Howmet Aerospace Exeter marks half a century with new recruitment partnership
Howmet Aerospace, one of the South West&rsquo;s oldest businesses, and Acorn Recruitment, one of the UK&rsquo;s biggest recruiters, have joined forces in Howmet Aerospace&rsquo;s 50th year to help make sure its next half century runs as successfully as its first.
Howmet Aerospace in Exeter is entering its fifth decade of business, as it looks to continue attracting the best regional workforce, as well as benefitting the local community which has played such an intrinsic part in its journey so far.
Now the world-class producer of aero engine and industrial gas turbine components is working with Acorn Recruitment to make sure the needs of the business and the community around it continue to be met into the next half a century too.
Initially a joint venture with Centrax Limited in Newton Abbot, Howmet Misco relocated to a newly constructed, purpose-built factory on the newly commissioned Exeter Sowton Industrial Estate in October 1971 and was one of the first companies to open its doors.
Following the addition of the Alloy Plant in 1975, many changes continued to take place across the processes, materials, customers and technologies, including a medley of names over the years, culminating in the 580 employees who work at the facility today.
Sara White, HR Manager at Howmet Aerospace Exeter, said: &ldquo;We are delighted to be marking our 50th anniversary here at Howmet Aerospace with our new partnership with Acorn Recruitment and hope this will enable us to continue matching the right opportunities with the right people for the continued benefit of us all.&rdquo;
The company has also supported community organisations via the Howmet Aerospace Foundation, granting more than &pound;1 million to various community projects in and around Exeter.
From helping with gardening and tree planting projects, marshalling charity bike rides, beach rubbish clearing, to working with Paignton Zoo on a globally recognised carbon footprint teaching programme, it has also assisted with the purchase and setting up of the Hospiscare Recycling Centre on Marsh Barton.
Sara said: &ldquo;Howmet Aerospace Foundation has contributed more than $600 million globally to address the needs of Howmet communities around the world since the Foundation was created in 1952, with over &pound;1 million granted to organisations here in Exeter, linked to our site.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We have a great working relationship with our surrounding community, including schools, Exeter College and Exeter City Council, which in return has helped cement our continued success as a business based in the South West of England.&rdquo;
This year the company is working with Exeter City Council on two separate STEM and community enhancing projects which will involve employees mentoring school children, and supporting young adults to reach their potential.
It also has a long-term relationship with Devon Air Ambulance, organising golf events, taking part in the annual Dragon Boat Race and general fund raising. Howmet has also made a huge difference to people&rsquo;s lives locally, funding a Wellbeing Exercise Trial in Exeter and UK wide STEM related School competitions, to name but a few initiatives.
Richard Hilliard, Project Manager for Acorn, said: &ldquo;We are really proud to be working with a company of Howmet Aerospace&rsquo;s reputation both regionally and globally, and to be making our own contribution towards supporting local communities in the South West in this way.
&ldquo;Together, we are always working to match a wide range of temporary and permanent opportunities available across Howmet Aerospace&rsquo;s Exeter site with the best people in the region for the job.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We are delighted the need for more manufacturing employees continues to grow within Howmet Aerospace, with a large number of vacancies filled locally so far in 2021. So, we can&rsquo;t wait to see what the rest of 2021 and the next 50 years brings for Howmet Aerospace and Acorn&rsquo;s new partnership&rdquo; Richard added.

