Don't quote me

Arrezou Samidas

Project manager, centre coordination team

Centre for Health Technology Evaluation

How long have you worked here at NICE?

I started here in June 2009, so I’ve been here 13 years now. I cannot imagine working anywhere else after so long!

What do you like most about your role?

How varied it is. I work in a central team, so there’s the regular projects I manage, but there’s also lots of ad-hoc ones that pop up. It means I get to work with lots of colleagues in other teams, both inside and outside the directorate.

What 3 words would you use to describe your job?

Outside the box.

What’s the best part of hybrid working?

Arrezou and her daughter's shadows

I used to work in the London office and met some lovely colleagues. But I’ve really enjoyed working from home since March 2020. My manager has been fab and I work my 18.75 hours over 3 short days, which means I can walk my children to and from school. It helps with the mum guilt that, apart from school holidays, they don’t even notice I’m working because I’m here when they are!

I like that I can choose when I’m in the office and when I’m going to stay at home. It lets me prioritise my health and the health of my loved ones.

What was your first job?

As a pot washer in an Essex pub. I peeled potatoes on Sundays too!

Arrezou and her son

Shadows of Arrezou and her daughter in the sand

Arrezou and her daughter's shadows

Arrezou and her son

wooden ladle and spatula on top of table

The Peaks is Arrezou's happy place

Where is your happy place?

Anywhere in the Peak District. We moved to South Yorkshire during the pandemic, 40 minutes from the edge of the Peaks. I feel like a weight is lifted off my shoulders every time I go.

The Peaks is Arrezou's happy place

What talent would you most like to have?

The ability to have my cake and eat it. I thought I was good at multi-tasking until I had children. When I first came back from maternity leave, I felt like I was torn between work and children. For those feeling the same, I’m happy to report that it gets easier as they get older.

What book would you recommend to others?

It depends on the genre you’re looking for. For a thriller, go for 'And Then There Were None', by Agatha Christie. For a good cry, try 'Never Let Me Go', by Kazuo Ishiguro. For a hug in a book, 'Little Women', by Louisa May Alcott.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Far too many to list - it's not often I sit still! Upcycling using my sewing machine and power tools are current obsessions.

But my biggest passion is exploring. Before COVID, I was travel mad, I’d been to 51 countries. Lockdown hit me hard, I got cabin fever. But then I started exploring my local area (Epping Forest at the time). Now I’m working my way through the 3 counties I live on the borders of – Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Some photos of my adventures have made it into the Yorkshire Life, Derbyshire Life and English Heritage magazines. I’ve got an Instagram account if you want to see where I’ve been so far @from_essex_to_yorkshire.