Supporting Communities & Fighting Labels: Angela’s Story
At the heart of Certitude are at its inspiring people, many of whom are following their passions both inside and outside of work.
Angela Selvarajah, a manager at Lancaster Avenue, is using her voice and leading the way in a confident new endeavour that is close to her heart.
Working with women in a supportive living home at Lancaster Avenue, who won the 2019 Michael Rosen Award for best team, Angela is clearly passionate about her role within Certitude, making sure everyone feels like it’s a place to be themselves.
“I love spending time with the people we support. Quite often the ladies may pop into the office for a chat. I have gone out for lunch with one of our ladies as well as up the road just to sit on the bench and have a conversation which was really nice.”
For many staff like Angela, working at Certitude is more than just a job and she goes above and beyond to provide her very best every day.
“I often find things that I can share and relate with the ladies we support. I am happy in sharing personal experiences and talking openly, which I find really engages and strikes great conversations with the ladies here (at Lancaster Avenue). It just makes it real and more than a job, especially for our ladies, which seems to be great in building a working relationship.”
Angela is also starting conversations outside of her work in a powerful way. At a young age, Angela was diagnosed with Vitiligo and she says it was something that came to define her.
“I felt embarrassed and somewhat ashamed of what I looked like as it spread more around my body. Developing Vitiligo at an age where I should’ve been carefree and confidence was extremely difficult.”
Over time, Angela has taken back the label that defined her, like so many people we support across Certitude.
She started by modelling for Vitiligo Society UK, a campaign that spreads awareness about her condition.
“Given the roller-coaster of emotions I have been through from first seeing, hiding, accepting and now exposing my Vitiligo, I can’t imagine what or even who I’d be without it. On a bad day, it feels like as if I’m losing my identity, but when I really think about it, my Vitiligo has become my identity.”
Recently Angela was asked by an international model to be featured in her book, ‘She Wants To Move’. The book consists of 186 game-changing females from around the world, sharing their experiences and inspirational messages to support others who may need it.
Angela says that spreading awareness, as well as support and encouragement, is natural to her, and that her Certitude journey has played a huge part in the work she has gone on to do.
“My work through Certitude has definitely made me more confident in the outside world. I have grown through connecting with other non-judgemental individuals throughout the organisation, who have all seen me for what I am worth and not what I look like. This was also a starting point of my journey of self-love and acceptance of my Vitiligo.”
