A staggering £150k raised for chairty at the 19th Annual Asian Achievers Awards

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A staggering £150k raised for chairty at the 19th Annual Asian Achievers Awards

The winners of the prestigious nineteenth annual Asian Achievers Awards were revealed in another glamorous ceremony on Friday  6, September at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, onPark Lane.

Winners included, BBC News Economics Editor, Faisal Islam for Achievement in Media, Arts & Culture; Woman of the Year, Neeta Patel, CEO of New Entrepreneurs Foundation; and Harjit Singh Bhania, head coach of the men’s GB wheelchair basketball team for Sports Personality of the Year. The prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award went to philanthropist business tycoon, Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Resources, while London Deputy Mayor, Rajesh Agrawal received the Editor’s Award for Public Services.

Hosts, actor Nitin Ganatra and Nisha Parmar, semi-finalist of BBC’s Masterchef UK, were joined by business tycoons, entrepreneurs and dignitaries, including Jeffery Archer, whose skilful auctioneering helped to raise a staggering £150,000 for this year’s chosen charity Yuva Unstoppable, a youth movement in India that works towards educating underprivileged children.

Mr. CB Patel, Publisher/Editor, ABPL Group says:“This year our theme is inclusivity. As you know inclusivity is not just about diversity, but about being inclusive of everyone. That’s why we have so many shortlisted candidates this year from the LGBTQ community. Today historically, it also completes one year of decriminalisation of homosexuality in India.

“Societal exclusion, identity seclusion and isolation from the society are still the stark realities faced by many individuals, and for Asians it’s even harder. So, our job as always, is to set an example, not only through our publications of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, but especially through today’s Asian Achievers Awards – campaigning for individual liberation and rewarding people for striving so hard against any odds. 

“And in our effort to do so, I must thank the inputs from all our readers and supporters for nominating such outstanding candidates and our independent panel of judges who did their job so brilliantly. I would like to congratulate all the winners of our 19thannual Asian Achievers Awards. Their remarkable contributions to society and community have had a profound impact and I take great pride in highlighting their accomplishments.”

The Asian Achievers Awards sponsors include EY, Starling Bank and Edwardian Hotels, with Colors TV on board as Media Partner.

The full list of winners are:

Winner Category
   
Onkardeep Singh Achievement in Community Services

 
Faisal Islam Achievement in Media, Arts & Culture

 
Vipul Vadera Businessperson of the Year

 
Kush Kanodia Entrepreneur of the Year

 
Krishna Omkar Professional of the Year

 
Harjit Singh Bhania Sports Personality of the Year

 
Hafsa Qureshi Uniformed, Civil and Public Services

 
Neeta Patel Women of the Year

 
Anil Agarwal Lifetime Achievement Award

 
Rajesh Agrawal, London Deputy Mayor Editor’s Award for Public Services
Dr. Nilesh U Patel MD Editor’s Award for Contribution to Thoracic Surgery

 
Pradip Dhamecha Editor’s Choice Award for Community Service, Philanthropy and Entrepreneurship

 

Awards Galore For Restaurant Celebrating 17 Years

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Awards Galore For Restaurant Celebrating 17 Years

Britons have had a taste for curry since the 1800’s with tikka masala being Britain’s top dish for more than a decade. Brits love for curry has been the reason of success for many of Britain’s curry houses, but success for Bradford’s very own My Lahore, who celebrated 17 glorious years in business this year, has been more than just curry.

The family owned team at My Lahore have just gone and done it again, by scooping the Best Pakistani restaurant of the year at the nineth annual English Curry Awards 2019, beating hundreds of nominations from across the country.

Accolades for this British Kitchen just keep on coming as this is now their fifth award this year, having already won Bradford Curry Awards Best Restaurant People’s Choice, and Best Outdoor Caterers, Best Asian Restaurant Yorkshire at the Asian Restaurant Awards and Best wedding caterer of the year at Britains Asian Wedding Awards.

My Lahore started as Lahore Café in 2002, but CEO Asghar Ali and his partner and cousin Shakoor Ahmed, started their love affair with food decades earlier.

