Re-engage is part of a unique collaboration bringing new opportunities for friendship and social connection to a group of South Asian women who have spent decades largely isolated from social life.

After years of caring for their families, the women, who speak Urdu or Bangla as their first language, have come together to form a social group where they can spend time with others, share experiences and enjoy activities together. Re-engage partnered with Oak Community Development, which supports local communities, and Oldham Council to bring the women together each month to share stories, sing, dance and recite poetry.

The group, which goes by the name of, Aao Dill Bahlye - which translates as ‘Come, ease your heart’- meets once a month in Oldham town centre’s council-run Honeywell Centre, and is so popular, the women want to gather more frequently.

Saima Nadim from Oak Community Development, who helped bring the group together, along with Re-engage Engagement Officer Deb Meynell, said: “It really is a special group. We started with just three or four guests and now we have at least 12. The ladies love meeting up and it’s been such a joy to watch them develop. They have grown in confidence and are quite happy to organise things themselves.

“Most of them came to England from Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 1970s and 80s and their sole purpose was to be a homemaker, to look after their families, and not really prioritise their own needs.

“As they have got older, their families have started looking after them, which is a lovely thing to do but the ladies sometimes feel isolated in their own homes. They are sitting in the same room but feel left out of things because their children and grandchildren speak English. The danger is that they lose their identity and individualism.

“But now they are attending the group they no longer feel at a loose end. They have something special to look forward to and they are so willing to try everything. As soon as you mention something they grab it with both hands and try it enthusiastically.”

The group recently enjoyed a three-hour boat trip along the Ashton Canal in Manchester and are planning many more adventures together in 2027.

Photography by ‘Captured by Sabiha’