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West & North Yorkshire Business
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BRADFORD NEWS
It’s our time! I have to start this column with the brilliant news that Bradford will be the UK City of Culture for 2025 . If we can echo and emulate what Hull and Coventry did with the designation, it will do great things for the City and District. It does not mean, however, that we take our foot off the gas when it comes to lobbying for Northern Powerhouse Rail and Levelling Up projects to be adequately funded; we’ll still be pressing the case along with stakeholders such as Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority so that we play a full part in delivering more economic growth and business success for Bradford and West & North Yorkshire. Winning City of Culture is testament to the collaboration between communities, business and local government across West Yorkshire. Credit to the Bradford 2025 team for giving us the opportunity to shine on a world stage as well as encouraging confidence and positivity in our great City. The boost to the economy will be significant and the opportunity to inspire current and future generations will be grasped. The Chamber is 100% behind the 2025 team and looking forward to playing a role. Victoria Wainwright President Bradford Chamber
High-flying Bradford association scoops two Northern Housing Awards Manningham Housing Association, the BAME organisation, which manages more than 1,400 homes for over 6,000 residents in Bradford and Keighley, won the prestigious Northern Housing Team of the Year Award with Cath Bacon named as Tenant of the Year. MHA was also shortlisted for Landlord of the Year at the ceremony held at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. The association’s Community Engagement Team secured the Northern Housing Team of the Year Award for their success in delivering Building Bridges Bradford, a pioneering new venture devised to bolster community resilience and bring individuals and families from diverse backgrounds together through social action activities. The project also supported those affected by COVID-19 including people experiencing mental health challenges, loss of income and isolation due to lockdown. Nasir Hussain, MHA Community Partnerships and Investment Manager, who collected the trophy, said: “I am proud of every single member of the team. This includes my colleagues at MHA, the many community volunteers who did so much of the heavy lifting and the more than 2,200 people who took part in activities ranging from outdoor physical exercise to online coffee mornings. “The foundations for Building Bridges Bradford were already in place before the pandemic struck. However, rather than be deterred by the huge challenges it inevitably created, everyone involved simply rolled up their sleeves with the shared objective of improving life experiences in some of the most vulnerable communities across the district. “It is also an immense pleasure to fly the flag for Bradford and Keighley, where lots of good work is going on to bring communities together. In collaboration with our partners across the district, we will continue to be at the forefront of these positive initiatives.”