Howmet Aerospace Exeter marks half a century with new recruitment partnership

Ms Tate takes on the role in response to an unprecedented demand for its services in the public, catering and hospitality, manufacturing and logistics sectors regionally, as well as across the UK as a whole.
Acorn itself has appointed more than 60 new members of staff since last summer as it continues working to address ongoing challenges within the UK workforce arising following Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and more.
In North Wales this has meant the introduction of a Public Sector desk for Flint and another for Wrexham, where Acorn&rsquo;s regional branches are based, with the recruiter helping meet an increased demand for sector staff in both areas as a CCS approved supplier.
Part of Ms Tate&rsquo;s new role now also includes the launch of a new Catering and Hospitality division for North Wales, as demand for staff within that sector locally continues to increase too.
Ms Tate said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m absolutely delighted to be joining a long-standing and highly respected recruiter like Acorn at a time when the skills and experience I have built up during more than two decades in the industry can be put to use in such a critical and worthwhile way.
&ldquo;With demand for its recruitment services expanding across the board, this role has given me the opportunity to make a real difference to businesses operating and people living locally to me here in North Wales, and I can&rsquo;t wait to get started.&rdquo;
With a long-standing background in the hospitality recruitment industry, and having relocated to North Wales from the South West in 2020, Ms Tate is more than well-placed to support Acorn in offering the best service to its clients regionally.
Since her career started in the Industrial, Catering and Hospitality recruitment sectors, Ms Tate has also worked for Virgin Atlantic and in creative design and manufacturing roles. She has also occupied a series of management positions with various recruitment companies, her most recent being as a Manager for Blue Arrow.
Christian Ash, Director of Operations at Acorn, said: &ldquo;We feel fortunate to have been able to capture the insight and experience that Jodie is able to bring to this role at this time, as someone who is local to the North Wales region too.
&ldquo;With demand for our services in the public and hospitality sector as well as manufacturing and logistics expanding all the time, and as we work to continue providing our locally based clients with everything they need to make the most of the post pandemic business world, Jodie is just what Acorn was looking for.&rdquo;

Jodie Tate has been appointed as the new Recruitment Manager for North Wales at leading UK recruiter, Acorn.

<h5 class="__intro">Bernard Ward has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Acorn by Synergie</h5>
Mr Ward will lead Acorn through the next stages of its expansion, as the company continues to break into new markets and drive further growth.
Multi-specialist Acorn is the leading recruiter in Wales and is in the top 1% of all recruitment firms across the UK, with offices and business operations UK-wide and a turnover of over &pound;100m.
Previously the Regional Director (South West, Wales &amp; Midlands) for Blue Arrow, Mr Ward has also been Managing Director of recruitment businesses here in the UK and internationally, spanning a career in recruitment of over 22 years. During that time he has held a number of positions in the recruitment industry, from starting out as a top-billing consultant, to eventually becoming a Country Director, and then Managing Director; working across the UK, and also heading up businesses in Qatar, Dubai and the EMEA region, and covering a range of sectors such as professional services, digital and tech, construction, aviation, manufacturing, engineering, automation, general industrial and commercial, oil and gas, driving, and hospitality.
As well as Blue Arrow, Bernard brings a wealth of experience from other recruitment firms including Daniel Owen Ltd and CBSbutler, both where he was Managing Director, as well as Reed and Adecco &ndash; and for which he oversaw many award-winning operations, including Best in Engineering Recruitment Award (National Recruitment Awards), Best Customer Service Award (Global Recruiter Awards), Best Recruitment Firm to Work For Award (Recruitment International &ndash; for four successive years), Agency of the Year (Recruiter Magazine), and a listing (placed 37) in The Sunday Times Top 100 UK Companies to Work For.
Mr Ward said, &ldquo;I have watched Acorn&rsquo;s impressive growth and achievements over many years, and it&rsquo;s certainly a real privilege to pick up where my predecessor left off. His contribution together with the team at Acorn, with the support of its parent Synergie, has been tremendous, for which they must be congratulated.
<blockquote>
<h5>&ldquo;And I guess my arrival sparks a new era for Acorn; a journey which I&rsquo;m absolutely delighted to join my new colleagues on, and for which we&rsquo;re envisaging exciting times ahead.&rdquo;</h5>
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re already working on plans to expand the business into new directions, and also of course, to get back out after the confines of the pandemic to continue to support our amazing clients, and as Acorn does every year, supporting thousands of people into work.&rdquo;
<h5>&ldquo;I have picked up the wonderful buzz here, and whilst we&rsquo;ve got loads to do, I&rsquo;m already appreciating how great it is to get stuck into things and to be tasked with leading Acorn forward onto its next stages of growth.&rdquo;</h5>
</blockquote>
&nbsp;
Daniel Augereau, Chairman of Acorn&rsquo;s parent company, the global recruitment giant Synergie, said of Mr Ward&rsquo;s appointment, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re delighted that Bernard has joined Acorn to head up our UK operations.
<blockquote>
<h5>&ldquo;Bernard has impressive credentials, and he provides the precise leadership and commercial qualities we were looking for to drive Acorn on over the coming years. He&rsquo;ll join a committed team of people, who continue to demonstrate they&rsquo;re eager to build on what has already been achieved, and to work closely with others across the Synergie group to develop our services for existing customers, and to reach out for new opportunities.&rdquo;</h5>
</blockquote>
Acorn has received many awards over the years, including Best UK Recruitment Firm, and it has placed some 2.7 million people into jobs since its first branch opened, in Newport, South Wales in 1992.
&nbsp;

