The leader of Oldham Council addressed the newest participants of a programme empowering ethnic minorities across Greater Manchester last week.
Councillor Arooj Shah joined inspirational community leaders to launch the third cohort of ‘We Lead for Legacy’, an empowering civic leadership programme.
This innovative partnership between Greater Manchester Combined Authority and social enterprise ‘She Leads for Legacy’ supports ethnic minorities stepping into representative roles, like school governors, magistrates, and elected representatives.
Councillor Shah said: “This is deeply, deeply personal for me.
“I follow every cohort’s journeys, and I’m proud that a third of people pursuing a career in public life, crucial to decision making, are successful.
“Success is when an individual has confidence in who they are, showcases that confidence, and lives their fulfilled life with confidence, even if they don’t choose to take up a public role.
“I don’t do this as a tickbox, I need to contribute to changing how society perceives people of different backgrounds.”
Spearheaded by Sharon Amesu, former criminal barrister and co-founder of She Leads for Legacy, this year’s programme will strengthen alumni networks and encourage participants to access more local authority opportunities.
Sharon said: “The history of Greater Manchester teaches us that we are a people who understand the need for social justice – even when the status quo says otherwise.
“To be the best society we can be, we need to leverage the great resource of our potential.
“In an increasingly diverse community, let us understand that we are better and stronger together.”
The event brought together successful programme alumni who previously benefited from the course, alongside this year’s participants.
Shamime Jan joined the programme in 2023 to gain support for her fitness organisation – Bollyfit Active CIC.
The 56-year-old founder said she found her voice, confidence, and value during the course, especially as “the cohort was full of fantastic leaders from diverse communities like me; I could relate to them and their frustrations, and realised I wasn’t alone”.
As an alumnus, Shamime will guide new programme participants like Paula King, who runs the Fika Welie Mental Health CIC.
Fika Welie provides culturally appropriate mental health support for South Asian, African, and Caribbean communities.
Paula is 55 years old and hopes to eventually create a hospital unit offering advanced training and treatment to communities experiencing mental health inequalities.
Find out more about the Greater Manchester Civic Leadership Programme here.
Feature image: Sumaiya Motara.
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