As children growing up in Yorkshire, Asghar and Shakoor were brought up on a plethora of dishes from traditional curries to chicken burgers to lasagnes, to pastas and stir-fry’s. This also included a unique love affair for school puddings, which was made trendy when My Lahore launched ‘back to school puddings’ on their menu in early 2000.

Influenced by the pioneering spirit, and humble nature of their parents and grandparents Asghar and Shakoor wanted to nurture their own family favourites in their business and so took a huge risk when they decided they would move away from being a traditional curry house and (along with curries and the now famous back to school puddings), chose to add lasagne, pasta, burgers, steaks and stir-fry’s to their menu.

Thus, the British Asian Kitchen was born and was been hugely popular among students and families alike. Is it any wonder the eatery is sweeping most of the food awards across the country!

Batley Plaza Set To Turbo Charge Areas Regeneration

Raheema Khan
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Batley Plaza Set To Turbo Charge Areas Regeneration

By GRAHAME ANDERSON

New life is set to regenerate the centre of Batley as work nears completion on a modern 29,000 square foot retail and food development on Alfred’s Way.

From July, the former Batley Shopping Centre will become ‘The Batley Plaza’, offering 24 modern units and a positive future to what for the past five years has been a run down and unoccupied space. In fact, the 40-year-old site has been completely redesigned in the hope of attracting both locals and tourists back to both Alfred’s Way and Commercial Street.

A 21st Century Look

The entrance has been totally reconstructed. Shoppers will also be able to enjoy a unique ‘Street Food’, area offering a vast range of tasty delicacies. There will be a revamped entrance and signage on Commercial Street, and a striking new stairway and lift has been created on Alfred’s Way to provide easy access to the retail units from the area around the Tesco and Iceland stores.

The new Plaza will also house an impressive café and three different sizes of unit – aimed at those just starting out in business, those looking for their first premises and established businesses ready for expansion. There’s a full package of support available – all businesses need do is pay the rent. In fact, there’s a real confidence all of the units will be taken up by businesses based up and down the country.

Caring Investor

The project has become a labour of love for top businessman Zahid Iqbal and his company Z & F Properties Ltd, responsible for the purpose-built ‘Bradford Plaza’ shopping complex in Thornbury six years

ago. He’s passionate about recreating this recent success in Batley as he explained: to go in here.

Batley and Spen MP Tracy Brabin enthused: “I’m a huge advocate for shopping locally so it’s encouraging to see that a space that has sat empty for so long is being brought back to life.”

Struggling High Streets

The growth of out of town retail parks combined with the internet shopping trend has had a marked effect on high streets up and down the country. Batley has suffered more than most however.

The first shop to open on Alfred’s Way was also the last to close earlier this year. Candyman Newsagents was run for 33 years by the popular Dennis Fisher, who at one time owned six shops across the area including two in Dewsbury. The 82-year-old decided to retire after serving the community for more than 40 years. His daughter Karen Lawson said: “It has been sad to see all the shops close one by one over the years. Batley Shopping Centre had become a white elephant in the town. It is really sad to be announcing we are closing but it is an inevitable part of life.”

Council Support

Leader of Kirklees Council Shabir Pandor told Asian Sunday: “ I am passionate about Batley & Its People and always look at finding ways to put Batley First.Batley has proven time and time again it’s a great place to invest and I was really please to meet Zaid and talk through his plans for Alfreds Way.

“The investment from businessman Zaid Iqbal is welcoming, exciting and his plans link into my vision on how Batley is at cutting edge of how it can regenerate and become a magnet for economic and social regeneration. This is a prime example of how private enterprise can work with the public sector. I am delighted we were able to help facilitate his plans to open a shopping plaza which will not only create jobs, but also see a huge boost in tourism which can only benefit our local economy and the fabric of our town.

“I’ve been to visit the site recently and I am really impressed with how things are shaping up and the brands already signed up to take up occupancy in the plaza. I am particularly looking forward to seeing development of the Street Food offering the Plaza will bring. It’s going to be a wonderful addition to the Batley community and surrounding areas.”

On the Way Up

A recent survey has shown Batley is one of the leading towns in England in terms of economic growth. Given other councils such as Doncaster are investing millions into establishing a trendy street food scene, Kirklees council are fortunate to have found an investor willing to put his own money into the area, creating jobs and a vibrant community.

