I know, I know… “Not another awareness week!” But hear me out, give me five minutes.

This year’s theme is “Now is the time”, and honestly, it couldn’t be more fitting. With everything happening in the world, it feels like the perfect moment to pause and reflect, not just on what inclusion means in theory, but what it looks like in real life.

So here’s a bit about mine.

I’m a British born Sikh with Indian heritage, the proud daughter of immigrants who made the UK their home. I’m naturally introverted (yes, even in a big, loud Punjabi family), and I’ve always preferred blending in over standing out, which isn’t always easy when your culture is full of colour, music, and sparkle.

I speak both English and Punjabi. I celebrate Easter and Christmas with as much joy as Vaisakhi and Diwali. I grew up having a chippy tea on a Friday night and traditional spicy meat and chawl (curry and rice) on a Saturday.  I love a full English, but nothing beats aloo paratha for breakfast on a Sunday morning. I love RnB, but I’ll happily throw down some bhangra moves too. And no, I don’t drink tea. Not the British kind, not the masala chai kind. I know, shocking for a Police Officer!

Growing up, I’d squirm at the thought of wearing traditional clothes in public. If we were heading home from a wedding and my mum asked me to pop into the shop for milk, I’d refuse. I didn’t want to be different. That same feeling crept in when I joined policing. I didn’t want to stand out. I didn’t want to rock the boat. Because let’s be honest while many of my colleagues are seen as “the uniform” when they show up to a job, I’m often seen first as “the brown woman in uniform.”

But here’s the thing I’m lucky. I work in one of the happiest and most supportive departments in West Mercia. My colleagues genuinely care. They ask questions. They want to learn, whether it’s about the 1947 partition, the values of Sikhi,  joining me in a bhangra fit class, the right ingredients to cook the ‘thorka’ for a curry or how to pronounce “samosa” and “pakorah” properly. They see me, not just the role I play.

I’m still that introvert who prefers a quiet chat over a loud room. I will always speak up when something doesn’t sit right but don’t find it easy to put myself out there like that! And writing this? Terrifying. But I’m doing it because I work in a space where I can be my full, authentic self and still feel like I belong.

That’s what inclusion means to me.

Today, I wear my traditional clothes with pride, the brighter, the better. Bring on the bling, the bold bindi, and the biggest headpiece I can find. I embrace the similarities I share with others, but I also celebrate the things that make me different because they make me, me.

As I said I’m lucky, not everyone has this experience so what will you do to make sure everyone in your team feels like they belong?