ParliaMentors is an UN-award-winning interfaith programme run by the Faith & Belief Forum which comprises students from various faiths and backgrounds from nine universities across the UK. Each university is given a social action project to tackle a local issue and inspire political participation from local students.

Being born and bred in Hong Kong, I never imagined that one day I would be selected as a ParliaMentor and be mentored by an MP to create positive change in my community through a social action project. It was such an appealing opportunity as I never imagined representing my Hindu identity on a governmental scale.

Before starting the project, we were invited to a three-day induction hosted by the Faith & Belief Forum, in London. Here, we learned and refined a range of skills and content such as leadership, comprehending the value of political engagement, and examining politically-related themes.

Team Manchester in the 22-23 ParliaMentor cohort

Day 1 of the induction focused on exploring our identity, delving deep into our ‘faiths’ and how our perspective of ‘faith’ has evolved through time, whilst engaging in various team-bonding games to strengthen relationships within the cohort.  Day 2 was filled with even more excitement as we were privileged to have the opportunity to be taken for a Parliament tour, something which will remain a marker in this journey as it’s not an experience I would ever have imagined having. Here, we were taken to Westminster Hall, the House of Lords, and the Robing Room. We also witnessed the Speaker’s Procession. Being in Parliament definitely makes you feel the importance of the place, seeing all the glamour – it was certainly enough to make me consider whether politics could become a career for me. Afterward, we took part in three sessions covering the topics of; ‘politics & MP mentorship’, ‘conflict management, and ‘power and privilege’. Collectively, these sessions explored the key components of the project that we would soon be undertaking and how we may be able to implement these ideas and concepts over the next few months with our team. And before we knew it, it was the final day. This involved a dialogue/debate about negotiation and privilege, relational power and how to be one with community, timekeeping, accountability, and the final goodbyes.

Over the 3 days, we explored and championed universal values, which I as a Hindu take pride in owning. Values such as unity, harmony, and compassion. It was an eye-opening experience to have felt these values we speak of as universal in NHSF (UK) imbibed throughout the experience despite each of us coming from a range of backgrounds. It was humbling to have the opportunity to represent our identity and put forward our voices and experiences.

A critical point of our ParliaMentor journey is the first MP meeting which took place on the 26th of September. Team Manchester virtually met up with their assigned MP, Charlotte Nichols to discuss and seek advice for their project. Charlotte is the Labour MP for Warrington North and has been an MP since 2019. She was lovely to speak to and it was fascinating to hear about her journey to becoming an MP and her perspective of the new Prime Minister as she represents the opposing party. It was an honour to hear her thoughts on the current political turbulences with a touch of humor and it really gave us confidence in delivering our project due in April.

All in all, this experience gave me a real insight into British politics and allowed me to develop key skills that would enhance my sense of professionalism whilst creating positive social change beyond university. Students can get involved with the project Team Manchester is in the process of generating, they can also enroll themselves to the ParliaMentor program to gain a better insight into politics and student leadership.

Prisha Sharma

NHSF (UK) National Campus Team (North Zone); former NHSF (UK) Manchester Hindu Society President 21/22