Business Boost

Batley Business Association chairman Andrew Marsden, who works for Brearley Solicitors told me: “In truth when I first came to the area 27 years ago there were a few unused units in the shopping centre even then. So, the truth is this has been a long-term problem. Austerity, changing shopping habits and a changing word have all contributed. I got my first mortgage at The Halifax, based at the time within the shopping centre.

“Batley Vintage day helps bring people into the town from far afield. We need to capture visitors at any time of course, but as far as I’m aware there’s no sustained tourism drive going on. Mind you, we have excellent evening entertainment and eateries here now which will help bring others in from outside of the town.

“We have a huge Tesco in the area which certainly took people away from the shopping complex when it arrived. As you need to give people what they want, it’ll be good to see compact and viable units providing something away from the mainstream. If we can get people who regularly shop at Tesco to come and get other things at Batley Plaza, the future will certainly look promising.

“The development will succeed because of ‘the stubborn determination of the Batley community’, We don’t give up”.

Community Winning the Day

It seems both the locals and local businesses are buying into the project together showing a strong sense of community. This will help its success, as Mr Iqbal is also investing a substantial amount of money to regenerate the former Tesco and surrounding shops on Commercial Street.

“I am really excited about coming to Batley, it’s a town which has great potential and is extremely welcoming.

I am confident that the Batley Plaza will be one of my best developments for me so far, offering a quality shopping experience for the local community and hopefully encouraging others from outside of the city to come and visit too”

British Airways Celebrates Centenary with Heritage liveries

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British Airways Celebrates Centenary with Heritage liveries

British Airways is marking it’s 100 years of service and to mark the occasion it is launching a series of heritage liveries.

Following the success of their first heritage livery – a 747 in British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) colours, which touched down at Heathrow on Monday, BA has today revealed the second design in its series of heritage liveries  – an Airbus 319, which will be painted in the colours of the airline’s short-haul predecessor, British European Airways (BEA).

The A319, reg G-EUPJ, will enter the IAC paint bay at Shannon Airport this weekend where it will be repainted with the BEA livery which flew predominantly on domestic and European routes between 1959 and 1968. However, there will be a significant difference with the replica; the aircraft will have a grey upper wing, rather than the traditional red, to meet current wing paint reflectivity requirements.

It will return to Heathrow and enter service next month flying across the UK and Europe, with the design remaining on the aircraft until it retires next year. The aircraft can be followed using tracking website Flightradar24, which will feature a special image of the livery.

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and CEO, said: “There’s been plenty of speculation about our next heritage livery, so it’s great to finally be able to make this exciting announcement. BEA is an important part of our history, and many customers and colleagues will have fond memories flying on its aircraft. We’re sure this latest livery will bring back a flood of emotions and pride in not only British Airways, but the UK’s impressive history – and what better time to do that than in our centenary year as we celebrate our past and look to the future. I can’t wait to see this classic design taking back to the skies.”

Both the BEA and the BOAC heritage liveries are part of a special series to mark British Airways’ centenary, as the airline celebrates its past while looking to the future. More replica designs will be revealed in due course, while all new aircraft entering the fleet, including the A350, will continue to receive today’s Chatham Dockyard design.

In its centenary year British Airways is hosting a range of activities and events. As well as looking back, the airline is also hosting BA 2119 – a programme, which will lead the debate on the future of flying and explore the future of sustainable aviation fuels, the aviation careers of the future and the customer experience of the future.

The airline will be working with expert partners to identify BA’s 100 Great Britons; the people up and down the country who are currently shaping modern Britain, and of course, the year would not be complete without some special flying and moments for customers.

The centenary activity is taking place alongside the airline’s current five-year £6.5bn investment for customers. This includes the installation of the best quality WiFi and power in every seat, fitting 128 long-haul aircraft with new interiors and taking delivery of 72 new aircraft. The airline will also be introducing new Club World seat with direct aisle access later this year.

 

Opportunity for businesses to learn about workforce development and apprenticeships

Seherish Mahmood
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Opportunity for businesses to learn about workforce development and apprenticeships

The Bradford Economic Partnership and Bradford Council will be hosting their next free Invest in Bradford Enterprise Network Event in Keighley.

This second event gives businesses the opportunity to find out about the workforce development support, training and apprenticeships that are available in the Bradford district.

