Muslim residents in Aston host their first-ever Christmas market to build bridges in Birmingham

A group of Muslim women from Aston have held their first-ever Christmas Market to foster better relationships with the local community.

The women who have been working on arts and crafts projects throughout the year, showed off their wares at community hub Saathi House on Tuesday.

Muslim women hold a Christmas raffle at Saathi House

After spending much of this year taking part in workshops and classes promoting cooking, cake decorating, heritage, painting, gardening and health; local ladies who use the social empowerment centre came together to end the year with a bit of festive fun on Tuesday 13 December

“Most of the women who use our centre are Muslims of South Asian, African and Arab heritage; and Christmas isn’t usually one of the holidays they celebrate,” said centre manager Meena Bibi.

“However, arts & crafts have been an important part of the activities they have taken part in this year and, from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games to creating lanterns for the city’s recent Diwali parade, reaching out and connecting communities has played a key role in their commitment to celebrating their city.

Henna painting during Christmas festivities at Saathi House in Aston

“As we round up the year, it seemed right that we hold our first Christmas market to remind everyone that we are indeed a super multicultural city and our newly announced ethnic-majority status is one of our strengths, not weaknesses.”

Alongside indoor stalls selling food, clothing, henna painting and home-made soaps and creams, the north Birmingham residents also unveiled a brand new garden mural, which they have been working on for several months.

The Muslim Christmas Market had a fusion of Islamic and Christian traditions

Stalls during the seasonal event showcased cultural and tailor-made dresses and children’s clothes, homemade lotions, soaps and creams; festive crafts and Christmas cards, henna painting, and a range of South Asian, African and Middle Eastern food.

“The cultural fusion has been important for the community, providing people from different background to embrace each other’s celebratory traditions and learn from each other at this time of goodwill,” said Meena.

“Some people get shocked at the idea of celebrating Christmas in our community because of misconceptions around the holiday, but you don’t have to be Christian to celebrate, it’s about people coming together.

“We had guests attend our market and festivities from all backgrounds, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, people of faith and none and this is how it should be. I personally celebrate with my family, we have a Christmas tree, presents and lots of shiny decorations, it definitely brings people together.”

 

Oldham resident brings in new care business to town after facing lack of care available for down-syndrome affected daughter

Oldham resident, Roxie Taj, a humanitarian worker and a volunteer in the Fire Services and Criminal Justice system has launched her new in-care business, ‘Visiting Angels’ to bring about a change in the quality of social care provisions in Oldham and surrounding areas

Having first hand experience of care for her daughter, who has Downs Syndrome, over many years, Roxie has faced challenges and understood the significant impact sector-wide issues have on the delivery of high-quality, attentive care for those in need.

With inattentive care, no regular carers and inconsistent quality creating problems for Roxie and her daughter, she decided to take matters into her own hands with the goal of helping reform care provision from within.

Now, having spent five years working in the local care sector to gain valuable insight and experience, Roxie has taken the next vital step towards making her goal a reality.

With her sights firmly set on improving the accessibility and overall provision of local care, Roxie proudly reaches out as Managing Director of Visiting Angels to go above and beyond for people in need of their expert services.

“With my little girl previously requiring care, I’ve had very close contact with local care providers for a number of years,” explained Roxie. “This has given me a real insight into how care providers operate in our community. Through no fault of the carers themselves, the conditions that they work in have created negative environments which ultimately lead to poor care delivery. The care my daughter experienced involved half of her allocated time simply waiting for her carer, then when a carer arrived, I felt it was very impersonal and in fact detrimental to her development.

“It’s because of this that I’m determined to address and act upon these issues with Visiting Angels. I understand the mindset of carers and I’m deeply rooted in the heart of the community, so I want to demonstrate my support and offer a high-quality care service that equally protects and values its dedicated, expert care staff.”

Visiting Angels’ ‘carer-centric’ approach sets it apart from other companies in the in-home care sector. Carers working for Visiting Angels feel valued and respected for their commitment to the industry.

