Download (The winners of the West Midlands Minority Ethnic Achievement Awards 2009 were:
Business of the Year Award
sponsored by University of Birmingham
East End Foods
A second generation family business, East End Foods is the largest
importer of Indian food products and ingredients to the UK. Despite the
current economic climate, East End Foods have continued to grow and
develop their business, culminating in their purchase of the former HP
Sauce factory site in Birmingham. The new site is expected to create
200 jobs, including warehouse, catering, and office work. photo: Jim Banga, East Foods, Monica Coke, Advantage West Midlands, and Shazia Mirza
Runners up: Polypack Polythene Ltd
Businessperson of the Year Award
Yvonne Williams, Mary Kay Cosmetics
Now Senior National Sales Director, Yvonne joined Mary Kay Cosmetics 15
years ago and became the first independent Sales Director in the UK.
Yvonne is currently mentoring more than 1,000 women in the UK and
Netherlands who are small business owners with Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Yvonne has developed links to support these women, especially with
business advice/training. Yvonne's organisation produced sales of over
£2m for the year ending July 2009. photo: Shazia Mirza, Yvonne Williams, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Monica Coke, Advantage West Midlands
Runners up:
Kavita Jnagal/Rani Uppelle, Simply Recruitment
Gurvir Singh Johal, Asian Business Directory
Social Enterprise of the Year Award
Future Health and Social Care Association
Since its inception in 1996, Future Health and Social Care has
continued to provide quality housing and support to vulnerable members
of the community. Future HSC is committed to enabling service users to
have the right to live ordinary lives and develop within their
community. Future HSC as an organisation has received national
recognition as a successful social enterprise. photo: Shazia Mirza, Roger Telphia, Future Health and Social Care Association, and Monica Coke, Advantage West Midlands
Runners up:
ACCI
Birmingham Chinese Community Centre
Energising Equality Award
sponsored by Advantage West Midlands
Birmingham East and North PCT
Health Typologies Project
Since 2008, BEN PCT has been looking at smart and sophisticated ways of measuring inequalities in their area. The result is a much clearer picture of the people the Trust serves, which in turn has led to a more bespoke, individually-targeted service. photo: Patrick Nyarumbu and Sally Brooks (both BEN PCT) with Robin Landman, Network for Black Professional
Runners up: Heart of Birmingham PCT/Birmingham City Council - Free Gym Project
Reach Out Award
sponsored by NHS South Birmingham
Midland Mencap
Reaching Out Project
Midland Mencap is one of the first Mencap groups to recognise the needs of young people with a learning disability from minority ethnic communities. The Reaching Out project aims to appropriately inform, support and educate parents and carers of disabled young people on the workings of health, education, and social systems. As part of the project, Mencap worked in partnership with special needs schools to hold regular surgeries for parents, with great results. photo: Satpal Badhan, Midland Mencap and Robin Landman, Network for Black Professionals
Runners up: Start Again Football Project, (Start Again CIC)
Grassroots Award
sponsored by BVSC
Visible Minorities Development Council
Based in Telford, the Visible Minorities Development Council provides advice, guidance, advocacy services, and a supportive ear to those who have experienced racism and discrimination. Staffed entirely by volunteers, Visible Minorities helped nearly 2,500 people last year, with services ranging from health clinics to social events. photo: Hannah Adjepong, James Curian (both Visible Minorities Development Council) with brap board member Cheryl Garvey
Runners up: Mashriq Challenge Resource Centre
Arts and Media Award
Andy Hamilton
Having lived and worked in Birmingham since 1946, jazz musician Andy Hamilton has for over 50 years set up venues and concerts across the city and regularly plays at civic functions, organised nights and opened venues where people from all ages and backgrounds are made welcome. His first album, recorded at the age of seventy-three, became the biggest selling UK jazz album of the year, the Times Jazz Album of the Year, and one of the fifty Sony Recordings of the Year. In 2008, he was given an MBE, the same year he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Birmingham Conservatoire. photo: Andy Hamilton with brap board member Cheryl Garvey
Runners up: Hi8us West Midlands
Sports Award
sponsored by Sony Entertainment TV
Lincoln Moses
Lincoln Moses was a founder, player, coach, manager, and secretary of Continental Star FC – a football club established in Lozells in the 1970s. During his time with Continental, Lincoln has mentored young people of all ages and backgrounds, using football to connect with those who find themselves excluded from mainstream society. Among his other roles, Lincoln is also Director of Brother’s Keeper – a local charity – a member of the FA Race Equality Advisory Group, an ambassador for Kick it Out and the chair of Birmingham City Council’s Community Football Forum.
