Vote 100

Her boundless energy and friendly and compassionate nature are just some of the reasons why postwoman Chariza Usana, from Medway mail centre, has been nominated for our Vote 100 campaign.

Community champion Tim Hyde, from Medway mail centre, said: ‘Chariza is someone who embodies everything that is great about Royal Mail.

‘As a workplace coach on our late shift she is always on hand to give advice and guidance to new starters and casual staff. She welcomes all new arrivals to the site and ensures they are given the appropriate training to carry out any tasks they are asked to do.

‘She has endless amounts of energy as she goes about her work and she often extends her role to ensure that the operation runs as smoothly as possible, supporting every manager on the late shift. Chariza’s work area manager relies heavily on her to input figures and carry out checks as and when required, all of which she does with a smile on her face.

‘At Christmas, Chariza helped to facilitate the training of the large number of casuals we had on site and she was always the friendly, professional face that they would go to for advice and help. She also acted as a mentor for a work placement scheme that was run locally with the Shaw Trust to help colleagues overcome mental health issues and return to work.

‘Chariza is one of our first aiders. This is a role which fits really well with her personality as she is able to show her compassionate and caring side in emergency situations and she never gets flustered. She is also a key member of our charity team, promoting events and raising money. She is usually in the thick of things, having taken part in two assault courses, a couple of 5k runs, an abseil down a very tall building and numerous baking exploits. She’s always the first to volunteer.

‘As well as finding the time to do all of this, she also supports our primary school visits to share the story of Lenny the Letter and the journey of a letter, promoting our business to the next generation of customers.

‘I hope this goes some way to explaining why I believe Chariza should be recognised as a remarkable woman and role model, and why Royal Mail should give her the opportunity to shine.’

‘I was so shocked to be nominated for the Vote 100 as I don’t feel I do anything special except try to do my job as best as I can and put a smile on people’s faces along the way,’ said Chariza. ‘I consider myself very fortunate to be able to do all the varied parts of my role at Medway mail centre. There is a very strong team ethic here and having such a great group of colleagues and managers around me helps make my role even more enjoyable and fulfilling.

‘I love meeting new people. I see having the opportunity to meet, greet and train our casuals throughout the year, but particularly at Christmas time, as a privilege and this gives me the opportunity to instil in them a great work ethic. I really do enjoy being the person they come to if they have any concerns or problems and it’s very rewarding. I started the job as a Christmas casual 20 years ago - and I’m still loving it!

‘I also enjoy all the charity and community work we do at Medway and I get involved in almost everything we do at the site. It’s great to go into schools with Lenny the Letter and see the excitement and smiles on the children’s faces as they get to meet him. I love raising money for various charity organisations and getting colleagues involved at the same time. The feeling is priceless! It still amazes me how generous people can be when it comes to making a change to other’s lives.

‘I am proud to represent Royal Mail and very happy with the way the business has moulded me into the person I am today. I feel that Royal Mail has given me the chance to make a difference in the workplace and the community and I’m very grateful for that.’

Vote 100

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Our Vote 100 campaign is your chance to help us showcase the enormous contribution Royal Mail women make each and every day both to colleagues and customers, ensuring we remain the UK’s most trusted postal operator.

If there is someone in your workplace who you admire for their outstanding work ethic, their drive to improve their own and others’ skills, their knack for supporting or mentoring others, showing kindness, overcoming obstacles, or influencing positive behaviour – we want to hear from you!

Please send your name and contact details plus the name of the colleague you wish to nominate to either vote100@royalmail.com. We will then be in touch to obtain further details.