Through both financial rewards, opportunities for career development and wellbeing considered a priority, Roxie is determined to address existing issues surrounding the industry, which often leaves carers feeling undervalued and underappreciated. These are just a few of the changes Visiting Angels is making that sets them apart from other care providers in the region.

“I feel that the community has been desperate for a care provider that puts a smile on its carers’ faces as much as its clients. By offering more positive opportunities for local carers, I’m hoping to address other sector-wide problems such as staff retention and wellbeing. We’re so blessed to live in such a diverse area, and we deserve a care provider that understands and acts upon the needs of our community’s most vulnerable residents, as opposed to one that’s simply driven by money,” added Roxie.

In its mission to meet the growing demand for exceptional care providers, Visiting Angels is setting a precedent and truly making a difference for those who need high-quality care in the community. With the aim of becoming the go-to employer for carers, Roxie hopes to build a team that feels valued, respected and protected. And with so many families’ loved ones experiencing poor and rushed care, Roxie is committed to making the changes necessary that will address ongoing issues within the sector such as poor pay terms whilst heightening the wellbeing of staff as much as clients.

For more information, visit Visiting Angels

Londoners invited to volunteer as Magistrates

People from all walks of life in London are being urged to consider becoming magistrates as applications open in the Capital for this vital role. The appeal is part of a drive to increase the number and diversity of those volunteering.

The Judiciary of England and Wales and the Ministry of Justice are calling on people from London to be part of a new wave of volunteers, giving back to their local community post pandemic.

With no legal qualifications or experience required to be a magistrate, it provides people with the chance to give back to their community while developing new skills.

From teachers to electricians, to stay-at-home parents, anyone aged between 18 and 70 who can commit to at least 13 days a year, for at least five years, is being encouraged to come forward.

With support from magistrates in London, the campaign is seeking to boost numbers by recruiting 4,000 new magistrates over the next few years.

2022 data on the diversity of the current magistracy in London shows an increase in the number of people under 50 (24%) and people from an ethnic minority background (32%) volunteering to be magistrates compared to last year.

The Judiciary of England and Wales and Ministry of Justice are continuing to build on this work to attract a wave of volunteers who are even more representative of the community they serve.

Magistrates are given robust training and an experienced mentor in their first year to develop their skills and legal knowledge. Magistrates typically develop highly transferrable skills such as critical analysis, complex problem solving, mediation, influencing and decision making, all of which stand to benefit them in their wider lives.

Research from the Ministry of Justice amongst HR and business leaders showed they felt people who volunteer as magistrates were likely to have sound judgement (89%) and effective decision-making (81%).

Existing magistrates are stepping forward to talk about the benefits they’ve seen in terms of their own skills boost and the benefits of giving back to encourage others to take part.

Sonal Dave

Sonal Dave is a self-employed Celebrant, Toastmaster and Public Speaking Expert from Harrow. She has worked as a magistrate since 2004 and currently sits in North West London. After thinking about becoming a School Governor, her interest in law and love of legal TV shows, made her want to be a magistrate.

On her role as a magistrate, Sonal says “Having worked in voluntary organisations since childhood, becoming a magistrate has allowed me to create positive change for my local community. It’s important that people from all walks of life consider the role of a magistrate so we ensure each bench is representative of the local community it serves. It’s a privilege to go from watching legal television shows sitting on the sofa to sitting on the bench as a Presiding Justice!”

Being a magistrate is a part-time role that can fit round other working commitments. From making an impact on families’ futures and children’s lives as a family court magistrate, to handling criminal cases as a criminal court magistrate, candidates are being sought to fill positions across all jurisdictions. Whether a family or criminal court magistrate, whichever role volunteers take up, magistrates regularly make decisions that will shape the lives of individuals for years to come.

Applications are now open in London, anyone looking to volunteer can visit icanbeamagistrate.co.uk for more information.

