Dear Friends,
Thank you for joining us for another edition of the Ethnic Minority Network newsletter. In our last issue, we celebrated the vibrant voices, stories, and achievements of our diverse communities here in Tower Hamlets. This ongoing series continues to highlight inspiring updates, community leadership, and opportunities to connect, grow, and make a difference together. We hope you find this edition just as informative, uplifting, and engaging
Black History Month
To celebrate Black History Month 2025, our Ethnic Minority Network leads, Hoden Mohamoud and Hasina Zamen, hosted the “Resilience in Motion – Henna and Buranbur Workshop.” This year’s theme, “Standing Firm in Power and Pride,” was reflected beautifully through the event’s focus on resilience, culture, and community. Participants explored the Somali Buranbur dance, a powerful expression of unity and women’s strength through movement and words of affirmation, and learned about the history of henna, tracing its origins to ancient Egypt and its cultural uses worldwide. With 18 participants, the workshop offered a space to connect, create, and celebrate heritage. One attendee, Kahdra Elmi, shared, “This workshop has taught me a lot that I didn’t know about henna and its history, and the Buranbur dance was so powerful.” It was an afternoon filled with learning, laughter, and pride—a celebration of resilience that continues to inspire our community
What Has Been Happening In Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets Council recently hosted two vibrant celebrations — the revival of the Brick Lane Curry Festival and a cultural day at the Town Hall — bringing over 22,500 people together to celebrate East London’s diversity and migration heritage. Brick Lane came alive with street food, henna workshops, Bangla dance classes, and a lively parade with floats and performers. At the Town Hall, dual-language plaques were unveiled, youth-led acts from Bengali, Somali, and Chinese communities performed, and visitors joined heritage tours. The weekend was a proud celebration of resilience, unity, and the cultural vibrancy that strengthens our borough.
Poplar Union recently celebrated the grand opening of their new Cotall Street Market during the lively “Poplar Picnic” event. The market, which runs on Saturdays, brings together local traders, artisans, and food vendors in a vibrant, inclusive space. Attendees enjoyed fresh produce, handmade crafts, and diverse street food, all while celebrating community and cultural diversity in East London. This exciting new initiative reflects Poplar Union’s commitment to supporting local enterprise, connecting neighbours, and creating a welcoming hub for creativity and collaboration.
On 9 October 2025, Tower Hamlets hosted “Working Together to Identify and Tackle Ethnic Health Inequity” at the Town Hall, bringing together residents from diverse ethnic backgrounds and local health professionals. The workshop focused on addressing racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare access, experience, and outcomes, while exploring an anti-racism clinical framework for local GP practices. Participants shared powerful reflections on the event, with one attendee noting, “It was inspiring to see my community’s voice being heard and valued in shaping healthcare.” Another added, “This workshop has given me hope that change is possible when we work together.” The event highlighted Tower Hamlets’ commitment to creating inclusive spaces where ethnic-minority communities can influence meaningful local policy and make tangible improvements in wellbeing.
What’s coming up :
If you live in Tower Hamlets and belong to an ethnic
minority community (or simply want to connect
with those networks), these upcoming programmes offer a chance to build leadership skills, shape
local decision
making and make a real difference in your borough.
Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets — “METs” (Minoritized Ethnic Trustees)
Programme
A training and matching programme for residents from minoritized ethnic backgrounds
who want to become trustees and leaders in local charities.
Training runs in November and December 2025, with a matching event in January 2026.
Provides experience in governance and a chance to influence how local organisations
operate.
Tower Hamlets Council / Olmec — “Black on Board Community Leadership
Programme”
Fully-funded leadership training for residents from Black, Asian, Arabic, Latin American,
and multiple heritage backgrounds.
Open to all ages, including young adults, with no prior board experience required.
Builds leadership skills and supports progression into visible decision-making roles.
Tower Hamlets CVS — “Disparities Project Networking Event”
Networking for BAME-led community organisations and residents to review findings from
local inequalities work.
Event scheduled for 27 January 2026.
Offers a platform to connect with local organisations, raise issues, collaborate on change,
and strengthen community capacity
Get In Touch
On wednesday, 4 june, limehouse project hosted a landmark Health Fair for Muslim Women at the ecology pavilion in tower hamlets, bringing together over 163 women for a day dedicated to health awareness, empowerment, and community connection.
Funded by Tower Hamlets Public Health, the event aimed to tackle deep-rooted health inequalities affecting muslim women in the borough—particularly those from the bangladeshi community. Tower hamlets has the lowest healthy life expectancy for women across all london boroughs, and according to the 2021 census, bangladeshi women face some of the poorest health outcomes, often living with multiple long-term conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory disease.
Recognising this urgent need, limehouse project curated a day focused on practical, faith-sensitive support around nutrition, physical activity, mental wellbeing, and preventative care. The fair featured free health checks, opportunities to speak directly with breast and cervical cancer screening teams, and one-to-one advice sessions on healthy eating, exercise, and emotional wellbeing.
“Our goal was simple—to raise awareness and to inspire women to prioritise their health,” said Farida Yesmin, Chief executive officer at limehouse project. “But this event was also about trust—building trust between health services and our communities, and encouraging women to trust themselves, to believe that their health matters.”
More than 18 different health and wellbeing services hosted stalls at the event, providing culturally appropriate services and resources to attendees. stallholders and healthcare professionals were encouraged by the high level of engagement and enthusiasm from the women who attended.
Representatives from tower hamlets public health, including Stef Abrar, healthy communities programme lead, also participated in the event. stef spoke directly to the women in attendance, offering practical advice and encouragement on maintaining health and wellbeing in daily life.
The health fair stands as a powerful example of how trusted community organisations like limehouse project can serve as a bridge between public services and marginalised communities—ensuring that no one is left behind in the journey toward better health.