Bhanu Halai came to London from Bolton at the age of 20 when she married her husband Bharat in 1994. Since arriving in London, she has worked with the NHS starting as a GP receptionist; from there she progressed up the ladder and is now an Estates & Facilities Manager managing sites all over Brent and Westminster.
How she got her foot into the NHS is a funny story - she only went in to register for a health check and was asked if she is looking for a job and was offered the job on the spot and could start the very next day and here, she is 27 years later and is still working for the good old NHS.
Bhanu is a mum to two daughters, Urvashi 23 and Shreya 21. In her free time, she enjoys trekking with her friends and gets very competitive when taking part in her Fitbit step challenges. She absolutely loves Bollywood, and her favourite old-time oldie idols are Amitabh Bachchan and Parveen Babi.
1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
It definitely has to be Bolton, where I was born, raised and where my parents still live. Bolton is a small, tight-knit community, so if you were up to no good your parents soon found out about it; luckily, I was a good girl. My parents lived just down the road to where Fred Dibnah (the famous steeplejack) lived, and I loved seeing his old steam engines parked in his front yard; he would often come out to say hello. We would also make weekly trips to the Bolton Town Centre and the Open Market for fresh fruit and veg, which I undeniably hated and looking back, I took it for granted as I realised many years later people would come down on a coach trip to visit the famous Open Bolton Market. I also love India; even though born and raised in the UK and having no place in India to call home, I feel a connection.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
My proudest achievement is when I challenged myself to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I actually made a flippant comment to the organiser of the charity “Friends of Kera” to say I would love to do that, and I didn’t think he would remember. When the time came to sign up, again I dismissively signed up, thinking nothing of it, but when I overheard my husband proudly tell his family and friends of what I had signed up for, that’s when it became real to me, and I didn’t want to let him down. The tricky part for me was switching from heels to trainers, believe it or not, up until then I did not own a pair of trainers or joggers (now they have become my second skin). Before the big climb we had to train up and trek at least 4 days a week, some of which would be up to 5 hours or more; some of our training was local - Brockley Hill, which is now a doddle and Harrow on the Hill which still breaks me out in a sweat. Unfortunately, due to illness, I was not able to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro, but I was proud that I had attempted it. My only real disappointment was not being able to hold my heels at the top of the mountain (which I carried for photo purposes), and for those who know me know very well know that I love my 6-inch stilettos!
3) What inspires you?
I would like to say the people who inspire me the most are…, 1st are my parents, who are parents to 5 daughters, and our role models. It wasn’t easy for them as my papa was a sole worker and my mum had to give up her job to look after us. My parents taught us hard work, honesty and being humble is the key; never say “I can’t do”; anything is possible if you try. The 2nd person who inspires me is my husband; who has been the backbone and support through all the tough and challenging times. I still remember after my marriage, he took me to the park, and I asked for an ice cream. He said he didn’t have the money. I was so upset and angry at that time as my childhood memories came flooding of my papa taking my sisters and me to the park and treating us to as many as we could eat. Bharat’s mum had died at a young age; it was very challenging for him, he lived for the day, but he never gave up; he went on to take courses and to progress further, and I glee with pride when I look at him as he is an inspirational role model to our daughters. 3rd is the NHS, and not only because I work for them, it’s because I have seen how they have helped my papa with his kidney disease; the journey starts from his diagnosis through to his transplant and still continues. I have also had first-hand experience receiving healthcare treatments in other countries and can say we often take our NHS for granted.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
Well, I never really thought about this at first, but I have noticed in my career when I attend meetings at a senior level, they expect a man (I guess my name being Bhanu which is unisex doesn’t help), and I often find I don’t get taken seriously and that I have to work that extra bit hard to prove my worth, but once you have got past that point it’s all uphill from there.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
I would like to say my managers past and present, I’ve often been complacent in most of my roles within the NHS, and it’s been my managers that have seen my potential before I have even noticed it and have been given the drive, the boost and encouragement to apply for more senior positions, followed by some tough talk from my husband who has a lot of confidence in me.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
I love that my job isn’t office-based and not in one area, I’m often travelling from site to site, whether it be walking (building up on my step count), jumping on and off buses and tubes, getting to see London and its changes. I love the people I work with, and it’s never a dull moment in the office.
7) And the worst?
Hmmm the worst is when I have deadlines to meet, and I don’t get the information requested on time; this is when the angry Bhanu comes out, as I expect everyone to work like me…action the request as soon as it arrives, which I know it’s not always possible.
8) What are your long term goals?
At my age, career-wise I have no goals; I like to work as long as I can and hope to retire at a reasonable age and travel the world with my husband and maybe settle down in Mumbai and take part in the laughing classes in the park. I haven’t discussed this with Bharat yet; he can read it when this is published in the ‘Asian Voice Newspaper’.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
Ha-ha I answer this question all the time out loud when I’m shouting at the TV, but writing it down is proving difficult. I guess everyone thinks they can do a better job than the next person but actually doing it and being in that position is a different story. One thing I would like to change would be to make university tuition fees free.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
I love this question, definitely Lakshmibai Jhansi Ki Rani; I find her story fascinating, a lady in the 1800’s who led her own army and fought a fierce battle in the war of independence. I believe each and every woman has a Jhansi Ki Rani in them. I remember when my mum was really ill, and she was feeling at her lowest; my grandma was on the phone to her and gave her a powerful Hindi dialogue – “Hind Ki naari khabhi himat nahi harti” (an Indian woman never gives up hope) and although I was very young at the time, I still remember it like yesterday.
