Individual Spotlight: Zain
Our Individual Spotlight feature is on Zain who is supported by our EmployAbility service. Read Zain’s interview below to find out how he kept his motivation up during the pandemic and what he likes doing in his free time.
What do you like doing in your free time?
I like gaming and seeing my family who live in Birmingham.
How have the EmployAbility team been supporting you over the last year?
They have really helped me to look after my wellbeing during lockdown. I was able to attend lots of online activities. They have done well at encouraging me in my current volunteering role at Charity Aid and to keep looking for new opportunities. I have a busy timetable with EmployAbility which keeps me very happy
How did you manage to keep your motivation up during the pandemic?
It was difficult to begin with. I did not always want to take part in Zoom classes because I just wanted to see people in person. EmployAbility came up with some great sessions called Time To Rise which really helped my mental health.
What did you most like about the Time to Rise virtual session
It helped me overcome the sadness I was feeling due to lockdown. It has helped me grow in confidence by spending time focusing on my emotions which has really boosted my mental health. After a few Time to Rise sessions, I was back to doing other Zoom sessions with my friends. I then went back to my role at Charity Aid and I was given more responsibilities which was a really nice feeling. Over the last few weeks I have been seeing friends again and going to the gym.
What sort of tasks do you do in your role at Charity Aid?
During my shifts with Charity Aid, I am responsible for my own department which is the CD’s and Books area. I keep them tidy to make it easy for customers to browse through. I also keep the shelves stocked up when items are sold.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would love to visit Turkey because it is nice and hot!
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