The event will take place at Keighley College on Thursday 28 February from 7.30am to 9.30am.

Businesses will be able to find out about the skills agenda, workforce development and how funded training can help their business to increasing productivity and effectiveness and allow for future growth. The event will also provide an opportunity for businesses to network and meet experts in people and skills development.

Business Advisers from Bradford Council will also be available to give information and answer any questions with regards to business support, expansion and growth, as well as about the grant funding and finance available to the business community.

Attendees will be welcomed to the event by Nick Garthwaite, Managing Director of Christeyns UK Ltd followed by a short speech from Mike McColgan the Managing Director of Ex-Pressed Steel Panels and the Bradford and Airedale Manufacturing Alliance steering group.

Mary Ridyard from Produmax Ltd will talk about apprenticeships and workforce development in the workplace. Also speaking at the event will be Heather Whitehead and Joanne Stark from Keighley College who will give a presentation on apprenticeships and the introduction of ‘T Level’ qualifications, which are new technical study programmes that will sit alongside apprenticeships and A Levels.

Jas Hayre from the Skills Service at West Yorkshire College Consortium will also be there to speak about workforce development support and part-funded training as well as skills development across the Leeds City Region.

Coun Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “The first event in January was very successful with lots of business people from across the district attending and I hope this event in Keighley will prove just as popular.

“The ability for businesses to be able to improve their workforce development and training and offer people apprenticeships is vitally important to our economy, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to make the most of their potential and our businesses continue to grow.

Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills, said: “A strong skilled workforce is essential for Bradford’s continued economic growth and having these events for our local businesses to be able to find out about the support that is available will help them to build their business, increase productivity and effectiveness.”

For more information about the event please call 01274 437727 or email:info@investinbradford.com

Tickets are available on www.eventbright.co.uk  

Bradford Council are encouraging public to give feedback on budget proposal

Seherish Mahmood
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Bradford Council are encouraging public to give feedback on budget proposal

By SEHERISH MAHMOOD

Bradford Council’s public consultation on its budget proposals for 2019-20 and 2020-21 will close on Sunday, 27 January 2019. The council is encouraging people to have their say, if they have not done so already.

Consultation started on 26 November 2018. Members of the public have had the opportunity to take part in an online survey, or fill in a paper questionnaire which was available in libraries and town halls around the district. The proposals were discussed at a number of meetings, including with parish and town councils; with the voluntary and business sectors; with public sector partners and directly with the people using services, such as for welfare advice and adult social care.

Information about the proposals has been available in a range of formats. Paper copies have been available at libraries and town halls, digital versions on the Council’s website and social media, and a short explanatory video has been published online. There have also been ‘easier to read’ and audio versions, to further increase the accessibility of the information.

Since 2011, Bradford Council has had to find £262 million of savings, as a result of Government cuts, rising demand for services and increasing costs. The Council’s budget proposals detail further proposed cuts £13.5 million for 2019-20 and £19.9 million for 2020-21. Also proposed is a Council Tax increase of 2.99% in 2019-20 (equivalent to £39.86 on a Band D property).

Kersten England, Chief Executive

Kersten England, Bradford Council’s Chief Executive, said: “Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to feed into our budget consultation process so far. The Council takes this process very seriously and we have a strong track record of listening and responding to concerns raised through budget consultations. We make every effort to be as inclusive as possible, to help ensure that everyone who wants to input, has the opportunity to make their voice heard.

“We will close the consultation on 27 January, to allow our Executive the time to properly consider all the feedback gathered. There is still time to have your say through the survey on our website, so if you want to take part, please get online as soon as possible.”

The feedback gathered through consultation will be considered by the Council’s Executive on Tuesday, 5 February. The Executive’s final budget recommendation will be published on 19 February, in advance of the Full Council meeting on Thursday, 21 February 2019, where the Council will consider its spending plans for the next two financial years.

Once the budget is agreed there will still be opportunities for people to take part in engagement and consultation activity, as proposals are implemented, to ensure they are delivered in a way that works for residents, partners and businesses.

More information about the budget proposals and consultation can be found on Bradford Council’s website.

Bradford BID gets underway

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Bradford BID gets underway

THE ballot to decide the future of Bradford’s proposed £2.5 million business improvement district has got underway.