 

Bradford to get a taste of Pakistani folklore music.

Zeeshan Khan Rokhri, a popular Pakistani folk singer is set to tour UK starting 12 November. Roped in by businessman and philanthropist Shakeel Faraz Zeeshan will tour multiple cities in UK till 16 November, with a show in Bradford on 14 November.

Shakeel Faraz who is one of the founders of the Magic Wishing Well and Heckmondwike’s first Food Bank, has been bringing music and cultural events from the sub-continent to the UK for the past few years.

Shakeel Faraz with singing legend Attaullah Khan

Shakeel has already brought successful shows with some of the biggest musicians and artists from Pakistan such as Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi and Naseebo Lal to name a few. He is now bringing raw talent Zeeshan Khan Rokhri to the UK for the very first time, in an attempt to increase engagement in culture and arts for South Asian communities.

Zeeshan Khan Rokhri is a Pakistani Saraiki folk singer who is popular all around the world, with millions of followers on Tik Tok and other social media sites. He produces music under his own label Rokhri productions. His late father Shafaullah Rokhri was also a huge folk singer in Pakistan.

Shakeel told Asian Standard: “I am born and bred in this country, but I have South Asian heritage and growing up I realised, there was very little in the way of entertainment that was from my heritage. Whenever there were cultural events, I realised the atmosphere wasn’t often suitable for women or families. So now I’ve made it my mission to celebrate my heritage by bringing world renowned artists to the UK, where families can come and enjoy in a safe and welcoming atmosphere.

Shakeel Faraz

“I am delighted to be working with Zeeshan Khan Rokhri for my next show, as he is a profound artist who has touched my soul and has millions of fans across the world. The community and lovers of folk music are really going to be wowed by his performance and of course we will be making history as this will be his first ever UK tour. I am really looking forward to show and will continue working hard to showcase the best of South Asian culture and arts.”

There has been a concern of lack of representation and engagement of South Asian arts and culture. On 6 June 2014, the then Cultural secretary Sajid Javid said “adults from black and minority ethnic groups are significantly less engaged with the arts than their white counterparts and are much less likely to visit a performance or gallery.”.

Things have improved since then, as data collected by Department of Culture, Media and Sports on “Share of adults who engaged with the arts in the last year in England 2019/20, by ethnicity”, in 2019-20 revealed that, 62.9% of Asian people were willing to engage with arts, compared to 78.3% whites.

A higher representation of South Asian Arts and folklore through concerts and exhibitions, will only solidify the common South Asian identity, whether it be from India or be it Pakistan. The representation also works as an awareness tool for second/third generation South Asians in the UK, who through such events can discover their roots and will only push for higher representation.

Zeeshan Khan Rokhri’s tour begins on 12 November and finishes on 16 November. The Pakistani legend is set to perform in Bradford on 14 November.

For full details on the concert and venue visit here

Nation in mourning as Buckingham Palace confirms Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died at 96

Buckingham Palace confirms that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died on Thursday at the age of 96.

A statement from Buckingham Palace said, “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow”.

The Queen leaves behind her four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward, eight grand-children and 12 great-grandchildren.

Prince Charles will automatically become King

The Royal Family will now enter a period of mourning. Official engagements will be cancelled and union flags will be flown at half-mast on royal residences, government buildings, across the Armed Forces and UK Posts overseas.

The Queen’s death brings to an end the longest reign in the history of the United Kingdom, and one of the longest reigns by any head of state.

Elizabeth II became Queen on the death of her father King George VI on 6 February 1952. She held her coronation at Westminster Abbey the following year.

Her reign of 70 years was seven years longer than that of Queen Victoria.

Leading the monarchy from the final years of the British Empire into the age of social media, she became one of the world’s most recognised and respected figures of our time.

Prime Minister Liz Truss, speaking outside 10 Downing street, said that “We are all devastated” at the news of the Queen’s death and that “It’s an extraordinary achievement to have presided with such dignity and grace for 70 years.”

