SWAS Launch
It all begins with an idea.
After months of planning, on Friday 25 July we officially launched SWAS
We began with taking SWAS (breath). Something so simple, yet so profound. Breath connects us. It is identity before name, before nation, before religion, before language. And in that shared breath, we find each other. We heard a captivating poem by Maryam Sophia about South Asian Histores
Our host for the panel discussion was Narinder Sidhu, A pioneering former Police Officer has and host of the podcast Behind the Badge and the Bindi where she explores her experiences as the first Sikh woman to serve in her borough, while also shining a light on the often-overlooked voices of South Asian women
THE PANEL- the 5 women at the heart centre of SWAS spoke about how and why SWAS came about
SWAS was born from a growing ache. A need. A truth we could no longer ignore. We kept hearing stories from South Asian social workers and allied professionals — stories of invisibility, of being spoken over, of being met with silence when trying to advocate for our communities.
We heard from practitioners who were tired of seeing assessments that missed the bigger picture. From those watching support fall flat because it didn’t land in culturally attuned ways. We heard about safeguarding responses that didn’t feel safe. About schools that didn’t understand our children. About services that saw parts of us — but not the whole.
And we heard how heavy it is to carry all this, especially when it feels like you're carrying it alone, even in diverse spaces.
So, we made a space.
SWAS is that space. A collective of South Asian social workers and allied professionals coming together with purpose — to reflect, to speak, to be heard, and to lead change from the inside out.
An evening of art and poetry at the SWAS Launch
It was more than an event — it was a moment.
✨ Conversations that were raw and real
✨ Words that touched hearts
✨ Poetry that carried pain and power
✨ Art that reminded us who we are — and what’s possible
We sat in stillness at the end of the night, reading the reflections on our Tree of SWAS, watching vlogs, holding messages shared across the room — at the craft table decorating our triangle.
And in that stillness, we felt deep gratitude:
💚 For the energy each person brought into the space
💚 For the courage to speak unfiltered truths
💚 For the collective hope that change is possible
SWAS is open to South Asian social workers and allied professionals of all genders. This is your space — a place where your experience is valid, your culture is not a footnote, and your voice matters.
Take SWAS with us
SWAS — Inhale Strength, Exhale Change.
