Saluting our Sisters - Hommie Beharry's Inspiring Journey

In the first of a series to salute our sisters during Black History Month, we are honouring some of our remarkable women at Coin Street, starting with colleagues from the Black Lives Matter and Racial Equality steering group. In their own words…

My name is Hommie Beharry, and I am the Head of Family and Outreach Support at the Family and Children Centre.

Working at Coin Street offers me the chance to broaden my understanding of families in our community. Collaborating with Southwark Family Early Help is both challenging and rewarding. When families turn to Coin Street for help, they receive the highest level of care from our dedicated team.

Coin Street takes a creative and collaborative approach to working with families, witnessing the impactful, albeit small, changes that families make in their lives. This, in turn, sets their children on the path to a brighter future. Our mission is to guide families through their challenges and concerns with a strong emphasis on the process of change, recognizing that it's this journey that empowers individuals to achieve their goals and aspirations.

I take great pride in passing down my British/Afro/Indo Caribbean heritage to my children and future grandchildren. My message to them is simple: you have the power to achieve anything you set your mind to. Success lies in loving yourself unconditionally and never settling for less.

My skills include:

• Helping people to reach their potential.
• Inspiring people to think for themselves, which is more of a systemic approach, rather than telling people what to do.
• Possessing a warm and caring persona that illuminates in my interactions with others.

 Additional Attributes:

• Recognising what's injustice and justice; being fair, flexible, and approachable.
• Assisting people in looking deep into the mirror to see themselves, rather than pointing fingers at others to sort out their issues. This enables self-reflection and encourages individuals to challenge themselves further, taking steps toward furthering their knowledge and skills.

The knowledge that I'm making a positive impact on people's lives inspires me every day. Whether it's a smile, a conversation, or aiding individuals in overcoming their challenges, I know I'm doing my job well when I witness enduring positive change, enabling them to lead lives filled with love and hope for the future.

One of my proudest moments was achieving an outstanding Ofsted award within two years of becoming a children's centre. Leading an exceptional team and witnessing our family links project evolve into the family and children centre fills me with immense pride.

It warms my heart when families and children return to the centre for a visit, sharing updates on their inspirational journeys post-Coin Street. Meeting Ed Balls and Gordon Brown during a TV program discussing our family outreach work was a memorable experience. The impactful film we created about Dads and their camping adventures with their children made a powerful statement, and I was elated when it was showcased at the British Film Institute. Coin Street's culture is uniquely characterised by a strong sense of family and community.

I'm eagerly anticipating Coin Street's 40th anniversary in 2024. I'm excited to see how we, as a team and a community, will celebrate this milestone. It promises to be a grand celebration!

As we observe Black History Month, I value the open conversations I've had with my colleagues about race and the impact of racism, particularly as a black woman growing up in London.

There have been several black women who've inspired me throughout my life, and singling out just one would be a challenge. However, if I had to choose one sister to salute it would have to be my daughter Amza Beharry- Ruddock because she inspires me every waking day with her love for self and others. 

When I look at Amza I see her inner strength and determination to navigate through difficult times and emerge stronger than before. Amza’s ability to speak out about injustices through her volunteer work, creating exhibitions to show case British black history and its origins to the Race Relations Act and youth justice.