Dear Bashir,
I just wanted to drop you a line to say what a privilege it was to be involved in your video just over a week ago.The work the Bangla Housing Association is doing in establishing the Bangla Covid-19 Advice Project (BCAP) in response to the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on the Bengali community in Hackney, and across East London is hugely important. It was also good to hear about how this was connecting up with a wider focus of the ethnic minority Housing Association movement, it was great to meet Khalid as well and if there is anything more I can do please let me know.
It was a pleasure to meet your team who are doing such amazing and vital work to keep all of our communities safe at this difficult time.
I have copied Sonia Khan, Head of Policy and Strategic Delivery, who is leading on the Council’s humanitarian response to this crisis and also James Goddard, our Head of Housing Strategy & Policy into this e-mail as I am sure that they would both be keen to get in contact with you about your incredible work and also what more we can do together.
Finally, I also copied in Petra Roberts who is leading on inclusive naming work, as I said on the call, I know the ethnic minority led Housing Association movement has and does a huge amount on this in Hackney and beyond. You and your residents might have ideas and opportunities to be involved as well as feeding in the names of existing buildings and the stories behind them that should be more widely known. You can find out more here: https://news.hackney.gov.uk/residents-invited-to-suggest-names-for-new-roads-parks-and-other-public-spaces-celebrating-the-boroughs-diversity
With best wishes and stay safe,
Phil
Philip Glanville, Mayor of Hackney
