Hear from our friendly Cambridge Centre Assistant, James, who shares what he loves about working at Allia and the hobbies and interests that keep him busy outside of work.
What attracted you to work for Allia?
I was looking for a job that would enhance my people skills and something that had a routine. The centre itself was both modern and traditional which is a rarity compared to other business centres I have previously been to.
How has your role as Centre Assistant changed from your previous roles?
I have always been able to express my true self in this role, in other jobs I had to be more restrictive and as an openly queer person that can be difficult sometimes. There’s lots of activity happening in the centres and each day, there’s a different challenge which makes this role so great. I do not have to compromise my personality.
What does your role involve?
How long have we got? Haha. The centre team greets visitors and tenants and helps them find where or who they are looking for. We book meeting rooms and conference rooms – and we are the first port of contact for our tenants and visitors, both physically and virtually. We make sure the centres run as smoothly as possible and are there to be a helping hand.
What do you enjoy about working at Allia?
I enjoy the atmosphere of our centres. I love the social aspect of the job and that I’m able to help our visitors and tenants in any way I can.
Everyone is willing to do something for each other and that is great to see.
How does Allia help to create a positive impact for people, place and planet?
From its variety of clientele to our amazing Allia staff – I feel that we are truly making a difference.
We all have a need to make this world a better place, but there is still more to be done, especially with LGBTQ+ businesses and charities – I believe Allia can lead by example, demonstrating to other organisations what it means to truly embrace diversity.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
By day I am a centre assistant, by night and weekends I do amateur dramatics podcasts. I have an ongoing Doctor Who fan project – You can see me in “The Queer Doctor Adventures” on YouTube and Spotify.
I go to conventions and drag queen shows. I love exploring historical places and enjoy seeing our wildlife and have a passion for fashion.
Tell us something we don’t know about you!
I was on an episode of Blue Peter! Sadly, didn’t get a badge.
