Moseley Hall Hospital kickstarts South Asian Heritage Month at BCHC
To kickstart SAHM at BCHC, colleagues started the celebrations with a fun-filled day at Moseley Hall Hospital.
Setting the scene for the day ahead, colleagues gathered for a ‘Roots to Routes’ discussion, delivered by Shahzad Choudhry, Director of Equity. Shahzad summarised the importance of celebrating evens like SAHM, reflecting on how our cultures shape our identities and the communities we live in. Attendees were also able to share their experiences as colleagues of Afghan, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Indian, Maldivian, Nepalese, Pakistani or Sri Lankan heritage working within BCHC.
The afternoon sessions consisted of cultural celebrations that attracted colleagues from across the Trust. Some colleagues dressed in traditional clothing to showcase their heritage with pride and even brought along their children to join in.
Priyanka Joshi, a local South Asian poet read a series of her poems, Mehndi Dreamz and Henna by Maya Aamar, both Birmingham-based companies offered free mehndi designs for attendees.
From sipping chai to learning about traditional South Asian clothing, cuisine and arts, there was something for everyone and during lunch, a special South Asian themed menu was available to purchase thanks to Violets Restaurant.
Lana Warner, Hammy Sound, Community Connections and other volunteers at BCHC helped to make the event a reality and ensured everything went smoothly.
Lana shared:
“It was lovely to see the local community and staff come together, sharing traditions, culture, and personal stories. The event brought so much fun and joy. I’d like to say a huge thank you to the volunteers that made the day so special."
Later in the day, some clinical colleagues quickly changed out of their uniforms to traditional clothing and performed a Keralan dancing session. Professionals from Wings Group also delivered a fantastic Punjabi folk dance that got everyone up on their feet.
As well as fun activities, health and wellbeing information was shared out such as the benefits of practices like mindfulness, deep breathing, yoga, and meditation.
Hammy said:
“It was lovely to celebrate South Asian culture at work. It makes me feel excited for the future of what we can achieve when we work together.”