Beauty Dhlamni is one of our Community Board members, joining at its time of inception in November 2018. Her blog reflects on her time participating on the Board and why representing the voice of your community is so important to her.
I have spent the last four years in higher education, learning about global public health and understanding its growing importance as a field in the UK. Not only that, I have been supplementing my education with part-time work in various different roles in the NHS across clinical, research and policy aspects of health.
Outside of my time in education, I realised I was keen to help more within my own community by understanding and providing solutions to some of the pervasive health issues. I wanted to understand how issues were being communicated, and who is involved in these conversations. This led me to working within community organisations and advocation work which I feel very lucky to be involved in. Not only because of the work they do, but because of the impact it has for local communities. This is why I absolutely believe in being a Community Board Member at Care City London!
The importance of being a Community Board Member
Being a board member is one of the most important roles in your local community organisations. Not only do you ensure the organisations are working towards their purpose – in this context guaranteeing the health and well-being of residents in the East London boroughs – but also, it’s a largely rewarding position to hold because you get the opportunity to make a lasting difference to a cause you care about, health, and consequently you help define Care City’s future by contributing your ideas and knowledge.
Since starting my role as a Community Board Member, I have enjoyed using my skills and my experiences in a different context. I’ve also met interesting new people and developed my network of contacts and opportunities, making it the perfect way to expand my professional and personal network.
Life as a Community Board Member during Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The pandemic has meant making the change from being a Board member who regularly interacts with other Board members at meetings over nibbles, to sitting in front of a laptop at home. Contributing as a Community Board Member at home has been testing at times, in terms of time management, terrible internet connection and forgetting to unmute yourself on Zoom, but one skill it has completely enhanced is self-discipline. Attending meetings and working to deadlines from the comfort of your own home is a completely new normal, but one that I am still trying to get used to.
It is important also to highlight just how supportive the team at Care City is. Not only have all the people I work alongside with on the Community Board been extremely welcoming – treating me as their equal, not just another young, clueless person – but they have valued and respected all my contributions, fostering a mutual relationship of learning amongst us. This has not only been in the capacity of work, but also in giving advice on and my own personal development.
The great thing about being a Community Board Member
The great thing about applying to be a Community Board Member is, there only a few to none restrictions on who can be a Board Member and you don’t necessarily need to have any specialist skills or have board level experience in order to apply. The significance of your lived experience is more valuable, as it means you can relate and advocate for your local residents from a place of knowing. Lastly, you just need to be passionate about the health and the work Care City do to join and have an understanding of its role in the local community.
From a professional point of view, being a Board Member allows you to gain transferable skills, improve your CV and broaden your experience. You will definitely learn something in the role. Collaboration, communication and the ability to constructively challenge are all important parts of being a board member. As such, it’s the perfect forum to hone your judgement and team-working skills.
You can apply to join the Care City Community Board. Learn more here
