Team members from all different parts of the world came together at Scarborough  Hospital to create the first ever Festival of Culture where staff spent a week sharing, enjoying  and learning about their colleagues' cultures.

York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has over 350 international nurses who play an essential role and contributions came from staff from India, Pakistan and Nepal, Philippines, Africa, Britain and the rest of the world. The week involved food, music and dancing, and culminated in a huge beach party at Scarborough’s North Bay with around 200 people joining in.

Freya Oliver, Associate Chief Nurse at Scarborough Hospital, said: “Sharing our cultures is such an important part of helping our international colleagues thrive, and we're proud to see it done so well in Scarborough. The full week event, which was driven by our international nurses in their own time, was amazing and really built the team spirit. The staff loved learning about different cultures and the beach party was extraordinary - full of joy and happiness. We look forward to having a similar event annually to continue to embrace our cultural differences and understanding.”

Emma Deans, International Nurse Project Manager at the Trust, added: “We are really proud to have hosted this festival. It’s a wonderful acknowledgement of how welcome our international nurses have felt at Scarborough Hospital and a real testimony to the team spirit in Scarborough. The beach party was incredible and I’m sure it will stay in people’s minds for a very long time."

Liz Alice Alinaitwe, Ward Sister on Lilac AMU Ward, was keen to promote and share the different cultures in the Trust. She joined Scarborough Hospital as an international nurse in October 2019 and supports internationally recruited nurses to feel a sense of belonging, as well as helping them to build their careers.

Liz explained: “I wanted to celebrate our cultural diversity by showcasing different types of cultural expression so people could appreciate the different arts and cultures of the world. It also promotes social inclusion, awareness, and a feeling of belonging. Each culture has different traditions and customs and the more we all know about our cultural background, the greater the understanding and tolerance.

“It was a fun filled day involving food from different cultures, games and we all danced to different tunes from different nations - it was a great time to bond with other staff.”

14 November 2022