Noha Al Afifi

Noha Al Afifi is the Director of Fundraising and Communications at the charity Arthritis Action. She is responsible for raising awareness and profile of her charity and for diversifying its income, to ensure it can continue to support people living with arthritis.

Tell us about your journey with Pilotlight.

I learned about Pilotlight when I joined Arthritis Action in 2015, because our CEO worked there prior to her current role. I worked with Pilotlight as a Partner Charity on a few programmes to help us develop our social media strategy. I was later on introduced to the Ignite Initiative and I decided to apply because it sounded like an exciting and valuable programme.

Why did you become a Pilotlighter?

I became a Pilotlighter for many reasons. Firstly, I really wanted to support a charity and give my time and expertise to help in any way possible. Charities have many challenges, and I know first-hand how valuable it is to get an external perspective.

Secondly, I wanted to develop my leadership capability further, so joining an expert community and sharing conversations with fellow Pilotlighters really helped achieve this.

The Ignite Initiative brings together some of the brightest and most insightful individuals from all walks of life, which brings me onto my next point: I loved Pilotlight’s emphasis on amplifying the voice of those from underrepresented groups. As a person from a minority ethnic background, this meant a lot to me. Pilotlight provided me with a unique opportunity to contribute meaningfully towards helping an organisation tackle some of its toughest challenges.  

What has been your biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge was interacting with everyone remotely, especially in the beginning. As a comms person I really value in-person interactions, especially at the beginning of projects, which understandably wasn’t possible due to the ongoing covid pandemic. After the first meeting or two this became a lot easier, and I believe teamwork made our project a success.

What’s surprised you most?

What has surprised me most was that Pilotlighters came from different backgrounds and areas of expertise, which meant that each person felt differently about an idea or approach at times. This sometimes led to having slightly uncomfortable conversations, which was fine because ultimately, there was consensus on the way forward.

What’s your proudest moment?

My proudest moments were seeing tangible, positive outcomes which were a direct result from the meetings and discussions we have had. A good example was the charity CEO presenting their new strategy and operational plan. Knowing that I played a part in this was extremely rewarding.

Tell us about the impact Pilotlight has had on you, both personally and professionally.

In my day job, as an executive, I know I have a say in how things are run in my charity but being part of the Ignite Initiative has helped boost my confidence further. It made me appreciate that I can add value to other organisations externally as well. Personally, I have grown in confidence too.

Is there anything you wished you'd known as a first time Pilotlighter? What advice would you give to someone thinking of becoming a Pilotlighter via the Ignite Initiative?

The one thing I wish I had known was that it takes a couple of meetings to get people acquainted with one another, and for the charity CEO to feel comfortable sharing their biggest challenges and at the same time be receptive to our ideas and constructive feedback.

Describe being a Pilotlighter in three words.

Rewarding, interesting, varied.