News

To mark the start of South Asian Heritage Month, we speak to Rezina Hafeez who shares her experiences as a British Bangladeshi.

This year's theme is Unity in Diversity celebrating the extraordinary breadth and richness of South Asian communities in the UK and worldwide.

Name and role: Rezina Hafeez, Administration Manager for the Community Care Group and Older Adults and Rehabilitation services.

How long have you been involved with the Trust? I have been with the North London Foundation Trust for just over two years, and before that, I spent 15 years working within NHS Wales.

Tell us a bit about your role: In my role, I line manage administrative staff across both care groups, overseeing day-to-day operations, supporting staff wellbeing, managing recruitment, and ensuring services run efficiently. I work closely with clinical teams to keep everything organised and patient-focused. It’s a busy role, but I really enjoy the variety it brings.

Tell us a bit about your South Asian Heritage: I am British Bangladeshi, although I was born and brought up in Shropshire. Growing up, I wasn’t always closely connected to my cultural roots, as I was surrounded by a predominantly non-diverse community. However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve really embraced my heritage. I now love celebrating South Asian culture through things like traditional clothing, attending Asian weddings and celebrations. 

Being of South Asian heritage, how do you feel this has affected your role? Earlier in my career, particularly while working in North Wales where there was very little diversity, I sometimes felt I had to hold back parts of my identity as people were less familiar with South Asian culture. However, since joining North London Foundation Trust, my experience has been very different. The Trust’s diverse and inclusive environment means I feel fully accepted and able to be myself at work. All cultures and celebrations are recognised and valued, which creates a real sense of belonging. Being of South Asian heritage has not negatively affected my role here - if anything, it has been a positive experience, allowing me to feel confident, included, and part of a truly diverse workforce.

Do you think there is enough knowledge and appreciation of South Asian culture in Britain? What changes would you like to see? I think there has definitely been progress over the years in terms of awareness and appreciation of South Asian culture in Britain, especially in diverse cities like London. There is more visibility through food, fashion, music and festivals, and people are generally more open and interested in learning about different cultures.

Where did you begin your journey in mental health services? I’ve been working in mental health services since 2008, including experience in areas such as substance misuse. 

Favourite city or place in South Asia? If I had to pick a favourite place in South Asia, it would be the Maldives.

Favourite South Asian food or cuisine? When it comes to food, my absolute favourite South Asian dish has to be butter chicken and honestly, I can only go a maximum of two days without desi food before I start craving it! I also love cooking and feeding people (definitely my love language!), and I’ve recently started filming my own recipes, which has been fun.  Keep an eye out for “Rezipes by Rez”.

Favourite South Asian film? Anything which stars Shah Rukh Khan is a favourite. To name a few: Veer-Zaara, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G), Mohabbatein, and DDLJ.

Favourite book, novel (fiction or non-fiction) from a writer of South Asian heritage? I’m not much of a reader, so I don’t have a favourite book, I prefer films.