BCB radio, (Bradford Community Broadcasting) has been named as Radio Academy Nations and Regions Station of the Year for Yorkshire and Humber 2014.
The 12 winners of the Nations and Regions Awards 2014 have been announced by the Radio Academy. The aim of these awards is to celebrate programming that caters for the needs of a local audience, recognising the passion, commitment and outstanding content of UK local radio.
Stations with a TSA of under 300,000 are able to enter.
Jon Kirby, Smooth Radio Programme Controller for Communicorp UK and Chairman of the 2014 Nations and Regions Awards Judging Panel said: “It was a great honour and privilege to judge such a broad range of fantastic stations. The overall standard was incredibly high this year within every branch, and all of the stations who didn’t win should be very proud of their entries.
What leapt out of the entries universally was the passion, dedication and ambition that runs through all of the programming elements and this is what makes the Nations & Regions Awards so very special.”
The judges said BCB 106.6fm was “Fast, fun and lively, BCB 106.6fm is never afraid to challenge. The interview with the successful UKIP councillor was outstanding and underlines the bravery running through the station. A real feel of being at the heart of its community, with a broad range of content, this is a station oozing confidence.”
BCB thanks everyone for their contribution to winning the award; Mary Dowson Director of BCB said “This is the second year running we have been given this award so we should be really proud of ourselves.”
The much-awaited arrival of Kim Kardashian to India and her rumoured entry into the Bigg Boss house have all come crashing down as her trip to India was cancelled yesterday.
It has been reported that the reality star had some Visa issues which she did not have time to resolve, and could not travel to India, therefore Kardashian had to make the difficult decision to cancel the India leg of her new perfume, Fleur Fatale, tour and head straight to Dubai from Australia.
Kardashian posted on her social media sites this morning:
It seems Kim’s date with Bollywood will just have to wait a little longer.
Tuesday night saw the cast and crew of Behind the Beautiful Forevers deliver a captivating performance to a celebrity-packed audience. The National Theatre opened its doors to stars of the screen and stage including; James Bond star Kabir Bedi, Eastenders stars Nitin Ganatra, Himesh Patel and Rakhee Thakrar, Seema Pathan of The Wright Stuff, BBC presenters Yasmin Khan and Naga Munchetty and actors Kulvinder Ghir, Shivani Ghai and Valmike Rampersand.
The latest production from the National Theatre, Behind the Beautiful Forevers tells a gripping tale of poverty and global ambition in the Mumbai under-city. Following the lives of the slum-dwellers of Annawadi, one of Mumbai’s most impoverished, ramshackle slums, the play captures the humanity of an underclass fighting to survive the violence, greed and corruption of the rapidly changing world around them.
The play kept the audience enthralled and here’s what they had to say:
“I thought that the play was absolutely incredible and powerful. It was so emotional and really takes you on a journey with the characters. The acting was out of this world – I’ve never seen anything like it before!”- Seema Pathan
“It was thoroughly enjoyable. Superb acting! What really stood out was the set design – it was so innovative and creative – spectacular staging!” – Valmike Rampersad.
“I thought the production deftly brought together the potent cocktail of poverty, power and corruption in the slums. It was epic in its storytelling range; each character’s journey felt poignant and necessary. Loved the set and sound. And it was great to see so much talent on the stage.”
– Yasmeen Khan.
Directed by Rufus Norris and written by David Hare, the hard-hitting new play, which combines gritty reality with dark humour and a punchy soundtrack, is based on the original award-winning book by Katherine Boo and stars Meera Syal with an impressive supporting cast including: Hiran Abeysekera, Esh Alladi, Nathalie Armin, Pal Aron, Tia-Lana Chinapyel, Vincent Ebrahim, Sartaj Garewal, Mariam Haque, Thusitha Jayasundera, Muzz Khan, Ranjit Krishnamma, Manjeet Mann, Nikita Mehta, Anjli Mohindra, Tia Palamathanan, Bharti Patel, Ronak Patani, Chook Sibtain, Anneika Rose, Gavi Singh Chera, Stephanie Street, Anjana Vasan, Assad Zaman and Shane Zaza.
The new production is running at the National Theatre from 19th November, and is currently booking until 13th April. Part of the Travelex £15 Tickets season, half the tickets for every performance are £15. It will be broadcast to UK cinemas by National Theatre Live on 12th March.
Talented students are to educate their peers about road safety after making a hard hitting film showing the devastating impact of not wearing a seatbelt.
It’ll All End In Tears, a professionally produced video featuring Wakefield District teenagers, could be shown in schools across the region after receiving its premiere at Hemsworth Academy on Thursday.
The production features police officers and student actors from Minsthorpe Community College and Hemsworth Arts and Community Academy, and shows the devastating effect of a head on collision in which those involved don’t wear seatbelts and also use mobile phones while driving.
