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Every workplace has a wealth of people
They each have a story to tell
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Two years, one pandemic and twenty incredible stories.
We asked employees at Nationwide to spend an hour with a film crew. What emerged were stories of journeys, jobs, love, overcoming challenges and looking for a sense of belonging.
Aisha
Aisha is Swindon born and bred and joined Nationwide in 2014. In 2020 she became to the co-chair of Race Together – Nationwide’s ethnicity network. She is also a mentor on the Black Young Professionals programme.
Watch Aisha reflecting on conversations with her family about her own appearance and ethnicity.
Louise
Louise grew up just outside Swindon and writes horror novels for fun. Doing a psychology degree gave her an insight into the way her own mind works.
Watch Louise talking about why she chose to study psychology and what direction her career has gone in since.
Keith
Keith came to live in Swindon, part-time, from Baltimore in the US via Hawaii and Cornwall. He worked as a community organiser for the new community that Nationwide is building in Oakfield.
Watch Keith talking about his job as a community organiser for Nationwide’s new housing development in Swindon.
Paulina
Paulina came to Swindon from Poland via the Netherlands, New York and London. Although she’s now settled in Swindon she still misses the pickles of her homeland!
Watch Paulina explaining her decision to move away from Poland to live and work elsewhere.
Stephen
Stephen has lived in East and West Swindon and has now settled in the North. He grew up in the hills outside Belfast but he’s called Swindon home for 26 years. Just don’t tell his mum that.
Watch Stephen describing what’s it like to live in Swindon.
Lily
Lily came from Malaysia to Swindon via a university education in Calgary, Canada and after fourteen years working in New York. And what brought her to Swindon? Love!
Watch Lily describing her globetrotting.
Praji
After a degree in engineering, Praji worked in rural Idaho and high-tech California before taking a short-term contract with Nationwide in Swindon. Many years later, she’s still here.
Watch Praji talking about the expectations and hopes that her parents had for her.
Drew
Originally from South Africa, Drew moved to Swindon after taking a job with Nationwide. When she’s not working you can find her walking her dog, feeding her dog or taking her dog to the grooming parlour.
Watch Drew talking about some of the cultural differences between the UK and South Africa.
Piotr
Piotr has done wrestling, Judo, Strongman and bodybuilding competitions. He’s now a personal trainer helping other to compete. Oh – and he works at Nationwide!Â
Watch Piotr explaining the reason why he moved to the UK.
Sue
Back in the late 1970s, Sue left school on Friday and started working for Nationwide on Monday. Her parents, from different ends of China, had met via a postal romance and initially settled in the South Wales valleys before moving to Swindon when Sue was 11. It’s been Sue’s home ever since.
Watch Sue describing office culture in Swindon when she first started work.
Ramesh
Ramesh came from Nepal to Swindon via Canterbury and London. His family moves in his early years were dictated by his father’s role with the military and his postings.Â
Watch Ramesh explaining how his father’s postings influenced his life.
Mubbisher
Mubbisher’s accent is a mishmash of Leeds, Pakistan and Newport with a hint of Swindon. An early love of Star Trek and Sci-Fi led to a career in IT and project management.
Watch Mubbisher musing on his retirement plans.
Leigh
Leigh was used to working remotely even before the pandemic changed the way we work. She has serious long term health conditions but her colleagues know her mostly as the owner of a husky that likes to poke its nose over her laptop.
Watch Leigh talk about interaction in person in the office compared with virtual interaction.
Nigel
Nigel is a native Swindonian. His daughter has the exceptionally rare Myhre Syndrome and he is part of the Enable network at Nationwide, supporting colleagues with disabilities, and is Chair of Governors at his daughter’s school.
Watch Nigel talking about sharing his family situation with his colleagues and the support he’s had at work.
Lily
Lily joined Nationwide in 2005 to cover a maternity leave but never left! A trained lawyer, Lily was one of the prime movers in setting up an ethnicity support network within Nationwide.
Watch Lily talk about the importance of education to Nigerian parents.
Laura
Laura started working for Nationwide just before Christmas in 2013 and moved to Swindon shortly after to avoid the lengthy commute from South Wales.Â
Watch Laura describing how having epilepsy had an influence on her social life at University.
Joel
Joel joined Nationwide on the graduate scheme in 2019. Within six months of starting he found himself permanently working from home as the pandemic hit. Luckily he also found his new home in Swindon was surprisingly neighbourly.
Watch Joel talk about his decision to volunteer as a mentor for secondary school children in Swindon.
Alice
After university, Alice moved to Swindon to start her working life. As she had no ready-made network, she struggled to find new friends. She solved the problems by setting up the Swindon 18-30 Professionals group to help people in the same boat as herself meet each other.
Watch Alice talking about the changing opportunities available to women of different generations.
Amy
Born in Goa, Amy moved to Swindon with her parents when she was 21. Although initially resistant to the English weather, she now says Swindon would be perfect if it only had a beach.
Watch Amy talk about her complicated nationality.
Julie
One of the first generation of women who broke through the glass ceiling to be a branch manager, Julie joined Nationwide when she was 17 and made her way, slowly and surely, through the ranks.Â
Watch Julie talking about seizing an opportunity.