New Managing Director for leading recruiter Acorn

<ul>
<li>The Chancellor visits North Devon to welcome a global bio-tech company&rsquo;s &pound;60m investment in the local area creating 200 jobs and levelling up.</li>
<li>These high skill, high wage jobs will fuel growth in Ilfracombe which will become home to one of the Pall Corporation&rsquo;s largest filtration manufacturing sites globally, employing 1,000 people.</li>
<li>Ilfracombe has played a critical role in the fight against Covid-19, providing vital filtration equipment to the majority of the world&rsquo;s vaccine suppliers, saving millions of lives.</li>
</ul>
THE CHANCELLOR has today welcomed a world-leading bio-tech company&rsquo;s &pound;60m investment in North Devon&ndash;hailing the effect it will have on creating jobs, boosting the local economy, and levelling up.
Visiting the Pall Corporation&rsquo;s Ilfracombe site &ndash; which is set to become one of the firm&rsquo;s largest filtration manufacturing centres globally thanks to the additional 200 jobs announced today &ndash; Rishi Sunak praised the investment in the town which played a critical role in the production of safe, cheap vaccines to fight Covid-19, saving millions of lives.
This is the first tranche of hundreds of millions of dollars which will be invested in the UK over the next three years, creating 500 jobs UK wide, part of a &pound;1.1bn global expansion announced in July 2021.
With a presence in Devon for more than 40 years, the Ilfracombe site supplies the vast majority of the world&rsquo;s vaccine manufacturers with vital filtration equipment crucial in the production of Covid-19 vaccines.
Following his visit, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:
&ldquo;It is great news that the Pall Corporation is investing &pound;60 million in Ilfracombe creating 200 jobs, a fantastic example of levelling up in action.
&ldquo;This site started in the 1970s with just 50 employees and now is playing a crucial role in world&rsquo;s fight back against Covid-19, saving lives in every country on the planet and boosting the Devon economy.
&ldquo;As we look to establish ourselves as a truly Global Britain and drive forward our recovery it&rsquo;s crucial, we continue to attract foreign investment and create well-paid jobs for the future.&rdquo;
Joseph Repp, President, Pall Life Sciences, said:
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re thrilled to be part of the Ilfracombe community and excited to welcome new associates to our growing team. Our Ilfracombe manufacturing facility is integral to our global capacity expansion plans and continues to play a critical role in helping our customers deliver life-saving vaccines and therapeutics for patients.&rdquo;
Filtering and cleaning air is essential in the creation of the huge numbers of safe vaccines the world needs. Without this vital technology, the risk of contamination increases, and production is slowed. This reduces the number of vaccines available and increases their cost.
The site in Ilfracombe, built on the old railway station in 1978, started with just 50 employees. Today it employs 850 people with an extra 200 recruits in the pipeline, the investment will be a significant boost to the local economy.
The Government is also investing to level up Devon and the South West. Devon County Council secured &pound;10 million of Government investment from the Community Renewal Fund to support local businesses, promote digital innovation in the county and create new opportunities.
At Budget the Government announced &pound;1.5bn worth of investment specifically earmarked for the South West to transform transport networks in the region by reopening railway stations and improving road networks, the Government is also investing in local economies and helping small businesses grow through the Cornwall and Isle of Scilly Investment Fund.