“In return she was loved and admired by the people in the UK and around the world”

She added that “Her life of service stretched beyond most of our living memories” and that “she had been a personal inspiration to me and other Britons.” Prime Minister Truss also recalled her meeting with The Queen, when she was made the Prime Minister of UK.

The Prime Minister said that the Queen “had visited over 100 countries and touched the lives around the world.”

“It is a day of great loss, that Queen Elizabeth II leaves behind a great legacy,” she concluded.

Sikh boxer with Parkinson’s stars on National TV adverts.

An IT manager from London who has Parkinson’s is starring in a national TV advert as part of a major charity campaign to encourage people with long-term health conditions to get active.

Jagdeep Singh Aujla, 53, from Redbridge, can be seen boxing in his garden and cooking with his family in the ‘We Are Undefeatable’ campaign.

In the UK, 145,000 people are currently living with Parkinson’s.

Jagdeep, who was diagnosed with the condition last year and had been teaching martial arts for more than 30 years, has stayed active throughout his life. The married dad-of-two has trekked to Mount Everest’s base camp, run marathons and completed the London to Brighton bike ride several times. He’s now preparing to take on Mount Kilimanjaro in October.

Jagdeep believes that being active has helped him both physically and mentally. He is now setting up non-combative boxing sessions for his fellow members at Parkinson’s UK’s Redbridge and Epping group.

Jagdeep, who works at the Adult College of Barking and Dagenham, says that staying active was the very first thing he was advised by the doctors, when he received the news of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s from his consultant.  “The consultant said it’s [being active] the best thing and even mentioned boxing, and I started to research how it benefits Parkinson’s. I’m all for being active and it will bring a positive outcome to anyone with an illness,” he says.

Jagdeep says he’s proud to be part of the ‘We Are Undefeatable’ campaign and notes that he’s had lots of friends contact him after spotting him in the adverts. He says, “I’ve had loads of people get in contact with me, people I haven’t spoken to in a long time. People at my work have been getting in touch with me, saying well done and that I’m inspiring others. I’ve had a few stares in Tesco that I wouldn’t usually get!”

“I also feel I’m helping men with health issues to speak, it’s something generally men don’t do. Personally, a problem shared is a problem halved and it’s good to make people aware they are not the only ones in this place,” he adds.

New research carried out by OnePoll for ‘We Are Undefeatable’ revealed that 67% of people surveyed feel in a better mood after physical activity. Although staying physically active is beneficial for our minds and bodies, sometimes finding the motivation to move can feel challenging, especially for those living with a long-term health condition.

Tim Morton, the Physical Activity Programme Manager at Parkinson’s UK, said “We’re so pleased that Jagdeep is raising awareness of this on behalf of the Parkinson’s community. We know how important being active is to managing symptoms. It is important for both physical and mental wellbeing, especially as depression can be a part of the condition, and being active is often the way in which people take control of their Parkinson’s.

“We hope this campaign will show people with Parkinson’s that by ‘moving to their mood’ they can help themselves to live well with the condition,” he concludes.

Advice, information and support for anyone affected by Parkinson’s is also available via the Parkinson’s UK website, parkinsons.org.uk, or their free confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.

UK government struggles to introduce new measures to bring down bills, as South Asian community admit struggles over the cost-of-living crisis

South Asian community open up about the cost of living crisis struggles that have ensued, as food banks see an increase in beneficiaries from the community. Image: Mukish Dhanbir/Go Dharmic

Across the UK, the cost of living has been increasing since early 2021, with the annual rate of inflation being the highest it has been since 1982 in June 2022, affecting the affordability of goods and services for households.

The military, political and humanitarian impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and in part a return of global gas demand as pandemic restrictions, serve as a few of the implications for the world economy.

The UK government says it has a number of plans to tackle the cost-of-living crisis ready for the next prime minister to choose despite (as of Thursday 11 August) crunch meetings between energy firms and ministers failing to produce any fresh action for tackling the inflation of soaring energy bills, which are predicted to hit over £4,200 a year.

