Menu
Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month

Meet Our People: Durdana Karim & Nirmal Thakkar

Celebrating our South Asian Colleagues

At HUC, we hold great appreciation for every colleague who has contributed to our mission of delivering high-quality care. As we commemorate South Asian Heritage Month from 18 July to 17 August, we wish to celebrate some of our colleagues who are from the Southern Asian region.

Meet Durdana Karim

Durdana, a cherished member of our Welwyn Garden City contact centre fulfils several roles, including NHS 111 Call Handler, Coach, Non-Clinical Floorwalker, and Pathways Trainer.

Although originally from Pakistan, Durdana was born and raised in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Islam is her guiding faith, and Pakistan holds a special place in her heart, she particularly loves the cuisine and warm climate of her home country.

Durdana Karim

How have HUC made you feel welcomed?

“HUC have consistently demonstrated their support for my needs, particularly with regard to my religious practices. They have exemplified this in a number of ways, such as accommodating my shift patterns during Ramadan, authorising a dedicated multi-faith prayer area for me to fulfil my five obligatory prayers, and granting me the freedom to wear a hijab and Abaya as part of my uniform. Their understanding and commitment to inclusivity have greatly contributed to my sense of belonging and comfort within the organisation.”

“HUC is my family rather than my workplace. I have plenty of support and everyone is approachable. It is the best job I have ever done!”

Meet Nirmal Thakkar

Nirmal is originally from Gujurat, a state located on the western coast of India. She came to the UK in 2002 to study for a master’s in Business Administration at the University of Hertfordshire. Since then, she has had a career in banking with companies like Barclays, Bradford and Bingley, Abbey National, and Santander.

As a Hindu, Nirmal celebrates traditional festivals like Holi, Navratri and Diwali even here in the UK. The Gujarati community cherishes homemade food and Indian sweets.

Embracing her cultural roots, Nirmal serves as a committee member of the Indian Cultural Association in the UK. Recently, they organised a grand Asian Business fair to support the community which was also attended by the Welwyn Hatfield Mayor.

Nirmal Thakkar

Embracing growth at HUC since 2014

“I started working at HUC as an NHS 111 Call Handler and worked my way up to Auditor and 111 Pathways Trainer. Recently, due to childcare, I changed roles. Now, I am a Team Leader at our Head office for NHS 111 Service Advisors and Call Handlers. I cherish connecting with individuals personally, ensuring they feel valued at HUC.”

Learn more about the people that make HUC

Data Analyst Neel Patel
People Team Training and Development

Meet Our People: Neel Patel

Read more

Read more
A King's Coronation Medal
People Team

Meet Our People: Rob Chapman

Read more