Pall invests £60 million in Ilfracombe creating 200 jobs

In the latest instalment of&nbsp;Insider's&nbsp;Q&amp;A series on the Northern Powerhouse, Christian Ash, director for the North at Acorn by Synergie, discusses what the initiative means to him, how Levelling Up funding can address geographical inadequacies, and the need to address skills gaps.
What does the Northern Powerhouse mean to you? My first job when I joined Acorn by Synergie was to open our office in Preston. Almost two decades later, I'm responsible for five offices and teams working across the North of England, and what I've come to appreciate in that time is that 'the North' is actually a number of unique regions each drawing upon their own individual strengths that are all critical to the development of the area as a whole. It's great to be able to draw on the term 'Northern Powerhouse' as a means to discussing these efforts collectively, but also important in my mind to remember that area-specific issues in business need always to be taken into account too.
Nine years have passed since the phrase 'Northern Powerhouse' was first coined. Has enough happened since then? It's been great to see some of the recent Levelling Up funding coming into the region and I'm hopeful that it will help breathe new life into those parts of the North that need it the most. I'd also like to think it's going to help address some of the geographical inadequacies in the UK that those of us working to support some amazing organisations and employers who are doing great things in the North would all consider very much to be a work in progress still, however.
How is the appointment of metro mayors starting to help the initiative? I think the metro mayor initiative could continue to play a key role in how that Levelling Up funding will or won't make a difference to the unique regions of the North we've already outlined. This means electing the right person to start with &ndash; someone who really knows the region they're representing and who is going to continue championing its individual wants and needs as a result. We know, as recruitment professionals, that new ways of working are necessary in order to drive growth, but can take time to fully bed in.
Ultimately, the metro mayor initiative is all about the devolution of powers to help drive the next phase of the 'Northern Powerhouse' concept. It's also up to us as businesses to make sure the people taking on these roles know what we need from them too, therefore, for it to truly work.
What needs to be done to help the North recover from the Covid-19 outbreak? It is clear from the support we continue to provide to businesses across the North of England that following Covid-19 that there is a pressing need to support not only learning gaps that were brought about by the pandemic in our young people as a result, but social ones too. Job seekers looking to enter the market for the first time are less familiar with face-to-face meetings and interview scenarios, for example. Their world has become quite insular and their ability to fully appreciate the supply and demand cycle has been impaired. As recruiters, we're working hard to create real life workplace opportunities for young people and those returning to work across the North, but success in this relies also on the provision of a central system that is fit for purpose too.
There is a need for a sustained focus on the creation of work-based learning opportunities for our young people following the Covid-19 pandemic, and Brexit too, if we are to avoid having a significant impact on our workforce capabilities regionally in future.
What is the single main issue you would like to see dominate the Northern Powerhouse agenda? Addressing skills gaps present across all sectors is going to play a central role in helping to drive the Northern Powerhouse agenda from our perspective as recruiters working to place job seekers into work regionally across the board. We have so many innovative businesses cropping up, alongside long-standing organisations synonymous with the North around which communities have grown up around. We know that the right people with the necessary skills to help these businesses continue to grow and prosper are within our reach locally, but if those people aren't educated, trained and inspired to believe in themselves and the contribution they are capable of making to the workforce regionally, it could mean trouble.
Is there enough collaboration between towns and cities across the North? As a business, for Acorn by Synergie to succeed, there has to be collaboration between regions, cities, towns and employers serving these areas for us to achieve success on behalf of the clients and candidates we represent.
Recruitment in itself is a collaborative effort and our work in the North would not be possible without the input of businesses, job seekers, industry bodies, centrally delivered skills funding and much more. Developments in technology have helped streamline this collaborative effort but people and goods will always need transporting from workplace to workplace in real time. So, we could and should always be striving to improve on our transport provisions across the North, not least with the country's wider environmental aims in mind too, for example.
How would the success of the Northern Powerhouse agenda benefit your business? For us, it's all about making connections on behalf of the people we represent and the agenda set out by the Northern Powerhouse has the potential to support us in achieving this, in so many ways. When it comes to placing the right people in work that is right for them, success relies on joined up thinking at the start of the candidate journey. As recruiters, we're always looking for effective collaboration between colleges, universities and industry bodies, for example, that can support and effect change in the calibre of candidates we can then expect to be seeing at application level.
The Northern Powerhouse ethos is about providing world-class education, training and care for everyone, whatever their background, and as key recruiters responsible for driving business and employment in all sectors across the North, we can't argue with that.

