Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Celebrates South Asian Heritage Month

On August 14, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board hosted an event for South Asian Heritage Month (18 July - 17 August), a celebration of the cultures and histories of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

Chair of the Health Board, Charles “Jan” Janczewski, opened the event with a warm welcome and spoke about the importance of celebrating South Asian heritage. Jan commended colleagues for their contributions to the Health Board and provided an overview of South Asian Heritage Month.

The event featured a performance by a troupe of dancers from the Shree Swaminarayan Temple. The dancers performed two traditional pieces of dance and music, Udi Udi Jaye followed by a longer piece, Chalti, a fast garba dance originating in the state of Gujarat in India.

Alongside cultural food and drinks from the region, the celebration gave colleagues with heritage outside of South Asia the opportunity to learn more about their co-workers.

Reverend Sangkhumar Hmar, a chaplain in the Health Board, reflected on his journey to the UK and to working in the NHS; providing an interesting insight into his Northeast Indian Heritage.

Liaison psychiatrist, Tayyeb Tahir also shared his experience of working within the NHS, while highlighting his work with refugees and overseas doctors who come to the UK to further their training.

This event was setup by Cardiff and Vale UHB’s One Voice Network, which represents staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. The aim of such events is to highlight the importance of diversity and inclusion within the NHS, and the valuable contribution of colleagues across all ethnicities. The network will continue to arrange similar events in future.