The eight minute video was paid for by cash confiscated from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act and a financial grant from the former West Yorkshire Police Community Trust.
Support was provided by West Yorkshire Police and Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, who was keen to assist in the development of a learning resource which could assist in getting the message home to young people about the need to stay safe when on the road.
Discussions are now underway for the video to be shown to students across the Wakefield District and potentially elsewhere.
PC Simon Newton, A Safer Schools partnership Officer with West Yorkshire Police, said: “Everyone involved in this DVD, police, student actors, film makers and everyone who supported it, is very proud of what we achieved and we hope it will have a real impact among young people in our part of the world.
The students who took part were fantastic and really got into it with us. They had a real input into the end result and showed tons of enthusiasm.”
The officer said local roads were closed for the driving scenes which featured input from roads policing officers. Adding that they were grateful for the funding and support, PC Newton said he hoped the video would do some good. “If just one person is persuaded to put on a seatbelt which ends up saving their life or saving them from serious injury in a collision it will have been worth the effort a thousand times over,” he said.
Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson, said: “When I heard about and saw ‘’It’ll All End In Tears’’ I was keen to offer my support. I have promised to work with young people and use my influence as Police and Crime Commissioner to support the police to engage positively with all young people.”
He went on “I am determined to help make our roads safer, by working with partners to find local solutions to local problems which is made clear within the refreshed Police and Crime Plan for West Yorkshire.”
Police are appealing for information following a robbery in Bradford.
At about 4.25pm on Wednesday, 19 November, a man entered a shop in Fern Street and made demands for cash from the male shop assistant.
When the assistant refused, the man grabbed hold of him and produced a knife. The assistant opened the till and the man grabbed a small quantity of cash before leaving the shop. The victim was shaken, but unhurt.
The suspect is described as white, believed to be in his 30s, about 6ft tall and of large build. He was wearing a blue jacket, blue jeans and a cap.
Detective Inspector Ryan Bragg, of Bradford District CID, said: “We believe the suspect walked out of the shop towards Sticker Lane, where he was seen to get into a dark car which appeared to have been waiting for him.”
Anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the Fern Street or Sticker Lane area in the time leading up to or, shortly after this incident is asked to contact DC 5005 Ditta on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
The Bradford community in BD7 have opened their arms and welcomed a new set of awards to be launched in their area in 2015. The Community Hearts Awards have been designed to meet the local people’s aspirations and will award the talented and diverse individuals in the area, in the hope of inspiring many others to follow suit.
Residents of the area felt there was a strong sense of community and they considered their neighbours as “Family members”, however they felt that there needed to be a stronger role model whom the youth could look up to, and keep the spirit going as the older generation does.
The new mascot for the City Ward Community Hearts Awards 2015 was introduced at Speedball on Saturday 15 November. The larger than life mascot enjoyed taking pictures with the children and the children also came up with different names for the mascot, such as; Mr Beaty, Mr Tickey, Harry and Dil-ly however a name is yet to be finalised.
Nadia Hussain, Leader of Extended Learning And Services said “The mascot is a fun and exciting way to let everyone know about the Community Hearts Awards and get them nominating, the mascot will be out at various events within the city ward to promote the opening of the nominations.”
Rio Grande, Mahmood’s, Janans, and Speedball have already agreed to sponsor the event with several additional local sponsors already in the pipeline. Fatima Patel, the editor of the Asian Sunday was quick to support the event as a BD7 resident herself and is supporting the panel with her invaluable skills and experience. The event has won funding from Community first, Bradford West Area Committee and Exceed who are keen to celebrate the investment in the ward and the hard work of volunteers.
Cllr Nazam who is a working member of the committee and the city ward Councillor praised the awards, “City ward has so much to offer with some of Bradford’s best known entrepreneurs, sports groups and voluntary organisations, these awards will really showcase the talents and diversity that exists here.”
Nominations will open later this month at www.communityhearts.co.uk and the awards will take place on Friday 20 March at the Rio Grande, with tickets being made available in the New Year.
It is likely many of you out there with mortgages must have at some point thought about how you will pay off your mortgage, or how you could pay off your mortgage as quickly as possible.
It is worrying that one in ten people are thinking of using their retirement fund to pay off the mortgage. This is worrying because, surely a retirement pot should be for retirement purposes, other than paying off debt that should ideally cease before ceasing work.
For those of you that are on a repayment mortgage, and the term is going into retirement, I would suggest you visit a mortgage adviser, and work out if you can repay your mortgage before retirement age, or change retirement plans so that the mortgage ceases before you finish your working life.
The positive aspect of a repayment mortgage is that at least you are on target to cease your mortgage at some stage in the future. If your mortgage is to run into retirement or you want to retire early, then perhaps making affordable over-payments may be an idea to reduce your mortgage term.
