Service Manager for the Build on Belief Weekend Service in Newham and Online Facilitator

My name is Raman Nijhawan, I have had problems with addiction for over 25 years.

I would describe my past as rather colourful. I felt that this would now be a permanent barrier for me to become the person I wanted to be. Fortunately for me I was lucky to find an organisation called Build on Belief, that was built on people that had come through the same problems that I have. They have a philosophy, a vision that gave me hope for a better future. Their vision was never to ask about your education, experience and irrelevant parts of your criminal record or past.

First, I started off as a service user for 6-months then I became a volunteer. I did this for about 12 months and then became a group facilitator for table tennis and pool and a team leader. As I was gaining more experience, I was also doing on-site training and supervision. I don’t know why but I knew 100% in my heart and mind when I started if I follow the programme that Build on Belief has I will one day be a manager. This belief came from learning from people with lived experience not a college book. So here I am now in my journey, during Covid I adapted quickly to going digital and bringing new and vibrant content and performance to in hub groups. I am now Newham service manager and on several digital panels.

When people here think this loser kid is now a service manager, they say you have made it now, I have not made it I am a soldier who has to fight every day with my inner demons, everyday I ask sobriety what it has left for me.

Sobriety reply’s “Let me be a pillow so your head can be rested, let me touch you with everything that I have been blessed with. Let me take your pain and sorry, let me take your hand and lead you to a better tomorrow.”

Living the BoB dream.

Vision and mission statement “to always empower service users to have the autonomy to make informed choices regarding their diverse needs in an ethical and considerate way”.

I came, I fought, I concurred.

Contact Details

Email: [email protected]