Leicester sisters set out vision for new city café

Hawa Khan (right) and her sister Shamina (left) are opening a café in Evington Road, Leicester

Two sisters are opening a café in Leicester to support people with neurodiversity.

Hawa Khan is opening the venue in Evington Road, Leicester, with her sibling, Shamina, after studying for a PhD related to autism.

She was motivated to take the course due to her 22-year-old son having the disorder.

The siblings are expanding their autism hub, which has been helping people in the city for four years.

The new café, which could open in Evington Road in May, will help people with neurodiversity get work experience, jobs and support.

Hawa hopes the hub will help people in minority communities who she said "are still in denial" about neurodivergent disorders.

"I went on to do a PhD on how autism is perceived and treated in ethnic minority groups," she said.

"The main finding that was highlighted in my PhD was the fact that minority groups are still in denial.

"They are stigmatised and they don't actually access any of the services because they are afraid to be judged."

The sisters are hoping to open the new café in two months

Hawa said the café was part of a community interest company, which will see any profit put back into the organisation.

Her sister said: "The whole aim is to employ neurodivergent people - whether it's work experience as well as paid employment.

"We've had so many people asking for help.

"I just felt really, really so emotional to a point that we had this conversation and we thought let's do it.

"After Hawa's diagnosis, we just thought life is too short, so we decided to get it going."

The sisters are currently trying to create the café in advance of the opening and said that any help, be it financial or from a tradesperson, was needed.

They have already received help from a "lovely" team from B&Q, which helped them with materials and advice.