First-generation immigrants arriving in the country faced some challenging times. They often came with very little in terms of personal possessions, encountered language barriers and adjusted to the unknown in a new country. They searched for jobs, bought new houses and worked long hours – all to set up a new life for themselves and […]
Although the migration of South Asians to the UK goes back many centuries, numbers grew significantly during the 50s, 60s and 70s. Many travelled here directly from South Asia, whilst others (known as ‘twice migrants’) came through countries that they had settled in throughout Africa. Whilst some families made their own choice to move to […]
When I heard this year’s South Asian Heritage Month theme is Unity in Diversity, my first thought was of the power of trust, relationships, and shared purpose in community health. In healthcare, progress rarely happens through fact-based messages alone. It happens when people feel seen, respected, and involved in shaping the solutions that affect them. […]
I’m Louvain and work as a Civil Servant in London. I found out I had lung cancer following a scan for suspected appendicitis.In 2021, I went into hospital for a CT scan as doctors thought I may have appendicitis. It turned out to be an ovarian cyst but at the same time, they also spotted […]
Ripon Ray I grew up in Tower Hamlets, an area of East London which was known to be one of the most neglected areas in the UK. I only mixed with the Bangladeshi community, both at home and my school, Stepney Green Secondary. I always felt like a Bangladeshi living in Britain, though East London […]
Getting diagnosed with stage 3 bowel cancer at the age of 39 was a real shock. I’m a GP, active mother of two and always been fit and healthy. I don’t have a family history of cancer or any risk factors, so how could it happen to me? As a doctor, perhaps I played down […]
This year’s theme for South Asian Heritage Month (18 July to 17 August), is ‘stories to tell’. My story is a reminder that more than 100 million people in the world are displaced. With lack of access to basic amenities and healthcare, their memories may be similar to mine as a young boy – filled with conflict and war.