It is more worrying if you have a retirement only mortgage, and have no repayment vehicle in place. There are many individuals who will most certainly have a financial nightmare with an interest only mortgage and no repayment vehicle.
I would strongly suggest if you have an interest only mortgage to consider moving the mortgage to a repayment mortgage, or if you truly dislike the idea of a repayment mortgage, then you start a repayment vehicle to pay the mortgage off. This could be in the form of a NISA, a bond or any other type of savings plan to pay the debt, when the mortgage term ceases.
The issue with an interest only mortgage is that now it is becoming harder to be eligible for an interest only mortgage. This is because the regulators have clamped down and insisted lenders restrict only mortgages to only those individuals with credible repayment plans in place. This means if you have no repayment vehicle, then it maybe likely you cannot move from your current mortgage deal to another interest only deal, but may be forced to undertake an interest only mortgage.
You could also undertake a holistic view of your overall financial situation and see if there are any other ways to reduce your mortgage debt. A recent survey undertaken highlighted 6 percent of individuals are waiting for an inheritance to pay off the mortgage debt.
Whatever your personal situation is, I would suggest undertaking a review with your advisers to ensure that you are on track and there are no nasty surprises to follow in the future.
A bird flu outbreak on a duck breeding farm in East Yorkshire over the weekend has had many people fearing for their health and safety.
However health officials have confirmed that there is minimal risk to humans and has identified it as H5N8, the same type seen in recent outbreaks in Europe. They have been keen to stress that the strain found at the Yorkshire farm is not the H5N1 form which is deadly to humans.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the risk to public health remained very low. The strain is very dangerous for bird life and could potentially affect humans, although only through very close contact with the affected birds.
To tackle the problem around 6,000 ducks will be destroyed at the farm in Nafferton, near Driffield.
Tom Swain from Welcome To Yorkshire believes there are not any risks that people need to be aware of when travelling in and out of Yorkshire and there are no signs that the outbreak is getting any worse. He also clarified that “This is not having, and we anticipate it will not have, any impact on visitor numbers.”
A spokeswoman for Defra also reassured people by saying “We have confirmed a case of avian flu on a duck breeding farm in Yorkshire – the public health risk is very low and there is no risk to the food chain.
“We are taking immediate and robust action which includes introducing a restriction zone and culling all poultry on the farm to prevent any potential spread of infection.”
Jay Sean has been making the rounds on his press circuits in support of his latest mixtape album Mistress II.
Jay Sean with Ninder Kaur
I had the opportunity to catch up with the 35-year-old singer on his current UK promo tour to reconnect with his fans.
We’re sat in an interview room at Salford University where the master-class for music students has just wrapped. Jay, as hench as ever, introduces himself with his arms wide open as he invites me in for a hug. Although he was dressed in an all black ensemble, it was his smile and dark brown eyes that had me in awe.
Having never met Jay Sean before (and only dreaming about this moment when I was a 14-year-old fan), I was fascinated to ask him about his career, family life and plans for the future. Not to mention his return to the UK to promote his latest album.
“It’s been crazy-busy but it’s good to be back on home-ground. I am always excited to see my UK fans and share my new album with them which features sexy, fresh and original tracks.”
Jay kick-started his career back in 2003 and if it wasn’t for leaving medical school where he was practicing to be a doctor, Jay wouldn’t have managed to sell 15 million records and become Britain’s first Asian artist to top the U.S charts.
He started out as an underground performer and admits how he found the transition to become a mainstream artist a struggle. “It’s hard enough trying to be a pop star let alone the fact that you’re Asian, so you’re in even more minority. It was very hard but I learnt to push myself.”
“Nowadays, these stereotypes are broken. Look at me for example. I did everything an Asian is not meant to do. I had a love marriage and I quit medicine to pursue music.”
“Asian families need to stop living by stereotypes. We are just as equal and the same as everyone else. I urge people to support their children no matter what they want to do.”
It was later announced last year that himself, Juggy D and Rishi Rich were going to do a 10 year special collaboration. So naturally, the burning question in everyone’s mind is-Will Jay ever return to the Brit-Asian scene? “We have been in the studio and working on a few tracks, but right now we don’t feel as though they are 100%. We want to give our fans something great and they will wait for as long as it takes. That’s why we love them so much. But right now it’s all about R’n’B for me.”
A lot has changed in Jay’s life since we last saw him on the UK scene. He has permanently moved to New York, married his wifeager (wife/manager) Thara and has recently become the proud father of 11 month old Ayva.
Although he may not be a domestic husband because he is ‘rubbish at cooking’, Jay loves nothing more than playing the family man. Describing his wife as ‘superwoman’, Jay admits how she is his biggest supporter. She makes everything possible and she’s great at what she does.”