More than 630 businesses and other organisations have just under a month to vote on whether they wish to pay an annual levy to provide a safer, cleaner, more animated and better promoted city centre over the next five years.

The group of business leaders who have spent more than 18 months planning and preparing for the ballot are now urging voters to return their ballot papers – which should arrive today – early.

Ian Ward, chairman of the Bradford BID development board, said this was a golden opportunity for city centre businesses and organisations – be they local or national retailers, services providers, professional firms, leisure outlets, hospitality providers or educational establishments – to influence the future of the city centre.

“To my mind, Bradford should have had a BID years ago,” said Mr Ward. “It just makes so much sense, I think it would be very difficult for any business that wants a voice and a future not to vote Yes!”

He said a lot of people had spent a great deal of time and effort building up to the moment when these ballot papers are delivered.

“Most of it has been donated voluntarily by a group of like-minded individuals – from shop owners to company directors – who, above all, want to see Bradford flourish for the benefit of all its businesses as well as those who live and work here,” he said.

“Our mission is simply to do everything in our power to make the centre of Bradford a better place to do business, a nicer place to work in, to live in and to visit, for the benefit of all who believe in this great city.

“We know we can’t achieve that overnight, and that £2.5 million will only go so far, but everything we do if the BID goes ahead will be an asset in building Bradford’s future.”

Businesses have until 5pm on October 11 to return their postal ballot votes and the result will be declared the following day. For the BID to succeed, a simple majority of those who vote, representing more than half the total rateable value of all the properties, must be in favour.

Mr Ward said the key benefit of the BID would be to provide additional services and improvements that will not come from any other source.

“What businesses and voters have to be absolutely clear about is that, apart from the administrative cost of collecting it, not a penny of the money raised by the business levy will go to the Council or its coffers,” said Mr Ward.

“The Council has signed agreements over the minimum services they will provide and none of the BID levy will go towards paying for them.”

If the BID goes ahead, a limited company will be set up with 18 directors drawn from the business community to manage the funds.

“The cash will only be used by the BID and the decisions will only be taken by the business people running it,” said Mr Ward. “They will be bound by the business plan which was brought together through a major consultation exercise over many months and which outlines the types of projects the BID will set out to deliver over the next five years.

“These are projects which will be over and above what the Council is able to provide with its increasingly limited resources. If the BID doesn’t do them, they simply won’t happen.”

The Broadway and Kirkgate shopping centres, the University of Bradford, Bradford College, the National Science and Media Museum, the Telegraph & Argus, Asian Sunday Newspaper and major employers such as Provident Financial and Santander are among those who have already expressed strong support for the BID and a number of organisations outside the levy area – including Bradford City, Bradford Bulls and Sovereign Health – have all pledged voluntary support if it goes ahead.

David Baldwin, chairman of the Bradford Economic Partnership (BEP), said: “Let’s back the BID and see where it takes us.”

The former director of operations at Bradford City AFC, and now chief executive of Burnley football club, said the BID could “only be a good thing” for the city.

“Anyone who’s unsure about whether or not to vote ‘Yes’ in the coming ballot should think of the BID as working as a collective with a clear vision for bringing about improvement,” said Mr Baldwin.

He said the BID would bring “a more collaborative working relationship with all the stakeholders as well as delivering the physical improvements of co-ordinated event-based attractions, cleaner streets and a better night-time economy.”

“Place Marketing” is a key strand of the “Made In Bradford” strategy being developed by the BEP, which brings together senior leaders from business and other key organisations to oversee and drive the delivery of the district’s growth agenda.

“The BID can help deliver this by ensuring all the stakeholders buy into a ‘one voice for Bradford’ mentality, so that we are all then working together to reinforce the positives of Bradford,” said Mr Baldwin.

Massive thumbs up for proposals to redevelop Forster Square Rail Station

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Massive thumbs up for proposals to redevelop Forster Square Rail Station

Plans to redevelop Forster Square Railway Station have received a resounding thumbs-up from the public.

Feedback from a recent consultation on the proposals by Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Network Rail and train operator Northern show the vast majority of respondents approve.

Improvements would include the replacement of the existing station building, lift and staircase tower to Cheapside and Manor Row. The new, larger building would incorporate the arches behind the station and new ‘pods’ would be installed in the old railway arches to provide extra facilities.

