Rahela Begum

Rahela leads our Workforce Development workstream and drives forward our Careers Project, managed on behalf of North East London Health and Care Partnership, working to inspire and encourage local people into local jobs in health and social care, through the development of relationships with local Schools and Colleges and a network of over 150 Health and Social Care Career Ambassadors.

She manages the Young Person’s Panel who feedback on engagement materials to ensure they are appealing to the target audience. She also co-leads on a Fuel Poverty project, looking at ways to improve residents health outcomes based on their living conditions in Thames Ward, in Barking and Dagenham.

Rahela has extensive experience of working across Barking & Dagenham’s voluntary and community sector, most recently as a Health Outreach Worker at Thames Ward Community Project and as a Project Manager at Participatory City.  This is where she honed her Co-design and Participatory design skills. She has previously held voluntary positions as a Board Member at BD Giving and as a Telephone Befriender with Reconnections during the pandemic.

Rahela is originally from South East London and started her career in the public library service. She is passionate about  libraries and parks and believes in their healing powers. She is motivated by empowering people and creating opportunities for social mobility. She moved to Barking and Dagenham 6 years ago, where she moved onto a houseboat on the River Roding in Barking and fell in love with the area and has made Barking & Dagenham her home.

I love visiting new places and trying out new experiences, they don’t even have to involve gravity. My happy place is out on a long walk surrounded by beautiful sights. I love travelling and exploring new places, send me a recommendation!