Raja Khan

It’s what we can do for our communities

Handsworth through and through, Raja Khan knows the area inside out having spent all his life in the neighbourhood.

Born and bred in Handsworth, Raja completed his schooling in the same area. He later became a factory worker however he was made redundant after, “[I] ended up working at a factory called Lucas, got made redundant, decided that I needed to do something so I decided I’m going into social care. I entered into social care at around 24 years old”.

Afterwards, he became director of operations of Aspire Supported Living before becoming its CEO. To this day, he lives in Handsworth.

As a long-time resident of the community, Raja can remember four separate riots that took place in the area: 1981, 1985, 2005 and 2011. He recalls that “outsiders” were major contributors to these riots, looking to cause trouble where they could. As a result, it had a long-term impact that could only be described as devastating as businesses were lost to riots in Handsworth. Although Handsworth & Lozells are deprived areas, the riots made it worse hence it seemed like an unattractive area for future residents and businesses.

A lack of trust in the community also contributed to the suffering that the overall neighbourhood felt.

Raja is of the belief that prevention should be the solution to any riot. When asked about the community’s response to these disturbances, Raja said that education, training, development, and decent housing served as a good base to create a sense of community pride. He noted that unity among the community’s members made the situation better otherwise things would’ve gotten a lot worse. Furthermore, he praised community leaders for giving support hence making the ultimate difference.

As a CEO of Aspire Supported Living, Raja had great responsibilities on his shoulders to protect those in his community. He recalls during the Covid-19 pandemic that it “was a wake-up for everybody”. He took strong measures for care homes whereby he didn’t let anybody visit in order to stop contamination which saved lives in the end. He remembers how nobody passed away or caught a long-term illness in his care homes. Regardless, it was very challenging for his staff and for Handsworth as a whole. As a result, he began a food bank over 2 years ago. Initially, they began by serving 50 trays of rice and peas. Since then, they’ve given out 560 tons worth of food.

As one of the most deprived wards in Birmingham, Handsworth & Lozells has many challenges and obstacles ahead which will lead to inevitable change. Raja finds the area welcoming, “You just need to stand outside Lozells and look at the different nationalities”. He talks about how he grew up with people from many different nationalities, showcasing the diversity of the area, which is becoming more and more diverse as the years go by.