Powerhouse Perspective

<h5 class="__intro">Top Welsh employers and HR professionals were recognised at the third annual Wales HR Awards on Friday 22 March.</h5>
Hosted by Sian Lloyd, the awards &mdash; launched in 2017 by leading recruitment agency Acorn and commercial law firm Darwin Gray in partnership with the Wales HR Network &mdash; saw individuals and teams from across the country attend a black-tie event at the Exchange Hotel in Cardiff.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/m3idjijuhcq9ym6plqzcuxqhflu1" alt="Rising HR Star Emma Beth Smart" width="100%">
&nbsp;
Celebrating outstanding people and businesses for their contribution to HR and showcasing the best examples of learning and people management practice over the past twelve months, the evening featured inspirational keynote speaker, Bafta and multi-award-winning television presenter Lowri Morgan.
Firstsource Solutions Ltd, Gower College Swansea and Companies House were among the event&rsquo;s success stories, with winners announced in 13 categories, including the Best HR Initiative award which has been introduced for 2019 to recognise outstanding innovation and thought leadership across the sector.
HR Team of the Year was awarded to Firstsource Solutions Ltd for how its PeopleFirst plan raised employee engagement, increased governance and promoted a culture centred on employee wellbeing. Gower College Swansea scooped three awards in total, Sarah King was awarded the coveted HR Star Award along with HR Director of the Year for a second year running thanks to her demonstrable impact on her team, organisation and local community, and the team were also awarded Best Use of the Welsh Language.
Companies House took home Employer of the Year for its &lsquo;Flourish&rsquo; initiative which has increased diversity, inclusion and community feeling within the organisation through supportive coaching and mentoring.
A new category &mdash; created by the judges in light of this year&rsquo;s exceptional young talent &mdash; HR Rising Star was awarded to Emma Beth Smart of Monmouthshire Building Society.
<h5>Acorn&rsquo;s Director of Operations for South Wales, Maria Larcombe, said: &ldquo;People development is front and centre to how businesses operate and It&rsquo;s been fantastic to see so many excellent HR professionals come together to showcase the talent driving the future of HR in Wales forward. The standard of entries has been superb and all of our shortlisted individuals and teams have shown the highest commitment to maximising employee potential.&rdquo;</h5>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://cdn.sourceflow.co.uk/uobqcf4b99f2b2c2kwqttw7xe0bp" alt="Winners of 2019" width="100%">
&nbsp;
Once again, it&rsquo;s been a pleasure to host the awards alongside Darwin Gray as partners of the Wales HR Network and I&rsquo;m looking forward to seeing what our winners and the profession as a whole can achieve in Wales over the coming months.&rdquo;
Darwin Gray&rsquo;s Head of Employment Law and HR, Fflur Jones added:
<blockquote>
&nbsp;&ldquo;It has once again been a fantastic year to celebrate HR in Wales. It is a privilege, as partners of the Wales HR Network, to bring together such incredible talent in one room to shine a light on the hard work and dedication of an often underacknowledged profession. We are looking forward to what the rest of 2019 has in store!&rdquo;
&nbsp;&ldquo;It has once again been a fantastic year to celebrate HR in Wales. It is a privilege, as partners of the Wales HR Network, to bring together such incredible talent in one room to shine a light on the hard work and dedication of an often underacknowledged profession. We are looking forward to what the rest of 2019 has in store!&rdquo;
</blockquote>
Take a look through our photo gallery&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/153417838@N08/sets/72157679541032608/">here</a>.
&nbsp;
<h3>2019 Wales HR Awards winners </h3>
<hr>
Best HR Initiative&nbsp;(Sponsored by Human Resourcing Specialist Recruitment)
<h4>Conduit Global</h4>
<hr>
HR Team of the Year&nbsp;(Sponsored by Bowen Eldridge)
<h4>Firstsource Solutions UK Ltd</h4>
<hr>
Best Use of the Welsh Language in HR
<h4>Gower College Swansea</h4>
<hr>
Independent HR Consultant of the Year (Sponsored by Orchard)
<h4>Julie Grabham, JG HR Solutions Limited </h4>
<hr>
HR Director of the Year (Sponsored by Quantum Advisory)
<h4>Sarah King, Gower College Swansea </h4>
<hr>
HR Apprentice/Trainee/Assistant of the Year &nbsp;(Sponsored by ILS Training)
<h4>Emma Beth Smart, Monmouthshire Building Society </h4>
<hr>
Best HR Professional - Financial/Professional Services (Sponsored by Sweetmans and Partners)
<h4>Sophie Grant, Target Group </h4>
<hr>
Best HR Professional - Public/Third Sector (Sponsored by ALS)
<h4>Carolyn Oliver-Hall, International Baccalaureate</h4>
<hr>
 Best HR Professional - IT/Technology (Sponsored by Activ People HR)
<h4>Emily Webb, Liberty Marketing </h4>
<hr>
Best HR Professional -&nbsp;Construction/Manufacturing/Engineering
<h4>Mags Kerns, Calbee </h4>
<hr>
Employer of the Year (Sponsored by Capital Law)
<h4>Companies House </h4>
<hr>
HR Star Award
<h4>Sarah King</h4>
<hr>
HR Rising Star
<h4>Emma Beth Smart</h4>
&nbsp;