Funded through the Combined Authority’s West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, the scheme would create better access to the city centre and the nearby Broadway shopping centre.

Responding to Bradford Council’s consultation, carried out in December last year, station users rated the need for toilets and heated waiting rooms as top priority with cash machines and a shop or newsagent also popular. Passengers also supported the proposal for a green space or landscaped area behind platform three.

Overall, 86% of respondents either approved or strongly approved of the proposals.

Coun Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “It is heartening to see that the results of the consultation pretty much matches the proposals.

“The proposals will improve connectivity between the station to the top of town, and will help drive the masterplan work that is currently being undertaken in that area of the city centre.

“We will ensure the project includes as many of the facilities that people asked for as we can.

“The next step is to appoint a design and build contractor who will work with the Council to develop the proposals further including preparation of a planning application for the new station early in the New Year.”

Coun Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee said: “The Combined Authority Funding is set to invest £195 million this year improving road, rail and cycling links in the region, developing land for housing and commercial use, regenerating town and city centres, and supporting businesses to create jobs and apprenticeships.

“West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund schemes within Bradford include the A650 Keighley Hard Ings Road, the Bradford to Shipley corridor and Harrogate Road/New Line junction, and planned car park extensions at Apperley Bridge, Ben Rhydding, Shipley and Steeton & Silsden rail stations.

“Our joint plans for Forster Square station support economic growth and job creation by improving transport links to the city centre. They complement plans for new leisure facilities nearby and promised plans for more train services between Bradford and London in the next couple of years.

“And they provide an impressive and welcoming gateway to Bradford for commuters and visitors.

“We established the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund to invest in schemes such as this that will support economic growth and the creation of jobs, as well as improving transport facilities and people’s journey experiences whether they use the station daily or are arriving in Bradford as tourists.”

Coun Ross-Shaw added: “Over the coming months, we will carry out a further consultation exercise to ensure people have the opportunity to feed their ideas in to this major regeneration project which is just one of a number of exciting developments all coming online within the same 18 months period.

“The Odeon building in 2020, the redevelopment of Bradford Interchange and One City Park, as well as the city centre market relocation and the Top of Town Masterplan will be delivered in the next few years.”

West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, is part of the Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

More information about the proposals can be found at www.bradford.gov.uk/forstersquare

Marking 70 years of our National Health Service

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Marking 70 years of our National Health Service

By GRAHAME ANDERSON

Not even Aneurin Bevan himself could have envisaged just how much the 1946 National Health Service Bill would revolutionise people’s lives in the UK. Born out of a passionate ideal cradle to grave medical treatment should be made available to all, dreams would be realised two years later as the NHS came into being.

It’s a source of great pride to the UK’s 64.6 million residents all medical treatment is still free at the point of use, except for some prescription and dental charges.

And in this milestone 70th year the NHS has announced plans to improve patient care by cutting long stays in hospitals. The current Conservative government has pledged new funding and the UK Space Centre with NHS England has  announced  it’s allocating up to £4 million to find hi-tech solutions to the major health and care challenges facing the NHS today. Last year, a new £28million wing opened at Bradford Royal Infirmary, providing world-class facilities for the elderly, children and a brand new intensive care unit.

Workers from India, the Philippines and Ireland represent the three largest migrant groups, with 81 per cent of NHS staff working in hospitals in England, of British origin. It’s thought around five per cent of the workforce are immigrants from the European Union.

Back in 1948 life expectancy from birth was just 66 for a male and 70 for a woman in England and Wales. Fast forward 70 years and men have an average lifespan of 80, with women now living a further 14 years.

It was perhaps fitting Aneira Thomas from Swansea, was the first baby to be born in the NHS, coming into the world at 12.01 am on the 5th of July 1948, at the Amman Valley Hospital in Carmarthenshire. She added: “A big thank you to all the dedicated NHS workers that care for us day in, day out – our heroes. I’ve been asked to describe in one word how I feel knowing Great Britain has the NHS, and the word I choose is “safe”. We lead the way.”