The government’s annual Family Resources Survey, published late in March, found that Black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani households are disproportionately likely to face “low” or “very low” food security.

South Asians are widely known to have bigger families and live in larger households, thus the increase in fuel and energy will be significantly higher in this community.

Shanaz Ali community women’s project lead at BEAP talks about the knock-on effect of the drastic increases in livelihood, the living wage gap and struggles to run your household with the same disposable income, as people are disproportionately affected by low pay and spiralling living costs.

“There are no pay rises, no increase in benefits, oil prices have doubled, we are having to limit things really, not use excessive amounts of anything and not buy unnecessary things.

“People have openly been talking about their struggles, with them mostly dreading October, when energy bills will further increase, as people are worried about how they will manage to pay their bills”.

Laila Begum, a member of the Bradford community, has also noticed a change within the community, she says “Everybody is really struggling with the crisis, especially with the gas and electric bills, as well as petrol going up, the average family is really struggling”.

Shivani Patel head volunteer at the Queensbury Go Dharmic food bank talks about the reduced stigma of seeking help within the South Asian community. Image: Shivani Patel.

“These days it is all everyone is talking about, and I know larger households with bigger families are struggling with their bills”.

Laila adds “The oil prices have gone up a lot, which we use a lot in our cooking, frying and everything, so now that it’s gone up to nearly nine or ten pounds, for a five-litre bottle of pure vegetable oil, we are struggling”.

“The community has cut down on cooking and using less oil, and people are moving more toward air frying, even though with that, the electricity bill is going to go up, so whichever way you look at it we’re stuck in the middle,” says Miss Begum.

Having volunteered at a community centre over Covid, working with people on their mental health, Laila says “People are becoming mentally stressed; we are struggling ourselves and wondering how we are going to cope”.

As millions of people are at risk of fuel poverty with the annual cap on energy prices expected to go up to £2,800 this autumn, food banks have been warned of rising demand, including people who had not previously considered using one.

Further down South in Queensbury, on the northwest side of London, which is predominantly populated with South Asians, a food bank has seen a rise in beneficiaries from within the community.

Shivani Patel head volunteer at Go Dharmic tells Asian Sunday:

“The South Asian community, in general, is very hesitant to ask for help, and it is very much the mindset that ‘we will make everything work out’ but in certain situations, like the cost-of-living crisis, there’s only so much you can do to be self-sufficient and not ask for help.

The cost of living can be attributed to the rise in beneficiaries coming to the food bank, as Shivani says, “Since we have had the whole petrol situation and the electricity bills going up, it seems coincidental that we have suddenly had a lot more people coming in”.

Newcastle’s eclectic ‘Khai Khai’ meets Kitchen Nightmare’s Gordon Ramsay in a surprise visit

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay with owner Jaf Ali, as he visits Khai Khai. in Newcastle. Image: Graziella Nieto/Khai Khai.

Set in a Victorian house just back from the bustling Newcastle quayside, colonial-style Khai Khai offers tasty, modern Indian comfort food created using local produce; much of it cooked over the fire in the Josper or Tandoor ovens. Sit in the ground floor Heritage Room for a view of the kitchen.

Khai  Khai  on Newcastle’s Queen Street is bringing a fresh concept in Indian cuisine to the Northeast and one of the UK’s most renowned chefs is behind it.

 The official launch of the restaurant was held in May 2021,  as dine-in returned to the North following months of restrictions during the pandemic.

Having designed a concept unlike anything in the country, the restaurant won the British Curry Awards in the category for the best new concept restaurant in the whole country in November 2020.

A recent visit to Khai Khai was taken up by the celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who surprised diners when he popped into the Indian restaurant on Newcastle’s Quayside.

