Nasima's story

"I was invited to attend the Business in the Community Awards for Excellence Gala Dinner because I was a member of the MERLIN Student Council. 

It gave me an opportunity to understand and experience the idea of 'networking' in a professional environment.

I was not dissuaded to do anything because of what I saw or heard at the evening - it just made me think a bit. For example, after talking to certain people I realised that smaller businesses could be just as prosperous as a big corporate company and their achievements will still be recognised. I think this will definitely impact on what type of company I choose to work for in the future. I think the whole evening showed me a more 'friendlier' side of businesses, but this leads you to wonder whether the companies were doing it just so they could add another trophy to their name to impress their customers with...

Business in the Community provided me with an invaluable experience, which has definitely inspired me and helped me feel more comfortable in a professional environment - I would definitely do it again. I hope in the future many others will have the chance to experience an event like this too."

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The MERLIN programme run by Business in the Community, uses role models from the corporate world to raise the aspirations of young people from Black, Asian and minority (BAME) backgrounds.

MERLIN is funded by London Councils and the business partners include BT, EDF Energy, Channel 4, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Ernst & Young and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Nasima Begum Ali benefited from a series of MERLIN activities one of which was to be sponsored by Bank of America Merrill Lynch to attend the Business in the Community Awards of Excellence gala at the Royal Albert Hall.