In 2019, purnell commented on the importance of diversity in hollywood and wanting to use her platform to raise awareness: I am no longer willing to be complicit in this industry. Donรขโ‚ฌโ„ขt get me wrong;

In 2016, when ella purnell was nineteen years old, she co-founded educate2eradicate with her former schoolmate arifa nasim. The organization works to eradicate honour-based violence and address รขโ‚ฌยฆ