The Kitchen Nightmares star was in the city for a two-day production in a place called by the river, which has set up containers and took a break from filming to try the ‘chef’s feast’ at Khai Khai, when he was told by Ali’s family members to try the Tandoori Pineapple Martini. 

The infamous tandoori pineapple martini is a menu that is left to the chefs to create, which comes with a pre-starter, which for Gordon was served as a spinach chaat, and includes items from the smoke, which is created from the tandoor or Josper ovens. Following that, is a selection of curries, rice, bread, and a dessert. 

The restaurant owner Jaf Ali told Asian Sunday “He didn’t book in his name, he just rocked up to the restaurant, we got a few minutes heads up.

“Whilst he was dining, about half an hour later, a group of six people who are part of his production team, came to the restaurant, but we turned them away because we didn’t have any tables, but Gordon spotted them and approached me and asked if I could fit them somewhere and luckily, I had family sat on one of the tables, so I just booted them off”.

Ali says Gordon “Specifically asked for the butter chicken and he loved it”, as the celebrity chef went to the kitchen to personally thank the chef and kitchen staff.

“He took over the restaurant, but not in an imposing way, he’s got such a presence about himself, and he was so humble, going up and speaking to everybody, he understood what our thought processes were in that moment like we just want a picture we just want to say hello, we just want to shake your hand, how was the food? So, he knew all of that” Ali tells Asian Sunday. 

Historically, Ramsay and the Michelin chef who influenced the menu have history, as Ali says, “Gordon Ramsay knows the calibre of Alfred Prasad and has listed him as one of the chefs in his all-star kitchen dream team”. 

The youngest Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star, at 29, the world-renowned chef Alfred Prasad is said to have been a key influence at Khai Khai, having worked closely with owner  Jaf  Ali on the concept since early 2019. 

Owner of Khai Khai Jaf Ali (left) with the Michelin star chef Alfred Prasad (right). Image: Graziella Nieto/Khai Khai.

Chef Prasad is said to have used his wealth of experience and knowledge to design the menu and oversee the development in the kitchen.

The restaurant owner said they had hit a brick wall, after developing the concept and wanting to create a food story, until Alfred Prasad came into the picture, as Alfred is known to have elevated the reputation of British Indian food throughout the world.

 After six months of developing the menu, he got the opportunity to visit the restaurant in person as it opened to diners for the first time in 2021.  

Alfred, the man behind the menu, explains “The initial brief was based on traditional wood-fired stoves where smoke played an important part in the preparation of the food. We pushed that imagery further and the concept of Smoke Play and our food story was born.     

 “To bring the smoke play to life we use tandoor ovens but also a Josper oven which enhances the smokiness of the food cooked in it”.

He added, “We created a menu that includes small plates, smoke plates and heritage dishes, which is our twist on the classic dishes of the Indian subcontinent, with our own signature flair using charcoal.

“My philosophy of heritage, health and happiness reflects in our compact and eclectic menu. I am particularly proud of our extensive plant-based offerings, which bring a great balance to our food offering”.

Speaking about his favourite dishes on the menu, Chef Prasad says, “That’s a tough one but I would say the Smoked aubergine, and Josper lamb chops. The intense smokiness created by the Josper oven makes them even more special.”  

He finished by saying, “It’s been a pleasure going on this extraordinary journey with the Khai Khai team, from conceptualising the whole idea to seeing it come to life. I am truly proud to present a unique Indian dining experience to Newcastle and be a part of this urban legacy.”  

Since Ramsay’s visit to the Indian eatery, customers have been requesting his order verbatim, as tables of up to ten people have ordered butter chicken off the menu at one given time, Ali revealed.

He concludes “We want it to appeal to foodies, people that really know their food. We have had a lot of cool people coming in, like Harrison Ford, who was here in the first week we opened”.

A back-in-time tribute to the journey of a generation of South Asian immigrants, in a new BBC period drama series

The series is presented by BBC Asian Network’s Noreen Khan. Image: Paul Husband/BBC.

