Ifrah Salih, who is currently a Senior Lecturer in Academic Development and Inclusivity created the first minoritised student group at Sheffield Hallam University within the Nursing and Midwifery department back in 2019.  Ifrah worked as a Senior Lecturer in Nursing and in response to the negative experiences that minoritised students shared with her, she recognised that a peer support network was needed.  The groups remit has changed since then and now work with external stakeholders and practice partners to raise awareness of the disadvantages that minoritised students face. Ifrah has led a project across the whole university to support most departments develop a minoritised student group.  

The development of the logo was a long process as the group wanted to ensure it visualised what the group was about.  The globe demonstrates the group is for everyone regardless of where you come from. The ECG rhythm across the globe symbolises life in relation to everyone matters as well as making links to Nursing and Midwifery.

The development of the name was extremely complex. The group suggested some fabulous names and minoritised was agreed to recognise that people who are minoritised have endured mistreatment and have face prejudice that has been enforced on them  because of situtaions outside of their control. Minoritised does not mean that you are a minority. In fact people of colour make up 80% of the global population and therefore are the Global Ethnic Majority!

My journey to becoming a senior child nurse lecturer has been quite an amazing one. I was born and brought up in Sheffield. My parents arrived in the UK in the 1960's from Pakistan and I was brought up in a environment where education was everything. 

I went to school in Sheffield and studied at Sheffield Hallam University between 1997-2000 to become a children's nurse. I worked at Rotherham General Hospital for a few years as a newly qualified nurse and moved to Birmingham Children's Hospital in my first senior role. I returned to Rotherham Hospital and left in 2014 to return to Sheffield Hallam University to train as a health visitor. I worked in Sheffield as a health visitor where I became involved in research and complete a masters in public health nursing. Following this I found my way into my current role as a lecturer. 

I have stepped into the role as Nursing & Midwifery Minoritised lead and am keen to improve the experiences of racially minoritised students in health and bring about a wider awareness around the lived experiences of racially minoritised students, health care workers and staff.