29/12/2025
Remembering with love and respect, Manjula Sood Ji — a woman of dignity, courage and service. Her passing has deeply shocked me.
Councillor, High Bailiff of Leicestershire, Assistant City Mayor for Community Cohesion, and the first Asian female Lord Mayor of Leicester — Manjula Ji’s leadership touched countless lives.
Manjula Didi was a mentor and a guide. She was a constant source of strength in my journey at the Peepul Centre, Belgrave — a Community Hub for Arts, Cultural Heritage & Wellbeing. She championed our work on Mental Health and Women’s Empowerment, always standing beside those from underserved and under-resourced communities. Her belief in lifting others was unwavering.
Most recently, she joined us as our VIP guest at the Resilience Building Fashion Show — created and walked by women survivors of violence — and spoke so powerfully about the importance of supporting their journeys to safety, dignity and independence, and of continuing our work to Eliminate Violence against Women and Girls. Her words carried compassion, dignity and courage — qualities that defined her life and leadership.
Manjula Ji embodied service. She listened. She encouraged. She helped people believe they mattered.
Her passing leaves a profound emptiness that words cannot capture.
Thank you — for your guidance, your kindness, and the countless moments when you stood with me and with the Peepul Centre. Your legacy of inclusion, community and love will continue to inspire us.
I will miss you deeply, Manjula Didi.
