A female cricket star born in a Bangladeshi refugee camp, a TV actor who’s aiming for Hollywood, a hospital doctor who creates drone videos and a young entrepreneur who overcame challenges to establish a successful properties business are among 33 candidates vying for the prestigious Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever awards
Jasmin Akter, Aqib Khan, Haseeb Arslan and Hamza Mujtaba provide just some of the incredible and inspirational stories behind the young people aged 18-30 who have been shortlisted in the eleven awards categories dubbed “the YAYAs.”
The awards, launched in 2020, will be presented at a live event for the first time this year. The inaugural awards dinner had to cancelled due to the first Covid-19 lockdown and was staged as an online event last November.
This year’s event will be staged before an invited audience of more than 250 guests at the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford, on Thursday, 4 November. It will also be broadcast live on the internet: https://event.sparq.me.uk/yaya-awards-2021
Dr Mohammed Ali OBE, founder and chief executive of QED Foundation, which conceived and organises the YAYAs, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be able to stage the YAYAs live for the first time after last year’s disappointment. The online event was great but there’s nothing quite like seeing people’s faces in person as their names are announced!”
He said there had been another amazing raft of entries from across the county this year, stretching from Keighley to Rotherham to York.
“The quality of entries from across Yorkshire has been fabulous and the stories of all those shortlisted are inspirational and, in many cases, moving and humbling.
“Many of the candidates have overcome great obstacles to achieve what they have and it’s wonderful to be able to share their stories with a wider audience and shine a light that highlights young people and their successes and achievements in such a positive way.”
The awards will be hosted by BBC TV and Radio presenter and stand-up comedian Noreen Khan and the keynote speaker is Professor Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington DC and former Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK.
The YAYAs are open to any young person of South Asian heritage (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi etc) who was born in, or lives and works in, Yorkshire.
They are aimed at those socially-mobile young achievers who have overcome deprivation and disadvantage or have broken through traditional barriers to progress and have the potential to be role models who can inspire others to follow them.
Bradford-based QED Foundation, a registered charity which exists to improve the social and economic position of disadvantaged communities in partnership with public, private and civil society organisations, worked with their headline partners, York St John University, to organise the awards.
The award categories include Achievement in School or College; Health/Mental Health and Healthcare; The Arts & Creative industries; the Private Sector; Media; Education; the Public Sector; the Not-for-Profit Sector; Sport; Achievement as a Young Entrepreneur; and Achievement in Overcoming Life Obstacles.
They will culminate in the award of the overall Young Achiever of the Year 2021 title. Last year’s title was won by Mohammed Ali Hussain, aged 20, a Hull University student who went into the care system at just 18 months’ old and is now studying to become a professor of astro-physics.
Rob Hickey, chief operating officer at York St John University, said: “York St John University are proudly supporting the YAYAs as we see the importance of recognising excellence. The YAYAs highlight examples of personal endeavour, selfless determination and breaking barriers; qualities which we value and look to replicate in what we do. We are certain that the YAYA awards will grow and develop over the coming years and we look forward to supporting their journey.”
Other sponsors and supporters of the awards include: GCHQ, the National Science & Media Museum, Barnardo’s, the University of Bradford, MyLahore, Bradford Council, Trinity College London, the University of York, Leeds City Council, Local IQ, Mumtaz, Poverty Alleviation Scholarships, Exa Networks, Cedar Court Hotels, Banner, and BITE.
