Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month at the Royal College of Pharmacy

Members, partners and colleagues came together on 29 July for Many Threads, One Fabric, the Royal College of Pharmacy's South Asian Heritage Month event celebrating the rich diversity, cultures and lived experiences of South Asian communities in pharmacy. Held both in person at the Royal College of Pharmacy's London headquarters and online, the event provided an opportunity to reflect on identity, inclusion and the contribution of South Asian communities to the pharmacy profession. The evening opened with welcome remarks from Amandeep Doll, Director for England at the Royal College of Pharmacy, before Alishah Lakha, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK (APTUK), delivered the keynote address. Drawing on her personal and professional journey, Alishah reflected on identity, belonging and leadership. (Left: Amandeep Doll. Right: Alishah Lahka) A panel discussion, chaired by Carolyn Scott, Editor of Pharmacy Business, brought together Dalvinder Moman, Maheer Khan, Atif Shamim and Anisa Islam to explore heritage, leadership and representation in pharmacy. Panellists discussed the importance of creating inclusive workplaces, tackling health inequities, and ensuring that people from all backgrounds have opportunities to lead and thrive within the profession. (From left to right: Dalvinder Moman, Maheer Khan, Atif Shamim, Carolyn Scott and Anisa Islam) The event concluded with an original spoken word performance, Thread Count, by Poonam Lumb, Lead Pharmacist for Women and Children at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Introduced by Tase Oputu, President of the Royal College of Pharmacy, the poem reflected on the event's theme, Many Threads, One Fabric, celebrating identity, belonging and the strength found in diversity. (Left: Tase Oputu. Right: Poonam Lumb) The evening concluded with an opportunity for attendees to network over traditional South Asian food, continuing the conversations and connections inspired by the event. (All photographs courtesy of the Royal College of Pharmacy) The Royal College of Pharmacy would like to thank the Association of Pharmacy Technicians UK, the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association (BPSA), the Female Pharmacy Leaders Network, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians of Colour, the UK Black Pharmacist Association and Pharmacy Business magazine for their collaboration in making this year's event possible. Thank you also to everyone who attended, shared their experiences and contributed to the thoughtful discussions throughout the evening. This event forms part of the Royal College of Pharmacy's wider programme celebrating diversity and inclusion across the profession. Upcoming events Evolving Threads – East and South East Asian Heritage Month 2026 – Wednesday 16 September, 7pm–8.30pm (online). Registration is now open. Black History Month Celebrations 2026 – Honouring Our Communities – Thursday 8 October, 5pm–8pm (in person and online). Registration is now open.