At 6.30am. It’s probably not healthy, but the first thing I reach for is my phone. I’ll quickly check my emails, then get up. Getting out of bed when it’s dark and cold in winter is always a struggle, but I’ll have breakfast – usually something like porridge – and make a cup of tea to warm myself up. I always take time to do my make-up in the morning. I spend my days with colleagues and evenings with my family, so it’s the only time I have to myself, and I find the whole process of putting make-up on very therapeutic. Once I’m ready, I’ll jump in my car and be on my way to west London by 8.30am.

Overseeing Hammersmith and Fulham Food Bank’s operations. There are four food bank centres in the borough, as well as a warehouse, and it’s down to me to make sure everything runs smoothly, both in terms of food and volunteers. We have a small staff team of seven people but more than 50 amazing volunteers, so there’s a lot of coordination involved. The number of people using our service has grown massively since the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2020, we helped 5,937 households, but it jumped to 18,210 households between 2020 and 2021 – which corresponds to around 450,000 meals. It’s staggering how many people are in need of urgent help, with an added increase at Christmas, but we’re constantly trying to expand our services. Although it’s easy to become desensitised to the problem, Christmas at the food bank really presents us with the reality of poverty in the UK, and we shouldn’t be letting anyone go hungry.

Because I wanted to work for a cause I really believe in. After university (I studied social anthropology and economics), I took a job as service manager at Sufra Food Bank in north London. It was a new organisation, so I was given a lot of responsibility, which I loved, and helped develop a refugee service. I was in my element there but wanted a new role where I felt equally challenged, so I started my own charity, That’s A Wrap, which arranges winter toy collections for Christmas, and began working at Citizens Advice as an office manager. There, I learned what forces people into using services like food banks – whether it’s unemployment, bereavement or a delayed benefits payment. I joined Hammersmith and Fulham Food Bank as a manager in 2019 and was promoted to deputy CEO in July. Although my job is a big responsibility, I feel privileged to be able to make such a positive impact.

Begins at 9am. I work at various locations around west London, depending on the food bank session we’re running, but most of my time is spent in White City. I’ll say hi to my team, open my laptop, get a cup of tea and then reply to emails for a few minutes. After that, I jump straight into organising the first food bank service of the day. We run eight sessions per week, Monday to Saturday, where we give parcels to people who have been referred to us by a professional in the community. Each one lasts around two and a half hours, and I work with volunteers to set up and set down. Even though we’re a food bank, we don’t just carry essential food – we regularly give items such as toiletries, pet foods and nappies and, during the festive season, we even hand out advent calendars and mince pies if people are generous enough to donate them. This year, we had a huge donation from Cadbury, too, so we’ll be handing out as many treats as we can. Demand is high at Christmas (also due to rising fuel prices), but it’s lovely to be able to give our clients something that feels special. For families that can’t afford to buy Christmas presents, we’ll add toys to their regular food parcels, so that parents can give gifts to their children. Our community is very generous and in previous years our tiny office has been piled high with donated presents. It’s really heart-warming.

I’ll grab a meal deal for lunch, then will often drive to another food bank session in the afternoon, organising volunteers, and doing on-the-spot troubleshooting. First-time clients are usually anxious, and some people can feel ashamed, so we do our best to make them feel as comfortable as possible. No one using a food bank should ever feel that their situation is their fault, and I think a lot of food banks share the belief that we are not a long-term solution to poverty. We need to look at why people are falling through the cracks of our welfare system. I’d be very happy to not be needed but, at the moment, we’re vital. I’m constantly getting requests for help, so, once we’ve packed up the service, I’ll end my day by replying to outstanding emails, and set off for home at 6.30pm.

Lucky. I’m so grateful that I have a job I enjoy, and I’m constantly surrounded by amazing people. It feels like a necessary time to work for a food bank so I’m happy that I’m able to make a difference.

Talk to my colleagues. In a job like mine, where what you’re doing has a very real impact, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, so it’s good to have people around you that will put things in perspective.

Crisps – usually Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli – and a cup of tea. I know tea isn’t a snack per se, but I always have a mug on the go.

Was when the pandemic hit, and we had to completely change our operations. We temporarily switched to a delivery service, and took over Olympia, a 20,000 square metre convention centre in Hammersmith, as our warehouse. We’re already a crisis response service, so dealing with an extra level of crisis (the pandemic) was hard, but we really saw the best of people.

Putting off big decisions. I don’t think procrastination is always unproductive, but I definitely take my time to mull over anything that will have a long-term impact.

Is very busy, but very well-organised. It’s pretty varied, with a mix of internal and external messages, but I use folders to keep everything ordered – one for things that have been resolved, one for urgent messages and another for Zoom links.

I’ll be home by 7pm. The first thing I’ll do is find my cat; she’s a beautiful Siberian called Kitty (I know it’s a terrible name, but nothing else stuck). I’ll have dinner with my parents and two sisters after that – I’m Pakistani, so we eat lots of curries and rice dishes, but I also love burgers and shepherd’s pie; anything warming. Once we’ve eaten, we watch TV together. I usually let my sisters decide on the series and, right now, we’re loving You. I’ll wind down by reading – I’m currently finishing off Love In The Time Of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez – and will be asleep by 11pm.