Islington’s Chief Discovery Officer Sidra reflects on an ‘eye-opening summer’

Since winning the chance to be one of Islington’s four Chief Discovery Officers earlier this summer, I’ve seen the borough in a new light. I’ve come across places I didn’t know existed that are just a few minutes from my home, and had some great experiences along the way.

I entered because my mother had urged me to do so after my sister brought home a leaflet from Archway Library. I’m glad she did – with no set plans for my summer, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to venture out, explore Islington and share my discoveries with others on social media.

Being a foodie, I jumped on the idea of visiting Chapel Market’s famous stalls to riff on the “everything I ate” trend. It became the first of my videos to be put out on Instagram and Facebook, and it was lots of fun taste-testing to decide which stalls to recommend to everyone! I used to head there a lot while at secondary school, so it was even better to return to an old haunt to see what had changed, trying out two new stalls as well as my go-to favourite.

I took two of my brothers to Whittington Park to film the second video, based on social media’s “propaganda I’m not falling for” trend, where we played ball in the open space and hit the outdoor gym. I set this against some of the stereotypical reasons that teens don’t go outside, which flashed across the screen throughout. The park was a new destination for me, even though it’s close by, and we enjoyed it so much we’ll definitely be heading back.

Another new place for me and my siblings was Freightliners Farm, which was a lot of fun as I quizzed them on facts about the different animals. The highlight for me was seeing the adorable rabbits, which are my favourite animal.

A-Level results day was no ordinary experience, either – after picking my own results up, I interviewed some of my fellow students about their grades and plans for the future, which was really eye-opening. The day before, I was in one of the executive boxes at the Emirates Stadium after Arsenal invited us along to watch the men’s team practice session.

I’ve loved sharing my experiences in Islington and took great pleasure in the process of editing the videos, too. The most challenging part for me was the multiple retakes of scenes – finding the best shot can be difficult!

As a Chief Discovery Officer, I’ve been allowed to see Islington in a new light, and it has helped me to appreciate all the activities and places it has to offer for people of all ages. I’m grateful for the opportunity, which has transformed my summer – and hopefully inspired a few others to do the same.