Celebrating one year at OG with our Policy Officer, Nuala

Nuala joined the OG team one year ago as a Policy Officer and has since spearheaded the SASHA Coalition, helping to build it from the ground up, as well as fundamentally shaping the OG community. Here she reflects on her first year in the role.

Nuala (left) and Sabrina at our away day at Freightliners City Farm

What drew you to work at OG? 

So many factors drew me to apply for the Policy Officer role at OG! I was in the middle of a move across the country at the time – so it was not an ideal time for adding a job application to the mix – but the role just seemed absolutely perfect, and the wider organisation really interesting.

At the time I was working in hydrogen policy for the Scottish Government, but had also previously held a role where I worked a lot on Scotland's participation in a number of international coalitions, so the role as policy officer for what is now the SASHA Coalition seemed like a perfect way to bring those experiences together. The diversity of the role also really appealed, and the opportunity to work with new stakeholders – engaging with businesses was something new for me – seemed like an exciting new challenge.

Aside from the role itself, this question can't be answered without also considering OG'S wider ethos and principles. Coming from a large organisation, the opportunity to join a small team with a clear commitment to tackling some of the biggest challenges facing us was really exciting. And, of course, ensuring that staff wellbeing and being a great place to work was also at the heart of this approach also really resonated with me.

What has changed since you started? 

What hasn't! At the time I started OG's numbers were still in the single figures, and the SASHA Coalition didn't even have a name! Both as an organisation and with the SASHA Coalition we have made huge changes over the last year, and it's been great to both see and have played a part in. It might have taken a year, but I have also now managed to get in our Chief Security Officer's good books, with Roo now (occasionally!) coming to me for cuddles. 

What are you most proud of being involved in since you joined?

I'm really proud of the progress we've made on the SASHA Coalition, going from nothing to a fully branded coalition – with members! – in a year has been a really great achievement for our team. But on a personal level, I'm also proud of getting stuck in with lots of different things I never would have imagined a year ago - and not just taking on 'poo mountain' at Freightliners City Farm on our team volunteering day! In the coming year, I'm really looking forward to building on the new skills I've developed this year.

Nuala gets in front of the camera for a media training session.

What inspires you about what you’re working on? 

I think the biggest driver for me is the huge potential that is there for change in this area, and making sure we do everything we can to maximise that potential. While we may still be small, the massive achievements everyone at OG has made this year are really inspiring, but there's still so much we can do. So making sure I'm contributing to our successes is a huge driver for me.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year? 

Now that the SASHA Coalition is fully up and running, I'm excited to get its name out there! It's going to be a busy year with elections taking place in both the UK and for the European Parliament, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the hydrogen debate plays out in this time. 

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