Bringing the Indian community together in Southampton

Renu Dublish

I was born and brought up in India with strong family ties. While there, I gained a BSc in Physics, Chemistry and Maths and an MBA in Finance. I came to the UK in the summer of 1999, and Southampton has been my home ever since. This August I completed 25 years working in the NHS, progressing from an analyst to a manager, and I’m very passionate about it.

I come from a family where each member is very considerate of the needs of disadvantaged people and very giving. It doesn’t matter who the needy are – family, friends, workers or beggars – what mattered was their needs and circumstances. So I grew up in an environment where helping was part of life, and I find immense satisfaction in being able to contribute to the community and support people in any way.

When I came to UK, there were numerous things I didn’t know about: the culture, the employment opportunities, the education system and healthcare to name just a few. I was fortunate that I had family here, but loneliness was the hardest thing for me to battle.

Because of this, when I see Indians settling here, I can relate to them and understand the support they may need. I take pride in being able to help because it helps me find purpose in life, be a good human and live the values my parents brought me up with. A little help can make a big difference to those who are finding their feet here; settling in a new country is hard enough and getting some support can make the journey that little bit easier.

Hampshire Indian Community (HIC) was formed in June 2022 by my friends Jit Mavi, Anjali Mavi and me. It was created to bring the Indian community together in Hampshire and aims to work towards the integration of the diversified cultures of India and provide support and help to anyone who needs it.

Indians in Southampton were travelling to far-off locations like Bournemouth and even London for Indian festivals. Some of them approached us to host cultural events in Southampton. We discussed this among ourselves and felt there was a gap that could be bridged by addressing people’s needs, which is what HIC is all about.

Over the past three years we have hosted a variety of gatherings, ranging from cultural events like Holi, Baisakhi, and celebrating India’s Independence Day, to New Year’s Eve parties and Bollywood Night, to working on projects with the NHS and Southampton Forward to collect community voices with a view to improving healthcare provisions and community engagement.

Most of our events are open to everyone and, with the exception of the New Year’s Eve party and Bollywood Night, all our events have been free. It’s easy to find us on Facebook – just search for Hampshire Indian Community. We also have a WhatsApp group and we post all our updates on these platforms, as well as on other community groups’ platforms.

With time, Southampton has evolved into a multicultural city with people of different ethnic origins living in harmony. I think it’s a great place to live and work. With its sea port and international airport, the city is well connected and offers good career opportunities. There are also plenty of green, open spaces for families to enjoy.

Southampton offers something for everyone in the Indian community, including the Vedic Society Hindu temple which is not just a place of worship – the community also goes there to socialise, network and connect. Similarly, there are mosques and gurudwaras.

With numerous community groups, there are always events taking place that give people opportunities to join in and get to know each other. And we’re fortunate to have Unity 101, the local radio station that’s run by team of volunteers from diversified ethnic backgrounds.

At Hampshire Indian Community we have a few exciting events and projects in the pipeline. Please pencil into your calendars our ‘Cancer Awareness’ workshop with NHS Wessex Cancer Alliance on 18^th January 20226 and Holi in collaboration with Go Southampton on 7^th March. More details will unfold nearer the time on our social platforms.

To find out more about what HIC does and how you can get involved, email us at contact.hicteam@gmail.com or find us on Facebook.