As the first council leader in Croydon from a minority ethnic background, I’m proud that Croydon Council is a spotlight organisation for Race Equality Week (7-13 February) – when organisations across the country unite to address race inequality in the workplace.
Croydon has a proud history of campaigning against discrimination in all its forms, and when I became Leader my administration made tackling inequalities a priority for the council.
The theme for REW is #ActionNotJustWords, and in Croydon we are taking wide-ranging action, as an employer and as community leaders, to address race inequality not only in our own workplace but in organisations throughout the borough.
Our new Race Equality Pledge, which we launch this spring, will ask all businesses and organisations to sign up to a series of actions that will address discrimination and ensure that everyone is treated with respect.
I know how much people in Croydon care about making our borough a fairer place and I want to recognise all the residents, community groups and our own staff networks, who are working so hard with us to achieve this.
The Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted just how far we have to go to achieve race equality in our society, and only by each of us taking personal responsibility for change will we make it happen.
If you’re an employer in Croydon, find out more about Race Equality Week and how you can be part of the solution.
Sustaining and celebrating our parks and green spaces
Our 127 beautiful parks and green spaces are the jewels in Croydon’s crown – they were a lifeline for many during lockdowns, and the past two years have highlighted how important they are to us all.
Launched this week, our new Parks and Green Spaces Renewal Strategy 2022-25 sets out how we will keep them clean and safe, protect their rich biodiversity, and ensure they remain places everyone can enjoy.
Part of what makes our parks and green spaces so special is the people in them, and I want to particularly thank our 45 friends of parks groups and our 600 Street Champions, for everything you do to support the work of our own dedicated parks team. Find out more about Croydon’s parks and green spaces on our website – which one will you visit this weekend?
February is the month when we celebrate our LGBT+ community and the rich contribution they make to life in our borough.
Croydon libraries will be marking the month with displays and library card holders can enjoy some great LGBT+ reads free through Borrowbox. If you haven’t seen it, check out Mark Goldby’s thought-provoking Queer+Croydon exhibition, available at the Musuem of Croydon online.
Have a great weekend,
Councillor Hamida Ali, leader of the council