As a 13-year-old, Sylvia Diggory was the organisations first patient at Park Hospital, Trafford in Manchester. Across the NHS there were 480,000 hospital beds in England and Wales. An estimated 125,000 nurses with 5,000 consultants available to care for hospital patients. Lifetime average cost per head was £200 – it’s now £3,100. In its first year the NHS cost £248m to run – it’s now £124.7 billion each year.

Key landmarks Across The Years:

  • A charge of one shilling is introduced for prescriptions in 1952 – charges would be abolished in 1965 and re-instated three years later.
  • Up until 1954 hospitalised children were only allowed to see their parents for an hour on Saturdays and Sundays. Following a campaign from Paediatricians Sir James Spence in Newcastle and Alan Moncriff at Great Ormond Street, visiting on a daily basis was slowly introduced.
  • The Mental Health Act of 1959 made new provision for the treatment and care of people with mental health problems.
  • 1960 saw the the first UK kidney transplant take place at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on October 30 involving an identical set of 49-year-old twins. It proved to be a success adding a further six years of life to both donor and recipient.
  • Liberal MP David Steel helped introduced the Abortion Act in 1967 passed on a free vote in October of that year. It became law on April 27th It did not extend to Ireland however.
  • Computerised tomography (CT)scanners producing 3D images from a large series of 2D X-rays, revolutionised the NHS in 1972. The concept’s inventor Godfrey Newbold Hounsfield from England, and America’s Allan McLeod Cormack, who developed this across the Atlantic received a Nobel Prize for their efforts.
  • Keyhole or laparascopic surgery was used for the first time in 1982 to remove a gallbladder. A thin telescopic rod lit with a fibre-optic cable is connected to a tiny camera, sending images of the area being operated on to a monitor.
  • The first 57 NHS trusts were created in 1991 charged with encouraging creativity and innovation within a health service increasingly focused on services in the community.
  • In 2012 The opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games paid tribute to the NHS, involving more than 600 nurses and other healthcare workers under the directorship of Danny Boyle.

Dr Mohit Mandiratta: GP, Feldon Practice, Halesowen, Dudley has been working in the NHS for 10-years. He explained: “Both as a patient myself and having seen loved ones needing the NHS, it has always amazed and inspired me, and made me proud to be British. Having travelled, and done placements in various parts of the world I feel lucky that we have an institution such as the NHS to meet the populations’ healthcare needs.  I am privileged to be in such a position of trust and responsibility.

There’ll be a series of celebratory events big and small across the UK, television tributes and even a parliamentary awards ceremony with MP’s naming their NHS health heroes. In paying tribute, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Asian Sunday: “The NHS is quite simply our country at its best, and you are its heart. Thank you so much for everything you do for all of us.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is Bradford BID and why should Business owners attend the launch on June 27?

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What is Bradford BID and why should Business owners attend the launch on June 27?

BUSINESS owners in Bradford city centre are being urged to attend the launch of an “ambitious and exciting” plan to give it a £2.5 million boost.

The unveiling of the five-year strategy, to improve the heart of the city and help lift the fortunes of traders and service providers, for the proposed Business Improvement District is taking place on Wednesday June 27 at the Pictureville Cinema inside the National Science and Media Museum.

“More than a year’s hard work and planning has gone into pulling together the Business Plan for the city centre BID,” said Ian Ward, chairman of the BID Development Group.

“It’s a defining moment for the project because this is when we show businesses how we expect to spend the millions of pounds they will invest in the city centre over the next five years.”

What is the Bradford BID?

The Bradford BID Development Group has been formed by a number of local business leaders, to investigate the possible creation of a Business Improvement District (BID) in Bradford.

A BID is a business-led and business funded body formed to improve a defined commercial area. Most are governed by a board made up of businesses who represent the BID area. This means that businesses would have a genuine voice and would decide and direct what they want for the city.

BIDs are considered to be the leading model of management and development of town and city centres, with almost 300 currently operating across the United Kingdom and it is anticipated that over £500,000 per year could be raised in Bradford to promote and add to the vitality of the city, thus increasing footfall and vibrancy across the entire city centre area.

Following the result of the completion of a feasibility study, which reported at the end of 2017 that 70 per cent of those who responded were in favour of a BID going ahead, a Development Board has been established to carry the proposals forward to the ballot.

