Esuf Sarafat, Neighbourhood Housing Officer

What do you most enjoy about your job and why?

I like meeting people and working with them to create solutions to their problems. Working with colleagues and other agencies is particularly rewarding and helps you gain ideas and knowledge to use in other situations.

What is your biggest work related achievement so far?

Working with a number of agencies and a tenants’ association on a large dense housing estate to allow residents to turn the communal areas into attractive flower and vegetable plots. It brought about ownership and pride in the place where they lived.

What would be your one desert island item and why?

My SAAB 9000 – the cavernous boot space perfect for sleeping in and huge seats for comfort along with that sleek look that few cars have today. It will probably outlast me.

What is your favorite book or film and why?

Sanctuary in the City by Dan Pearson, where an oasis garden is created in South London. As a novice gardener, the book was inspiring and opened up options for my back garden as an area that can de-stress me and lift my mood. It also helped me to enjoy the garden with its own life and rhythms.

Who would play you in a film about your life and why?

Yul Brynner – his adaptability as an actor is immense.