Winners crowned at Wales HR Awards 2019

Winners crowned at Wales HR Awards 2022

Tag - Wellbeing

Acorn by Synergie has been recognised for its commitment to supporting the emotional wellbeing of its employees as a winner at this year&rsquo;s Wales Business Awards.
The leading UK recruiter took home the Wellbeing at Work award at the 2023 ceremony, which took place at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales this week (May 18th).
Judges were looking for businesses that support their employees to succeed by demonstrating their commitment to health, safety and wellbeing and found what they were looking for at Acorn by Synergie, a company signed up to the Mental Health at Work Commitment pledge, among other things.
Bernard Ward, Managing Director said: &ldquo;As business leaders, the mental health of our employees is vital to the health of our business - it is a known fact that happy people make happy companies.
The company has also set in place &ldquo;you days&rdquo; where, if someone is struggling for any reason, they have a day available to take purely to focus on themselves, as well as giving people their birthday day off too.
Bernard added: &ldquo;I am absolutely delighted that these efforts have been formally recognised with this prestigious award, which is a tribute to all my amazing colleagues at Acorn by Synergie that work day in, day out to make it all happen.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t think of anything better to be recognised for as a business than as one supporting its workforce to be happier, more productive and emotionally resilient people to be honest.&rdquo;
&ldquo;We work really hard at Acorn by Synergie to support our highly valued colleagues in feeling valued and listened to, not just professionally but as people with home lives and loved ones to support, too.&rdquo;
The panel was also impressed by a range of other schemes Acorn by Synergie has introduced to support the company&rsquo;s workforce in all areas of their lives, not just at work.
These include life coaching support for senior staff, training mental health first aiders, monthly wellbeing checks with employees, financial wellbeing seminars, its Cycle to Work scheme, a Hybrid Working Policy, a Menopause Support Group and many other initiatives.