From Solihull and Sparkhill to Hounslow and Heathrow, the overkill of stereotypes and cliches of South Asian immigrants during the 50s, has been screened in series like Citizen Khan and films like Bend it like Beckham and Bohemian Rhapsody.

The on-screen depictions of immigrant mums are often characterised wearing glasses, with the circumference of the circle that meets the bottom of their cheeks and immigrant dads, wearing knitted sweater vests and driving small family cars like Austin Allegros.

The BBC takes on the standard format of other back-in times, of throwing people in the deep end, with the kids trying to connect with something that they are not used to, which has been deemed as a step in the right direction, as far as authenticity goes, as the period drama-documentary comes with a twist.

In a four-part series called Back in Time for Birmingham, the series will air on BBC Two each day at 8.00 pm starting Monday 20 June until Thursday 23 June.

The show sees the Sharma family go back in time to discover what life was like for families who came from South Asia to settle in Britain from the 1950s onwards. The city of Birmingham is now home to more than 250,000 people of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan descent.

Explored through the story of the vibrant, ever-changing city of Birmingham, we meet the Sharmas: mother and father Vishal and Manisha, with their children Akash and Alisha.

Together, they put themselves in the historical hot seat, as they relive 50 years of British Asian history.

Last night the programme broadcast its first episode of series one, receiving mixed views from the viewers some said: “Great viewing, more so very accurate. Must see for all”, whilst others have accused the show of being “too uncritical, picking its fights carefully, so as not to offend”, referring to the reference of racism by Enoch Powell, called out in the show.

In an interactive documentary style, BBC Asian Network’s radio presenter Noreen Khan, the DJ-turned-radio presenter said “I’m genuinely so excited to be a part of this incredible series! Taking viewers on an insightful, emotional journey over five decades of the South Asian story will be fascinating. Can’t wait for everyone to watch this”.

The BBC Commissioning Editor Nasfim Haque also commented saying “I’m really looking forward to telling the story of Birmingham through the eyes of the British Asians who have made the city the vibrant and exciting place it is.”

As the story evolves, the South Asian family of four is given the task of adjusting and going back in time 50 years to experience what their fathers and forefathers had to go through to be able to make ends meet and provide for their families back home.

The Sharmas, whose family are Hindu and originally came from India and Uganda, are living in Sparkbrook. Now a predominantly Muslim-Pakistani suburb of Birmingham, in 1950, was one of a handful of neighbourhoods in the city where new arrivals from across the subcontinent and of all faiths began to settle.

Vishal Sharma talks to Asian Sunday about the role he played in the documentary TV series. Image: Paul Husband/BBC.

Vishal Sharma talks to Asian Sunday about the experience that he describes as “humbling

“It’s humbling, because our ‘buzurg’, our elders, are old and are not going to be around in 10 or 15 years, as the 50s was a long time ago, and we’ve heard all their stories and we tend to dismiss it or it brushes over us, but when you actually go see what the factories were like, and see what the housing was like the bedding, and how every single penny was put aside to send back home and they survived on absolutely nothing, it puts into a perspective, but it really grounds you and humbles you”.

He says he part of the journey, as his mum came by herself in 1972 and he “Heard of her hard times, and people before her went through worse things as well.

“This is the best way to get snippets from the hot bedding to the cooking and selling daal, even though it’s a light-hearted re-enactment, we lived in the house and experienced everything, but with the actuality of knowing we were going back to our normal lives”.

Father Vishal and 19-year-old son Akash arrive first and are shocked at the accommodation available in 1950, where a dingy room with a mattress on the floor, is their makeshift bed and a rota attached to the wall, reveals the shared access to a basic kitchen and bathroom, which they had to sometimes queue up for to use.

“We slept on that mattress on the floor, me and Akash, we ate the food they ate, all of our gadgets were taken off us, so whatever that era-appropriate stuff was, what you ate, listened to and read was in the 19550s anything outside of that, you weren’t allowed”.

