Lights, camera, action! A Walsall frailty practitioner will be swapping her uniform for the bright lights of the stage when she performs in front of thousands at the Commonwealth Games.

Mal Bassey, Frailty Case Manager at Walsall Manor Hospital, has been offered a role as a volunteer performer in the opening ceremony of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on Thursday 28 July which will be watched by 30,000 spectators. At the event she will be Bhangra dancing, a hobby she has enjoyed for several years.

Mal said: “I love Bhangra dancing as I helps me de-stress after a hard day at work. It is very energetic. I love meeting new people and I have made some lovely friends.”

Mal is nervous but said she was looking forward to taking part in such a historic event.

She added: “I have performed for Dr Amir Khan’s ‘You are what you eat’ on Channel 5 which was shown live on TV.

“I have also taken part in numerous charity events, to help people who suffer from depression by performing at Sutton Coldfield town centre, to promote wellbeing by offering members of the public to join in. I have performed in Sutton games every year over two days to promote wellbeing and have performed at the Vaisakhi function held at Sutton Town Hall last year, the list is endless.”

Mal applied for the Commonwealth Games in March this year and invited for an audition.

She said: “I was so nervous in the run-up to the audition but the environment was very welcoming. It was a very exciting experience and felt electric.

“I received an email in April 2022 to say I was successful and I was ecstatic.

“This makes me feel very proud as an NHS worker for over 20 years. I am excited to take part in this once in a lifetime experience.”