Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month

We’ve got something exciting to celebrate! Royal Mail EmbRace is taking you on a vibrant journey through South Asia during South Asian Heritage Month (SAHM).

We have many employees and customers with South Asian heritage and what better way to show our appreciation than to join in this year’s celebrations.

Set up in 2019, this event runs from Thursday 18 July to Saturday 17 August. The chosen dates for the month are significant as several Independence Days fall in this period:

  • Maldives Independence Day is on Friday 26 July
  • Bhutan Independence Day is on Thursday 8 August
  • Pakistani Independence Day is on Wednesday 14 August
  • Indian Independence Day is on Thursday 15 August

South Asia comprises eight countries: 

  • Afghanistan
  • Bangladesh
  • Bhutan
  • India
  • The Maldives
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka

 

The theme of this year’s SAHM is #FreeToBeMe. This is incredibly important. We are fortunate in Royal Mail to have employees from every different background, spanning three, if not four, generations, bringing with them a myriad of experiences, ideas, skills and outlooks. 

The ability to be true to our best selves at work, whatever that might be, should be treasured and nurtured, which is exactly what EmbRace is all about. 

Between Thursday 18 July and Saturday 17 August EmbRace, will be running a host of activities.

SAHM Exhibition in 185 Farringdon Road

We will host our first ever SAHM flagship exhibition at 185 Farringdon Road, where you can learn about South Asian Change Makers, Festivals, Fashion and Architecture. 

Under #FreeToBeMe we will showcase colleagues explaining what their South Asian heritage means to them.  You’ll be treated to a whistle stop tour of the postal services across South Asia where you can find out where the last pigeon post in the world operates or where there is a floating post office. 

 

Food, Glorious Food

It wouldn’t be the same without the tasty delights of South Asia. Eurest are joining forces with us to bring you South Asian cuisine in the managed catering sites. 

Eurest always love to show off their cooking skills, so please make sure you get to one of the sites and indulge! 

 

Connect and Learn Session

We will be hosting a Connect and Learn session, 11am, Tuesday 13 August. 

This will explore, with some of our colleagues of South Asian heritage, what #FreeToBeMe means to them at work  and in their personal lives. This will be an incredibly enlightening discussion topic.

Check out Workplace

We’ll be bringing the vibrance of South Asia to life on Workplace. Don’t miss out on our campaign, featuring South Asian music, Bollywood and Lollywood legends, stars from the world of sport (we can’t miss out cricket, can we?), some fabulous reading tips for our book lovers, and the food…we all love the food. 

We want South Asian Heritage to be recognised and celebrated throughout Royal Mail.  This can only happen if you join in. You can do this by…

  • Getting creative with the organisation of SAHM events in your workplace
  • Posting pictures and stories so that Workplace comes alive with the vibrancy of South Asia and #FreeToBeMe
  • Visiting the Exhibition – post a selfie of your visit on Workplace
  • Joining and commenting on the Connect and Learn session

We are confident that you will support EmbRace and make South Asian Heritage Month #FreeToBeMe a huge success. 

Join the journey with us on Workplace.