Groundswell’s Mat Amp interviews Nawshin, a community reporter on the Listen Up! project, about her experience with Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day film [you can watch the film by clicking on this link https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001k32p/comic-relief-2023-red-nose-day You can find Nawshin’s interview after 1 hour and 23 minutes] 

You can find out more about the project here https://groundswell.org.uk/2023/rednoseday-princewilliam/  

For clarity, I refer to Nawshin as Nel a few times during this interview.

 

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Mat: Right, so, did you have any reservations about doing this? 

Nawshin: Yes, I had a lot of reservations. I did a lot of overthinking about it. I was just worried that being in such a public domain that it might negatively impact my life and my employment opportunities. So, I definitely made it seem a lot bigger in my head than it actually turned out to be.  

Mat: Yeah. Did you worry about the way that they were going to talk to you or treat you?  

Nawshin: Yes, I was worried about that because I was concerned that they [the representatives from the BBC and Comic Relief] might not be able to cater to my disabilities or they might treat me differently because of my background or because of my ethnicity and my lack of experience in comparison to everybody else who works there. But no, it was really good. They treated me with the utmost respect. They catered everything towards what would be good or bad for me. They just did everything to make sure that I was safe, I was happy. And they really did everything to make sure that everything was okay. They really did put everything in place to make sure that I was comfortable.  

Mat:  Brilliant. You know, I found that that as well, that they seemed to be very attuned to the sort of safeguarding needs. And it kind of surprised me a little bit that.  

Nawshin: Yeah.  

Mat: And what did it do for you, the actual experience of taking part? 

Nawshin: Um, I’m not necessarily sure that it did anything for me, but I’m hoping that by using my voice and talking about things that I will make services and policy better for people who are struggling. It’s not that necessarily I wanted to get anything out of it or that looking for fame or anything. So, it was just to be able to put a voice to a cause.  

Mat: Yeah. Do you find that being listened to is a kind of, I don’t know, for me anyway, kind of being listened to, it kind of helps me think of myself in better terms. I don’t know if that’s the best way to put it, but do you find that that when you’re you’ve got a platform to talk, that it makes you kind of feel better about things?  

Nawshin: I have a very complicated relationship with my self-worth, but I think I should believe when I’m speaking and when I receive so many compliments from people, I should believe what they say and that if I read my transcript back [The transcript from her interview], I should think, wow, I said some really good things. But at the time or when I’m continually thinking about how I’m going to fix my life or try to have like better long-term goals, it’s just…I feel like I’m not doing enough, but evidence is showing me that I’m doing enough it is just me not believing that.  

Mat: Yes, it’s difficult. It’s not as simple as people say it is it. It’s kind of like people think it’s a simple thing that once you do this, you feel better. But it is far more complex than that. And I think you really shine a light on that in a way that I haven’t quite heard from anyone else in that kind of way. But do you think that organizations generally are sort of taking a more holistic approach to homelessness, I don’t know, in the last ten or 15 years?  

Nawshin: Yep, I believe they are. There are still so many issues so that’s the only thing I still find troubling because I’m really… I’m getting my voice out there in mainstream media. I’m getting all of these amazing opportunities. But then like a few hours later when I come back home, it’s as if nothing has changed. I feel like I’m more contributing towards the future generation, but it can kind of it make me feel a bit crap because I can’t fix my own issues.  

Mat: Yeah, I really understand that. Is there anything else you want to add?  

Nawshin: Yeah, I really, really love doing this kind of stuff. So honestly, I would just feel better if I had more opportunities like this. That’s it.  

Mat: Thanks very much for speaking to me.