Members of Ealing’s Citizens’ Tribunal have shared their experiences of tackling racial inequality in the borough as part of Black History Month.
The independent group of residents monitors Ealing Council’s progress on race equality, including health, housing, education and employment.
One member is West Ealing resident Elaisha Bedasee, who joined in May 2026 after years of helping local families access support.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in nearby Portmore, Ms Bedasee has lived in Ealing for 24 years. She is a mother of autistic children and a full-time carer.
She also runs E J Natural Vibes CIC, which supports families and people with disabilities and hopes to open a community hub in Hanwell or West Ealing, with a Caribbean-inspired café, juice bar and activities for families.
Ms Bedasee said: “I want to help ensure that policies and promises translate into practical improvements in people’s everyday lives.”
She added: “I want residents to know that their experiences matter and that they deserve to be listened to, respected and treated fairly.”
Set up in 2022 following the work of Ealing’s Race Equality Commission, the Tribunal examines whether Ealing Council and its partners are making progress in tackling inequalities across the borough.
It is co-chaired by Jacqueline Boothe and Sharmarke Diriye, who also leads its housing subgroup.
Ms Boothe, an Ealing Community Champion and co-founder of Empathy Souls CIC, said she wanted Black communities and other ethnic minority residents to have a greater say in local services, adding: “My work and lived experience drive my commitment to health equity, empathy and fairer services.”
Michelle Alexander, who co-chairs the Tribunal’s income and employment subgroup, has spent 30 years working with children, families and carers.
Ms Alexander said: “I bring a particular focus on unpaid carers, special educational needs, neurodiversity and barriers to employment.”
She added: “My vision is an Ealing where everyone can thrive, not just survive.”
The members took part in an online presentation to Ealing Council staff during Black History Month in October 2026, introducing themselves and explaining their reasons for joining the Tribunal.
Councillor Stephanie Ajayi, Labour councillor for Greenford Broadway and a former co-chair of the Citizens’ Tribunal, said: “We are not yet where we need to be. The test of any commitment to race equality is whether outcomes change.”
She added: “Race equality can’t be judged by the commitments made but by the outcomes people experience. I will keep working, as a councillor and as an adviser to the Tribunal, until every resident in Ealing can be confident of fair access and fair treatment, and until the evidence proves it.”
For Ms Bedasee, being a member of the Tribunal offers another opportunity to help people whose concerns might otherwise go unheard.
She said: “I do not believe community leadership is about collecting titles or recognition. It is about what we do with the opportunities, knowledge and responsibilities we are given.”
More information about the Tribunal and its members is available at Ealing Council’s Do Something Good website.
