Amplifying voices and celebrating heritage: Angel’s commitment to inclusion

03/03/2025

We believe diversity is a strength, and is one of the things that makes Tower Hamlets so special. Since joining Poplar HARCA, marketing and communications officer Angel has been a real champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), leading campaigns that challenge perceptions, amplify underrepresented voices, and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of east London.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, Angel’s work highlights that true inclusion centres on representing real people and taking action to ensure everybody feels they belong.

"Recognising and celebrating diverse heritages helps to create inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome and valued. I know this first-hand because I’ve grown up in a community that celebrates diversity."

It’s clear that Angel’s passion for inclusion stems from her own experiences growing up in inner-city London, where diversity wasn’t just acknowledged—it was embraced.

“My neighbours were Portuguese, Somali, Italian, Jamaican, and Nigerian. We’d share food, celebrate each other’s festivals, and meet up to hear each other’s stories,” she says. “By celebrating our differences, we created a strong sense of belonging and learnt from our respective traditions.”

This understanding of how cultural heritage strengthens communities is something Angel feeds into her work. Through initiatives like her 2024 Black History Month campaign, Angel has put local voices at the forefront of our communications – ensuring that it’s representative of the real lives and experiences of our residents, staff, and wider communities.

"I recognise the power of representation so made sure to reflect real Black cultural heritage into our Black History Month programme. I didn’t want to just acknowledge Black history — I wanted to celebrate it in a meaningful way."

As part of the campaign, Angel shared stories from our community with the theme of “Reclaiming Narratives”. This included an interview with Joyce, a local resident from Saint Kitts, who’s involved in the community work and sustainable fashion, as well as Abisola Ashade, our rents and income manager, who discussed the influence of her Nigerian heritage on her life and how she and her team help support residents.

Alongside these stories, Angel developed a programme for staff to help celebrate inclusivity in the workplace, including a heritage walk to learn about the visible and hidden contributions of Black communities to east London’s development.

Staff were also invited to attend a lunchtime session with food from local Caribbean restaurant, Patty Heaven. Those attending were asked to donate to the London Black Women’s Project, a charity supporting women and girls affected by domestic violence.

“It was important that we found a way to give back to the local Black community,” Angel says.

Through these stories, events and collaborations with local businesses, Angel created opportunities for local Black people to feel seen, heard, and valued. And by highlighting the rich history, resilience, and achievements of our communities, she showcased Tower Hamlets as a thriving, diverse, and inclusive borough.

You can read more stories from incredible women we’re celebrating this International Women’s Day here.