photo: Lincoln Moses with brap board member Cheryl Garvey
Runners up: Saheli Women's Group
Young Person of the Year Award
sponsored by BAYC
Maryam Shafique
From being involved in gang crime at the age of 13, Maryam has turned her life round, setting up her own mental health campaign, becoming a Young MP, and tutoring 11-16 year olds excluded from mainstream schools. A prolific and talented writer, Maryam was asked to perform for a crowd of 5,000 at the Million Women Rise March in London last year. She also regularly performs in schools and colleges, using the traumatic experiences of her childhood to help other young people going through similar problems. photo: Maryam Shafique with brap board member Cheryl Garvey
Runners up: Amra Dautovic
Spotlight Award
Lloyd Robinson
Lloyd has spent years working with young people to tackle the effects of drug abuse and knife and gun crime. Since running a community centre in the mid-1990s, Lloyd has constantly been a source of advice and guidance for people involved in criminal gangs. As well as offering practical support around issues of education and employment, Lloyd also provides a sympathetic ear, drawing on his own experiences of growing up in a marginalised and disadvantaged community. photo: Lloyd Robinson with Jonathan Driffill, brap Chair
Runners up: Fredy Tematema
Changing Lives Award
Gleen Reid
A founder member of Mothers Against Guns and Families for Peace, Gleen has campaigned against gun crime and gang violence since her own son was murdered in 2000. Since then she has been at the forefront of criticising those attempting to glamorise guns and gang culture.Families for Peace works in partnership with local agencies to deliver support for members of the community affected by gun and knife crime or gang violence, including bereavement and trauma counselling services. Gleen also organises an annual memorial service – which is attended by people from all over the country – which unites those whose lives have been affected by gun crime.
photo: Gleen Reid with Jonathan Driffill, brap Chair
Runners up: Jackie Ranger
Shining Light (male) Award
Grantley Haynes
Grantley has worked in the field of substance misuse for over ten years. Alongside being founder and team manager of the Wheeler Street Crack Treatment Programme, Grantley has also acted as a non-executive director at the National Treatment Agency, a trustee of Mo Mo Helps and currently sits on the Home Office Drug Strategy Directorates Diversity Forum in Birmingham. Under his direction, Wheeler Street pioneered radical approaches to working with crack in a way that has encouraged other services to think differently about treatment, typical of the forward thinking and straight talking approach Grantley has become recognised for. photo: Grantley Haynes with Jonathan Driffill, brap Chair
Runners up: Maxie Hayles
Shining Light (female) Award
Naseem Akhtar
With a passion and commitment for getting women – especially young women – more involved in their local neighbourhoods and communities, Naseem has been involved in numerous projects to give young people the confidence to express their views and engage with the issues affecting them. As well as holding roles as co-ordinator of the Balsall Heath Forum and Project Manager at Saheli Women’s Group, Naseem has also served on the B:CEN Diversity Forum and a range of neighbourhood forums, ward committees, and other local groups. She has been tireless in highlighting unmet needs within the community and campaigning for fairer and more responsive mainstream services. photo: Naseem Akktar with Jonathan Driffill, brap Chair
Runners up: Sonia Lindsay, OSCAR Birmingham
Lifetime Achievement Award
Benjamin Zephaniah
Benjamin is the patron, supporter, or champion of over 35 different charities and campaigns, and has been awarded doctorates by 15 universities. At a time when the region needs success stories, Dr Zephaniah’s talent, determination, and generosity of spirit make him a perfect role model for the younger generation. This Lifetime Achievement Award is in recognition of Benjamin’s tireless service to local charities and causes, his willingness to highlight injustices – be it to the minority ethnic community or those abroad – and his determination to blow the cobwebs from the arcane world of poetry and take it to the streets. Benjamin continues to inspire people with his support on issues as diverse as animal rights and housing for ex-offenders, but it is his work bringing art and drama to young people that typifies his commitment to developing a better society through the promotion of self-expression and the imagination.
photo: Benjamin Zephaniah delivering his acceptance speech