmot Trust, tackling the drivers of poor health with the aspiration of reducing inequalities and improving health outcomes.
** Microhive (formerly Pennies from Heaven) is a penny appeal that collects a nominal portion of staff salary each month. It’s a micro donation (less than £1/month) that achieves greater impact as more people participate. Donations are also eligible for Gift Aid and it really helps make our NHS go further. We have an ambitious target for 50% of ELFT’s workforce to sign up to Microhive.