Staff Showcase – Rakin Sayed

Our staff showcase highlights the hardworking team at F&BF. This week we meet our Fundraising Officer!

Your name and job title: Rakin Sayed, Fundraising Officer 

What made you initially interested in interfaith work? 

I have family from different faiths and cultures. I always loved interfaith work at university and like to learn about other people’s beliefs.

Why do you feel it’s still required in our world? What motivates you? 

It is required because people have a lot of misconceptions about people different to them. Faith is such an integral part of people’s lives and so it is important that we learn about it whether we adhere to a specific religious tradition or not. 

How did you first hear about F&BF? 

I heard about them when I was searching for London-based interfaith organisations.

How would you explain what you do to someone completely unfamiliar with our work, and what is your favourite aspect of your job?

I would say that we help connect communities and ensure that people are able to feel comfortable and confident in expressing their faith. We also try to counter narratives of hate and discrimination through encounter. 

What is the most common misconception about your job? And what is the truth? 

Many people think interfaith work means that there are no differences between faiths, which is not true – there are theological and practical differences, and interfaith work means that I can not only accept that, but celebrate and cherish it.  

What didn’t you realise about interfaith until working at F&BF? 

How many different people from different walks of life want to promote positive interfaith relations – it is really reassuring.  

What are you most proud of during your time here at F&BF? 

I am most proud of being able to collaborate with everyone on the team at some point in such a short space of time. 

What floats your boat outside of work? 

I love languages and learning about different cultures. At the moment I really like learning Hindi and Persian and love listening to music in different languages.