Describing himself as the ‘fun dad’, Jay explains how fatherhood has changed him. “I am so more at ease with everything. Nothing else matters to me more than my daughter. Everything else is a bonus. I hope I can be her fun dad forever.”
He admits how he would support his daughter if she ever wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps. “I would equip her with everything she needs to know.” It’s obvious to say little Ayva would be in good stead with a performer as a father and a mother as a manager.
Despite living away from his family, Jay assures that he will instil Asian values on his daughter’s upbringing. “Of course, I would share the values that are dear to me that come from our culture like our love for family, manners, generosity and our hospitality.“
Jay very much remains in touch with his desi roots. “Every morning I take cha masala with me to work. It’s a comfort for me.” Despite not eating mountains of paratha and daal (who can blame him with a body like that), Jay unwinds with regular visits to the gym, catching up on NetFlix and enjoying time with his family.
Although he may be an international star that has ‘made it’, Jay admits how he still remains grounded. “It’s all down to upbringing. My mum and dad have raised me too well for me to act like I’m on a high horse. Mentally, I am dad and a husband at home, not a popstar.” He is still that very same person that descends from Harlesden, London.
In terms of the future, Jay is focusing on his very own independent record label- Jayded Records. He has already signed American-Indian singer Rajiv Dhall. He is also planning an intimate tour once he releases more material, but that is yet to be confirmed.
I am sure as Jay continues on with his promo tour everyone will be welcoming him with open arms-you’d be mad not to.
The new album is free to download now on themistresstapes.com
Bradford club Onna Ju-Jitsu were awarded Gold for winning overall Satellite Club of the Year by Sport England at a ceremony in Westminster on 21 October.
The successful club won county and regional rounds before making their way down to London for the National Awards held in the House of Commons. Onna Ju-Jitsu was presented their award by Zoe Smith, Commonwealth Games Bronze medallist and Minister of Sport, Helen Grant was also in attendance to congratulate the winners.
Pictured left to right: Mumtaz Khan, Helen Grant (Minister of sport) and Asma Mayat
West Yorkshire Sport Representative, Louise Forrest, commented: “Both clubs deserve to be recognised for their hard work and I’m delighted to have witnessed them picking up their awards in The House of Commons.”
Satellite Clubs are extensions of community sports clubs and can offer a different sporting experience for young people, and by 2017, every secondary school in England will have been offered a satellite community sports club on its site. More than 3,000 satellite clubs have been established with over 130,000 young people benefiting since the launch in 2012.
Onna Ju-Jitsu Club started the Self-Defence Satellite Club at Belle Vue Girls’ School last September and since then has taken 30 girls from a deprived area in Bradford through their white belt. Many of the girls were originally disinterested in sport and through attending Onna Ju-Jitsu’s Satellite Club they’ve found themselves enjoying Ju-Jitsu, overcoming cultural barriers to attend, and wanting to learn more.
Onna Ju-Jitsu Club, founder Mumtaz Khan, who won last year’s Bradford’s Inspirational woman in sports award said, “I used to be one of the kids who would leave their PE kit at home in the hope of avoiding PE sessions. I had low self esteem, confidence and anger management issues. I came across Ju-Jitsu when I was aged 20 and it turned my life completely around. For the first time in my life I enjoyed a physical activity and found something I was good at. Given the various issues our society faces today such as the sexual grooming/exploitation of children and also a 29% increase in reported rapes – I feel that self defence skills should be taught to all school children and women to help keep them safe and healthy”.
Onna Ju-Jitsu will be holding their grading’ on 13 December which will be attended by both Sensei Martin Dixon, Chair of the British Ju-Jitsu Association and Mike Diaper, Senior Executive of Sport England. Mike Diaper said he was very interested in visiting the club to experience firsthand the club’s success and to meet the club’s coaches, students and parents.
I’m hoping that as a club we can lead the development of martial arts within schools with the aim of incorporating it into the PE National Curriculum. I feel with rising levels of obesity amongst children/young people that the current sports provision in schools needs addressing. Numerous questionnaires from students in schools indicate a preference towards learning martial arts and as a club we are now in a position to meet that demand following the recent development of coaches.
The club is also currently in talks with YouthTrain developing a Diploma for students titled Work Preparation for Leisure and Tourism. The club is keen to develop students not only in martial arts but with a variety of life skills and is striving towards gaining accredited qualifications.
Following a rise in demand for people wishing to join the club a brand new class will be starting on Thursdays 5.30 – 7pm at Girlington Community Centre. Anyone interested in joining should ring Mumtaz on 07877 466818.
BCB radio, (Bradford Community Broadcasting) has been named as Radio Academy Nations and Regions Station of the Year for Yorkshire and Humber 2014.
