Uwais one of many unsung volunteering heroes at Blackburn Rovers Community Trust
Blackburn Rovers Community Trust has a strong team of volunteers who support the charity to deliver and provide invaluable support to their local community 365 days per year.
Volunteers provide valuable support to numerous projects and initiatives, from engaging with young people on the Trust’s Neighbourhood Youth Offer to being a person to talk to at the health and well-being sessions.
One important volunteer role that that is not often visible is the Trust’s board of Trustees. The board of Trustees play an important role in helping deliver Blackburn Rovers Community Trust’s strategy within the local area and beyond. Blackburn Rovers Community Trust have a dedicated and hardworking board of Trustees, including Uwais Patel, a qualified Chartered Accountant who has worked in audit and advisory, before joining an insurance broker where he currently holds the post of Group Chief Operating Officer.
Uwais helps BRCT with Community Inclusion and he assists the board of Trustees with key decisions that impact the present and future of the charity.
Speaking during Volunteers Week 2023, Uwais said: “I have lived in Blackburn all my life and I was brought up as a Rovers fan. It meant that I always wanted to give back to the community and help overcome barriers that I faced.
“Having seen the work, the Community Trust had done previously and my passion for the football club, I really wanted to get involved and give back to the community.
“I am lucky enough now to work for a company that also sponsors the football club and we have supported many initiatives such as the Ewood Express that helps thousands of people in the borough.
“I am incredibly proud to represent the Community Trust. It is great that I can listen to the public and know we have the both the facilities and fantastic team in place running the day-to-day operations to make a positive difference.”
Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering in their communities.
“Community focus was a key part of my life when I was growing up,” explained Uwais, when asked why he wanted to volunteer to be a Trustee. It is also one of the key virtues of my religion, Islam. Giving back to the community gives us a sense of gratitude and by being privileged enough to be in this position as a Trustee and to see the impact the Community Trust is making on so many people’s lives helps me accomplish my personal goals too.
“I am a lifelong Blackburn Rovers supporter and to have the chance to give back to my town, I have never seen it as a volunteering role but almost a hobby that I enjoy doing. The Community Trust has made a huge difference on my life by allowing me to make a difference. However, more importantly, it is making a difference on thousands of individuals of all ages, genders, and backgrounds.
“Without the great staff we have in place, none of this would be even possible. You can see on a matchdays the difference it makes but the Community Trust is active 365 days per year supporting people.”
