Malak Sawan

Partnership Coordinator for the London Borough Faith Network

Malak is the Partnership Coordinator at the London Borough Faith Network (LBFN), which is co-chaired by London Plus. LBFN links faith forums across London boroughs to public services. Malak’s role involves making connections with faith leaders and partner organisations to build the capacity of faith groups.

Hi Malak, could you tell us a bit about yourself? Do you have any interesting hobbies?

Hi! I am originally Lebanese and moved to the UK 2 years ago. I love this country and its diversity. I fell in love with Bath because I love history.

Every time I go there, I feel I am in a historical movie but need to change my outfit.

Additionally, I love to travel around the world. So far, I have visited 12 countries and plan to add 3 more this year.

I speak French, English, and Arabic, and if I had the time, I would definitely learn more languages.

Great! What about a fun fact about you?

Well, I love to drive and would like to participate in Formula One someday!

What does your role involve?

I’m the Partnership Coordinator at the London Borough Faith Network (LBFN), which is co-chaired by London Plus.

We link faith forums across London boroughs to public services. My role involves making connections with faith leaders and partner organisations to build the capacity of faith groups.

This includes organising a Resilience Training for Faith leaders in each borough, and others tasks like strengthening those connections and building their capabilities to ensure they are prepared to respond and collaborate when a major incident occurs.

This involve organising monthly meetings to bring partners together, developing table-top exercises, or representing faith groups during London Resilience Group meetings.

How did you end up in the role?

My career has spanned the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. I have more than 10 years of experience in humanitarian work, specifically in emergency settings.

Due to the cultural sensitivity in those areas, working with faith groups was mandatory. I brought this experience and understanding to my current role.

Why is your work important?

In my role, I am proud to say that when we meet with partners from different faith groups, we discuss everything except faith.

We talk about community resilience, social responsibility, collaboration, and improvement. This is truly exceptional.