Blog: Community
Amos Dadzie
Amos is a Vice-Chair of a primary school in Feltham. As we continue to look at Hounslow’s diverse community of volunteers, he shares his motivation for playing a key role in the development our young learners.
My journey to becoming a school governor is rooted in my belief in giving back and supporting my local community. It is a privilege to contribute in this way and I hope it plays a supportive role in pupils’ development, as it did for me when I was at school.
My motivation to become a governor stems from a desire to ensure that children receive a quality education that not only covers academic excellence but also fosters personal growth. I am fortunate to work for an employer that supports their staff to volunteer which has enabled me to make this commitment and invest time and effort in supporting the school.
As the Vice-Chair, one of my focuses is on supporting the development of the character curriculum, which goes beyond traditional learning. My responsibilities involve nurturing the personal development targets of our students, aiming to build their cultural capital, and preparing them for a diverse and global society.
The role of a governor is instrumental in creating a positive and inclusive environment where children can thrive. By volunteering, I’m able to contribute to the continuous improvement of educational standards and outcomes within the school.
Volunteering as a governor has been incredibly rewarding. It has allowed me to grow personally and professionally, enhancing my leadership skills and deepening my understanding of the challenges and triumphs within the education sector.
I am pleased to participate in Volunteers Week and hope that my case study can inspire others to consider the fulfilling role of a school governor.
Raghav Ghai
Raghav was born and bred in Heston where he now continues to give back to his community through his role as a School Governor.
I was born and grew up in Heston and my parents still live there. I am strongly motivated to participate in my local community and feel I am best placed to do that by volunteering as a governor. I benefitted first hand from the fantastic experience I had at my primary schools in Heston, where I was encouraged by teachers to push myself. I’m acutely aware of how education can encourage ambition.
I went on to obtain my GCSEs and A-levels at Hampton School and read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University and am now a partner in international law firm, Simmons & Simmons.
It is my due to give back to the community and education system that nurtured me – throughout my teenage years I contributed by volunteering in youth club programmes as a supervisor, at Heston Community School classes for those with special needs and by working part time tutoring children.
Now I would like to use my professional skills, experience, and network to protect and drive the successes of Springwell School. My wife and I have an infant daughter and son and I see their faces in the bright and energetic pupils I meet at Springwell, pushing me to work harder! The success of the school is central to embedding the commendable values of the school (Equality; Integrity; Acceptance; Kindness and Ambition).
In my role as governor, I contribute to meetings and follow up on ideas between them: this involves bringing best practice I have learned from governor training, my job as a lawyer and my network, including education professionals as well as carrying out responsibilities such as headteacher assessment, review of policies and, most recently, OFSTED inspection interviews.
I would encourage anyone with a wider interest in the education of our borough’s youngsters to consider this type of volunteering, it’s so worthwhile and strengthens your own bonds with the community.
Charlotte
Originally, I became an environmental champion as I was working on an eco-startup. I'm no longer working on the startup, but I met with other local champions and through this we decided to launch the Chiswick Repair Cafe.
I've also volunteered to be part of Hounslow campaigns promoting recycling - having my photo on one of the local rubbish trucks has been surprisingly fun! We also recently ran a Chiswick wide litter pick.
It's good to be in touch with other environmental champions across the borough. We share ideas and issues and are also invited on relevant courses and days out. I really enjoyed a recent talk by City to Sea, all about their refill stations and other successful environmental campaigns they have run.
