1st October 2021
This Black History Month we ask our colleagues what they’re Proud to Be
I’m Folu, the customer support manager for Civica Financials. Leading a team of eight, I support our clients who are mainly local authorities, housing providers, police forces and schools.
Black History Month is an important month, as we celebrate more Black culture, arts and achievements. There are more films and documentaries celebrating Black creatives than ever, and in turn, I show my support by watching and promoting them within my social circles.
Considering all that’s occurred in the past 18 months, from COVID to the Black Lives Matter movement, organisations have responded to ensure that Black History Month is emphasised and celebrated amongst their workforces and in society.
I am proud to be a Black British man, which is expressed in my love for both fish and chips and Nigerian jollof rice.
I also take equal pride in wearing a suit and wearing a buba and sokoto (a traditional Nigerian outfit).
I am proud to be the child of an immigrant mother. Her Master’s degree from a Nigerian university wasn’t recognised in the UK and so she had to restart her life. She retrained, starting off with menial jobs, while ensuring we had a home and food on the table.
An African proverb states that it takes a community to raise a child. I have a collection of aunties who all provided emotional and financial support to make me the man I am today. I may stand in the workplace but always remember that it’s taken the collective efforts of others to pave the way for where I am today.
At Civica, I’ve worked with professionals from a variety of races and cultures, all at different levels of seniority. The work ethic, the drive and the passion that I have witnessed is nothing but inspiring.
Civica continues to evolve and considers how to constantly improve, for both our external and internal clients. There is more than enough talent and determination within the company, and hopefully soon we will start to see more ethnically diverse representation at the board and senior levels as we continue to build a robust pipeline.
In my current position, I take inspiration from my colleagues Robert Smith and Lorraine Smith. Both have worked at Civica for significant lengths of time and have risen the ranks through hard work and determination. Outside of work, it’s my mother who inspires me, whose sacrifices motivate me further every day.