Aik Saath - Peer Training Team

Meet the Team...


	I heard about Aik Saath through my brother Shahavez. I decided to start attending because I was bored and wanted to do something worthwhile with my time. I really like being a part of Aik Saath because I make new friends. My favourite memory of being in Aik Saath so far is Routes for Change. This event brought people from the community together and raised £600 for a local charity that supports people with HIV/AIDS. I would recommend joining Aik Saath to other young people because it helps to make a positive difference to other people and yourself.

	I heard about Aik Saath through my sister Sahdia and I decided to join Aik Saath because I thought it would be a good way of meeting people. I really enjoy the social aspects of what we do and the events. My favourite experience at Aik Saath so far has been the first conference I helped to organise - it celebrated ten years of Aik Saath and launched a research project we are working on looking at community cohesion. I would recommend joining Aik Saath because you learn about other cultures and get involved in a variety of exciting activities.

	I first heard about Aik Saath through my Mum -she is on our management committee. I went to a meeting, found it interesting and decided to join. I really like the way everyone at Aik Saath is so welcoming and generous - there is a lot of hard work but it is worth it, especially when you see the outcome. The best thing I have done at Aik Saath so far is a speech to eighty people. It went really well and it is a special memory. I would recommend joining Aik Saath to others because it is fun and it is a pleasure to work with the team.

	I heard about Aik Saath through a friend of my Mum. I joined Aik Saath because I wanted something to do and I wanted to see if it would be something I enjoy. The name Aik Saath sounded good to me. I like being in Aik Saath, meeting other people my age. I would recommend joining to others because you have a laugh and a good time.

	My friend was a member of the group and he told me about what the group did. I thought it sounded interesting so I decided to join. I wanted to meet new people and further develop my interest in working with younger people and making a difference in the community. I really like going to the annual residential, team days out and the weekly meetings. I have lots of good memories from being part of Aik Saath but I really enjoyed my first residential in Oxford and the team day out when we went go-karting. I'd recommend joining Aik Saath to others because you get to meet new people, learn new things and have fun.

	My brother Jawad was a member of Aik Saath for ten years and I would like to continue his good work. I enjoy being a part of Aik Saath because it means you do something worthwhile with your spare time. It's also really interesting - we're always learning new stuff. We have a good time though - it's fun and you enjoy yourself - we have a lot of jokes. My special memories at Aik Saath so far are being given chocolates by the group when I was feeling ill and delivering my first workshop in London.

	I joined Aik Saath as I wanted to involve myself within the community, play my part to improve Slough, develop myself, gain skills and meet new people. At Aik Saath I'm inspired by the challenges we continually have to face. Aik Saath brings people together... Together As One

	I joined Aik Saath for two reasons: Firstly, Aik Saath came to my school last year and delivered some sessions - so I got to know them that way. Secondly, my cousin has been volunteering at Aik Saath for a long time and he recommended joining to me. I decided to join to meet new people and help my community. I really enjoy the team meetings on Tuesdays and going on team nights out. Sometimes it's hard being part of the group, particularly when we have to prepare for lots of workshops - but it's worth it. The first workshop I delivered was really memorable and a completely new experience for me. I'm really enjoying being a part of Aik Saath and I would recommend it to others.

	I joined Aik Saath because I wanted to do something about the conflicts that were happening in Slough. I enjoy meeting people and team days out- it’s a good chance to get to know everyone. I have been with the group since it began and since then I have ran many workshops and training sessions. They have made me more confident and helped me out in college and at work. The residentials are brilliant for training and they help you increase your skills while having a good time. The staff are very good and on our level- they always take care of you if you need help, with the group or anything else. You know you can trust them and approach them when you need them.



	I heard about the group through an article in the paper and I decided to join because I wanted to give something back to the community - I wanted to help in some way, to change things, to make them better. I enjoy working with our enthusiastic team members, delivering workshops and being active / useful. For example, I really enjoyed some work we did recently in Reading. It was scary to being with but it was very rewarding and the young people appreciated us being there. I'd recommend joining Aik Saath because you can learn and gain new skills, put something back into the community, it's character building and it looks good on your CV.

	I have been with Aik Saath since September 2002. My brother first introduced me to the group- it sounded really good so I decided to join. I really enjoy the residentials, the team days out and the weekly meetings. I’m also really proud of the awards we have won while I have been a part of the team. Probably the most special one would be the Queen’s Unsung Heroes Award because it is really prestigious. My best memories from Aik Saath would have to be from the residentials- we always have a really good time. I’d recommend joining Aik Saath to other young people because you have so many experiences you just wouldn’t get otherwise.

	I heard about Aik Saath through a friend who was already a member of the group. I joined because I felt like I was at the right age to have an insight into how young people feel. I also wanted to get experience in youth work and help out other people. I like being a part of Aik Saath because we learn new skills and stay up to date with current local issues. Meeting new people and travelling to different schools/workshop venues are other aspects I value. I have many good memories but perhaps my happiest are from my first residential. The team went to Oxford and the teambuilding was great - really getting to know all the members. I would recommend joining Aik Saath because it is your chance to do something productive for the community.

	I first heard about Aik Saath through my friend Abeer and I decided to join because I thought it would be fun. The thing I enjoy most about being a part of Aik Saath is meeting new friends. My favourite memory so far is a sponsored walk that I helped to organise. I helped raised over £600 for a local charity that supports people with HIV/AIDS. I would tell other people to join Aik Saath because it provides an opportunity for you to help yourself and other people in the community.

	I decided to join Aik Saath because I like what the organisation does. I enjoy making a positive difference - even if that difference is small. I would recommend joining Aik Saath to others because it's cool.

	I joined through a Community Cohesion project that Aik Saath held at my school. I enjoyed the project so I decided to join Aik Saath. It’s fun working with people that are the same age as me and getting to know the group better. I really like the weekly meetings and the fact that we do different things every week, have team days out and go on residentials- we had a mini-residential in January this year and I went pool crazy! LOL I would recommend joining Aik Saath to other young people because you get to meet so many new people and you get that good feeling you get when you try to help the community.

	I joined this group because I wanted to learn more about the conflicts that happen in everyday life. I wanted more information about conflicts - how do they start and how do you resolve them? I wanted to become a person who resolved conflicts, instead of causing them. I also wanted to build up my confidence and mix with the other people in the group - they are really good people. Through Aik Saath I won Slough’s Young Citizen of the Year Award and I am really proud of this achievement. Aik Saath has provided me with many skills, awards and friends- I would recommend it to anyone.

	I am both a volunteer for Aik Saath and the organisation’s administrator. I first heard about Aik Saath when I met Mandeep (Project Manager) at a conference. I decided that I wanted to join Aik Saath to make a difference in my community. The things I enjoy most about being involved in the organisation is the different kinds of projects we do and meeting lots of different people. My best memories are of the various residentials we have been on. Getting to know everyone and the teambuilding we do when we go away have been real highlights. The great thing about Aik Saath is that we never do the same thing twice, we do so many different things and we’re always meeting new people.


Meet the Staff...

Aik Saath: Abeer Kiani, Aisha Khan, Ash Gabbi, Asim Khan, Asad Sadiq, Fawad Ahmed, Hafeez Javeed, Hassan Akhtar, Hassnain Khan, Jawad Ahmed, Ladan Jama, Mandeep Kaur Sira, Phupinder Sembi, Raja Ali, Rob Deeks, Royna Ghazi, Ruqayah Begum, Safiyah Ahmed, Sahdia Khan, Shahavez Kiani, Shazab Rafiq, Tej Bhachu, Vivek Sharma