Acorn by Synergie praised for supporting emotional wellbeing of its employees

Jay was born in the UK and his family came to the UK from Pakistan; his father in 1975 and his mother in the early 1980&rsquo;s. Jay has 3 sisters and 1 brother and is a role model to his younger siblings.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and the exact dates change every year. This is because Islam uses a calendar based on the cycles of the moon. This year, Ramadan begins on the evening on 22 March and ends on 21 April.
The following interview gives a real insight into what Ramadan and Eid mean to Jay and the rest of the Muslim community.
What happens during Ramadan?
During Ramadan we have to fast every day between sunrise and sunset. Fasting isn&rsquo;t just giving up food as we cannot drink anything (not even water!) and we also can&rsquo;t do things like swear or smoke. Giving things up like this makes us appreciate what we have.
How does Ramadan make you feel &ndash; it must be hard not being able to eat or drink for long periods?
When I&rsquo;m fasting, I can feel tired, hungry, thirsty and stressed but it&rsquo;s a blessing and helps me work to become a better person. I actually look forward to it as it makes me feel good about myself, it teaches me to be a better person and the family and community come together.
What do you eat when the fasting ends each day?
I try to be really healthy and drink a lot of water, eat a lot of fruit and have things like rice, chicken and fish. It&rsquo;s really important to eat healthily to get my energy levels back up. I try and avoid things like samosas! We also have to break our fast with either water or dates. I have a 5KG box of dates in readiness!
Can you cook?
My mum and sister do the cooking but I am learning!
What can your colleagues at Acorn do to support you during Ramadan?
My colleagues have a lot of respect for me and my religion and make allowances for me being tired and less able to concentrate. I am able to pray in the office in Preston, I&rsquo;m able to work from home when I need to, and my colleagues have shown me a lot of respect and love. Having the freedom to pray in work is so important to me. I have booked holidays for Eid which were accepted straight away. My colleagues have also wished me Ramadan Mubarak which means &lsquo;have a blessed Ramadan&rsquo;; this means so much to me.
What is Ramadan like in your local community in Preston?
Preston is very diverse and my family and I are accepted in the local community. When my dad first came to the UK, there was a lot of abuse but things are much better now and we are able to express our religion. We also get on very well with our non-Muslim neighbours. I know lots of different languages e.g. Urdu and Punjabi and this helps me communicate with a diverse range of candidates.
What&rsquo;s the biggest and most important thing that you have learned during previous Ramadans?
Patience is probably the biggest lesson I have learned, although I am still trying to master it. I have also learned how important it is to be healthy and have a good diet.
What happens if someone is unable to fast due to illness?
The only time you are able not to fast is due to illness. My dad can&rsquo;t fast and instead, he donates &pound;5 each day of Ramadan which is then given to the Imam who donates it to the poor.
Do children observe Ramadan?
Young children don&rsquo;t but those that have reached puberty do.
What happens at the end of Ramadan?
Ramadan can last for 30 or 29 days, depending on the moon. At the end of Ramadan, we celebrate Eid (Eid al-Fitr). Eid is a celebration where we put on our traditional clothing, eat, pray and meet up with our family. We eat things like rice, kebabs and samosas and go to the mosque to pray. We also exchange gifts e.g. toys for children.
What does Islam mean to you?
Islam is all about peace and it helps me to be humble, respectful and a good human being.
Thank you so much Jay for sharing your experience of Ramadan and Eid; we have learned a lot. Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family.

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