In the first episode of the series, Akash is put to work in a whistle factory, to show the manual labour and often gruesome working conditions of their forefathers and the 19-year -old son Akash has been given instructions to make a spicy bean stew, to which he adds a dollop of Branson pickles and a tsp or two of the bright yellow coloured curry powder.

Sharma said, “We take these things for granted a fridge and having different foods when all your spices are stripped back and you’re left with basic curry powder, and Branson pickle, you just get on with it”.

The TV series is a raw and unfiltered depiction of the lives lived by those who migrated to Britain for better life prospects and explores the casual racism faced by the immigrants by fascists.

Back in Time for Birmingham, a 4×60’ series for BBC Two and iPlayer, is made by Wall to Wall Media the Executive Producer is Emily Shields and the Series Producer is Naveed Chowdhary-Flatt.

The series was commissioned by Patrick Holland, Director, Factual, Arts and Classical Music and Catherine Catton, Head of Commissioning, Popular Factual and Factual Entertainment. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Nasfim Haque.

A West Midlands University and Centre for Sikh and Punjabi Studies uses art to raise awareness of organ donations

Phulkari art that was commissioned for use by the Centre for Centre of Sikh and Panjabi Studies and Wolverhampton School of Art. Image: Screenshot/University of Wolverhampton.

In a collaborative arts project, the University of Wolverhampton and the Centre for Sikh and Punjabi Studies in West Midlands, aims to connect heritage with the modern world, through Phulakri art, which refers to the folk embroidery of the Punjab.

The University of Wolverhampton has secured funding from NHS BT, to continue raising awareness for an important cause, across the four major faith groups in the West Midlands regions.

The University’s School of Art and the Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies have secured almost £10,000 in funding to create awareness of organ donation among Sikhs, Hindus, Jain, and Buddhists.

Committed to building support for donations amongst Black, Asian, mixed heritage and minority ethnic communities, the NHS Blood and Transplant’s Community Investment Scheme, awards the funding.

With the guidance of NHS Clinical Teams and Donor/Recipient families, the University’s Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies and the School of Art academic researchers will commission artwork/digital media work that promotes Donation and Law Change whilst at the same time debunking ‘myths.

A particular design and pattern of boxed designs of artwork known as ‘Phulkari’  has been used, as a way of speaking to the Sikh community, which is the second largest Sikh community outside of West London, with 14 places of worship.

Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar MBE, Director of the University’s Centre for Sikh and Panjabi Studies and recently appointed President of Theology and Religious Studies UK said: “Awareness of organ donation is much needed across these sometimes hard to reach communities.  Being based in Wolverhampton gives us the ideal location through which to make a real impact through the opportunity to engage with, not only the Sikh community but these additional faith groups.

Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar MBE, Director of Centre of Sikh and Panjabi Studies at the University has led on community engagement. Image: Screenshot/University of Wolverhampton.

“Having the expertise in understanding teachings, beliefs and ethics from different faiths, we will use these to highlight how these faiths support organ donation in an effort to overcome incorrect notions of organ donation being contradictory to religious beliefs.”

Following a national competitive call, graduate creative practitioners will be invited to submit concepts that will be shortlisted by the panel. Successful individuals will be professionally commissioned to work with the support of the project team to make their work.

Maggie Ayliffe, Head of the Wolverhampton School of Art, said: “We are delighted to be recipients of this further NHS Blood & Transplant, Community Investment Scheme funding. We are an organisation which is deeply embedded in the local area, and we have strong grassroots links to the community which we hope to engage throughout this project.

“This will be an important community-based art project. Our students and staff have worked on several projects that aim to raise awareness and stimulate conversation about organ donation in the past and we are very much looking forward to working with these different faith groups across the region, building on our work with the Sikh community recently, and creating some new artwork that will start conversations and create interest around the social benefits/gift of organ donation.”

For more information about the Community Investment Scheme please visit https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/cis/ or contact: community.funding@nhsbt.nhs.uk