My Story

Our founder - Nagina Kaleem - moved to Southampton from Pakistan over a decade ago. In Pakistan, she and her husband founded an educational charity supporting marginalised girls and women—establishing schools, sewing centres, and educational spaces, some of which she has since re-initiated in the UK.

Experiencing isolation during treatment, it revealed deep cultural stigma around illness in my community. That insight inspired us to create safe spaces for education, empathy, and support.

To address this, she co-founded Cross-Culture Hub CIC and, initially with Purple Community Fund support, established a women-only sewing centre. This became a nurturing environment where immigrant women could learn new skills, integrate into society, and access health-related conversations safely.

Nagina’s journey embodies resilience and leadership in confronting cultural taboos surrounding cancer within the South Asian community. Through education, storytelling, and community outreach, she offers safe environments for dialogue, helps de-stigmatize illness, and builds bridges across diverse communities—all while navigating post-treatment life with courage and vision.