Kal Parkash: Celebrating my family’s journey to the UK and our ongoing commitment to the Nakodar School in India

This year marks the second year of South Asian Heritage Month in the UK and gives us the opportunity to stop and reflect on the incredible history and culture which stems from this vibrant part of the world. It also gives us the chance to better understand the diverse heritage that continues to link the UK and South Asia. 

Kal Parkash, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead at SaTH, has proudly shared what she will be reflecting on over the month and how she plans to mark the occasion. 

“For me, South Asian Heritage Month is about people coming together to talk, learn, celebrate and showcase what it means to be of South Asian heritage. This is different for everyone – it may be about lived experience, personal journeys, traditions, religion and family, but when I think about commemorating the month I think about my parents and how they made the brave journey to the UK from India in the 1960s. 

“My parents are from North India, in Punjab, which is very rural and in places very isolated, but rich in heritage and diversity. My father was an educated man and studied in Delhi; my mother had no education at all. She didn’t speak any English when she first came to the UK and although my father established himself quite easily, being a very people-orientated and sociable man, my mum found it much more difficult.  

“My dad however started making connections very quickly. When he first arrived he had a number of jobs, he worked in a bakery and then for GKN Sankey in the welding shop, as well as a conductor on the buses and slowly started to establish himself in the Hadley/ Wellington community. He became a Community Development Officer with Telford & Wrekin Council as well as a Magistrate. A lot of this was to do with him speaking English, Punjabi, Hindu and Urdu so he could help a lot of people in a lot of different ways. It was my dad who started to teach my mum how to speak English (and you can imagine perhaps how that went). 

“During this month I will be thinking about their journey and what they’ve been through, as well as where my family came from. We still speak the mother tongue, Punjabi, in our household and with our family, so we’ve kept that going. My daughter, niece and nephew all speak it when they are with their grandparents and we also go back to India as much as we can.  

“My mum passed away 15 years ago now, but one of the commitments we made as a family was to support the Nakodar School in Punjab near Jalandhar where she grew up. We set up a trust that helps to provide education to children in the village. It’s something I’m very passionate about and I feel a sense of responsibility to make sure I do what I can – and I mean that in the most sincere way. These people aren’t my immediate family but when I go there to visit they are absolutely my family. 

“As part of our support, we run an annual fun day for the children, in memory of mum, plus as a family we collect sponsorship throughout the year. This has enabled us to purchase a minibus in the past, employ a janitor to look out for the children, as well as library books and IT equipment. We have also been able to pay the school teacher fees and we arrange for volunteer teachers to go across to help as well. 

“It is always such a privilege to go back to India because you are reminded of just how fortunate we are in the UK when you see the abject poverty out there. It’s also important to me that my daughter visits India as much as possible so she can truly understand and appreciate her roots as well as the rich heritage to which she is a part of. 

“Something that really jumps out is just how proud the children are when they have their uniforms on and they are heading into class. The school is doing really well and it is wonderful to empower them and to feel like we are making a real difference.   

“South Asian Heritage Month is a time where I am thinking about my parents but also these children and how I can continue to help them to excel and reach their full potential. It’s also about raising awareness of our heritage and culture in the UK and that even though a lot of the celebrations are around religious ceremonies it’s really about much more than that.  

“For me, this month is about people from all walks of life coming together to experience the culture of South Asia, to taste different foods they might not have tried, and to dance – something I think we should be celebrating every single day of the year.” 

There is a Facebook page for the Nakodar School and if you want to find out more and how you can help support then please contact Kal at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..