About Us

Empowering women, uplifting communities

Who we are

Women’s Inclusive Team (WIT) is a dynamic, community-led charity at the heart of East London’s Somali and ethnic minority communities. Founded by Somali mothers and grown through grassroots action, we have evolved into a trusted community provider of culturally responsive services that empower women to overcome barriers and build fulfilling lives.

What we do

Operating primarily from our central hub at Mayfield House in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, we deliver comprehensive services that respond to our community’s diverse needs - from advice and advocacy to training and wellbeing support, cultural activities to crisis intervention. Our integrated approach, which we call our “holistic hug,” recognises how social, economic, health, and cultural factors shape women’s lives and opportunities.

Our strength lies in our people. With a team, including our board and senior leadership, predominantly drawn from the communities we serve, we bring lived experience and cultural competency to every interaction.

Our history

Women’s Inclusive Team (WIT) began in 2004 as the Somali Integration Team, founded by five Somali mothers in Tower Hamlets who wanted to create safe, welcoming spaces for women and children. Starting with stay-and-play sessions in Mile End and Bethnal Green, the group soon expanded to support older girls through trips, residentials and workshops on topics such as domestic violence the beginning of WIT’s community safety work.

By 2006, WIT had launched empowerment projects for women, attracting hundreds to sessions at our women’s centre in Bancroft House, Whitechapel. There, women from diverse ethnic backgrounds accessed advice on housing, parenting, English language and community integration.

In 2016, research by Public Health England revealed Somali women faced the fastest decline in mental health of any group. WIT was commissioned to deliver tailored mental health programmes, embedding mental wellbeing into all our services and training professionals to better support BAME communities.

In 2018, we became the Women’s Inclusive Team to reflect the diversity of those we serve.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, WIT responded immediately launching a food bank, community kitchen and telephone befriending service with over 200 volunteers. Our work doubled in scope, ensuring no one in our community was left behind.

In 2020, we moved to larger premises at Mayfield House, Bethnal Green, centralising our services and expanding our reach. Today, WIT employs 28 staff, guided by a dedicated board of local women, and proudly serves everyone in Tower Hamlets continuing to empower women, support families and strengthen our community.

Empower women. uplift communities

SMT - Senior Management Team

Safia Jama MBE

Founder | CEO

Sahra Mire

Director of Services | HR Manager

Know More

Our Board of Trustees provides strategic leadership and governance to ensure Women’s Inclusive Team continues to grow with purpose, accountability and community focus.

Made up of a group of culturally diverse women, our trustees reflect the very communities we support. They bring a broad range of professional expertise, including chartered accountancy, law, fundraising and grassroots activism. Between them, they speak over six languages and offer lived experience that connects directly with the challenges and strengths of the women we work with.

Their insight and leadership help us stay rooted in Tower Hamlets while building wider networks of support, and opportunity.