The project will go to a ballot in September and the BID team have just nine months to persuade more than 600 retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, professional services companies and other firms and organisations to vote in favour of paying for a five-year project to breathe new life into the city centre. If they are successful, about £2.5 million will be raised to improve the safety, cleanliness, vitality and marketing of Bradford’s retail heart.

Huge boost from Bradford’s Educational establishments for the BID

The BID has already been given a huge boost with the backing of the city’s university.

The support from the University of Bradford means the BID area will be expanded to take in much of the city’s “Learning Quarter.”

Professor Brian Cantor, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are delighted to become part of the Bradford BID Development Group and to join colleagues in playing our part in establishing a business improvement district for our city.

“Bradford is a city where much is happening and being developed, and there is huge potential for the future.

“The establishment of a BID will enable our businesses and major organisations, including the University, to have a strong voice in shaping this great city and to provide clear direction in its development and progress.

“The University of Bradford is proud to be one of the city’s major institutions and to be able to play a key role in its future development.”

Bradford College is also another major supporter of the BID.

Dawn Leak, Director of Employer Responsiveness, said: “Bradford College is an integral part of Bradford both as a community and as a business.

“We welcome the opportunity to be part of Bradford’s future investment and we want the College to be seen as a safe, welcoming and great place to learn.

“The city has a lot to offer and if the BID can make Bradford clean, safe and a lively, vibrant place to visit, shop and enjoy its long heritage, then the bid will be worth the investment that businesses put in.”

Ms Leak, a member of the College’s executive team, said an effective BID would also bring benefits for students.

“We want our students to come and study in a vibrant city that has a lot to offer both in terms of work opportunities and social activities,” she said. “Enhancing what Bradford has to offer will hopefully encourage our students from Bradford, and the surrounding areas, to choose the college to study at and enjoy what we have to offer.”

Ms Leak said she hoped the BID would help to encourage co-operation between businesses and other organisations.

“I hope that in the first year all the businesses and others involved in the BID are working together to develop a shared vision for Bradford and that, when we look back over the first year, we will have improved both the look and feel of the city centre, with cleaner, brighter streets and regular events and activities, and that we have started to raise the footfall into Bradford and put it firmly on the map,” she said.

Further development of ideas. 

The BID’s development board have been meeting up to discuss ideas, such as cleaning up the city centre.

Jonny Noble, Bradford’s city centre manager said: “It’s really important to remember that the BID will not be here to do the job that the Council is already doing. The local authority has to provide a certain level of service and will be committed to continuing to do so in a legally-binding agreement.

“So, what we have been doing is working out what the BID can bring that is over and above the basic cleaning that the streets already receive.”

Ensuring that the city is an attractive and welcoming place for residents, workers and visitors alike is the bedrock of almost every BID’s activities.

“The Feasibility Study showed that there is real concern about how parts of the city centre look and those who took part highlighted some major areas for it to tackle,” said Mr Noble.

“To improve the appearance of empty shops, for instance, we aim to introduce attractive vinyl wrapping and animation on long-term empty units; liaise with landlords to make them aware of issues with their property early so they can act to stop them falling into disrepair; remove fly-posting and graffiti and ensure it is photographed as evidence for possible enforcement action; deep-clean vacant doorways and entrances and introduce a cleaning programme for problem windows and door frontages.”

If the BID goes ahead, the streets will be subject to a rolling programme of hot-washing and there will be a proactive cleansing regime every morning with a special focus on removing debris left by rough sleepers or late-night revellers.

And business owners should also be able to call on a service clean up hazardous waste if they spot it.

Other clean-up projects would include a special team to remove graffiti and fly-tipped rubbish, a scheme to monitor and improve trouble-spots, and working with partners to create awareness and improvement campaigns and organise events such as BID community clean-up days.

“BIDs up and down the country have had a huge impact on helping to make their areas nicer places to be for all who use them,” said Mr Noble. “Bradford has come a long way in that respect, but businesses know that a BID can give them the power to take the cleanliness of our city to a new level and that can only be good for increasing footfall and investment.”

If you think the BID is a good idea for Bradford or simply want to learn more, then an official launch will be taking place at Pictureville Cinema, at the National Science and Media Museum on Wednesday 27th June at 6pm.

For more information visit www.bradfordbid.co.uk

 

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