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19 - 25 February 2022
British Asian Trust annual Royal reception
B
ritish Asian Trust, HRH The Prince of Wales’s charity, hosted the Annual Reception and Dinner to celebrate the work of the Trust and raise funds to support Covid-19 recovery work across South Asia His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, Royal Founding Patron of the British Asian Trust, accompanied by Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall, attended the British Asian Trust’s Annual Reception and Dinner at the British Museum to celebrate the organisation’s many accomplishments over the past year and help raise funds to support Covid-19 recovery across South Asia. Notable guests included The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon Priti Patel, Home Secretary, Adar and Natasha Poonawalla, heads of the Serum Institute of India and long-term supporters of the Trust; Pakistani business magnate Mian Mohammad Mansha, Chairman of Nishat Group and newly appointed Chair of the British Asian Trust’s Advisory Council for Pakistan. During his address, HRH The Prince of Wales His Royal Highness said: “I cannot
Over the last year, the British Asian Trust raised over £10 million for its post-Covid recovery efforts, including £5 million for its Oxygen for India Appeal to support the country during its devastating second wave. It secured £2 million of matched funding from the UK government for the Trust’s Women’s Economic Empowerment proL-R: Priti Patel, Rishi Sunak, Akshata Murthy, the Duchess of gramme, which will enable nearly Cornwall, Charles, Prince of Wales, Natasha Poonawalla, Adar 10,000 Pakistani women to find a Poonawala job or start a business in a postquite believe it is almost two years to the day Covid world. that my wife and myself were able to be with The British Asian Trust also launched all of you to celebrate the work of the British the $14.4million Skill Impact Bond to bolster Asian Trust. Since then, across the globe, employment levels post Covid-19 by there has been a terrible loss of life from upskilling 50,000 Indian youth, with Covid-19 and we have especially seen the women making up 60% (30,000) of the bendevastating impact throughout South Asia. eficiaries. Other initiatives include the In these most challenging times, the British “Palaces on Wheels” charity cycle ride, Asian Trust has run four significant which saw HRH The Prince of Wales ride a fundraising appeals which have so far raised bicycle to see-off British Asian cyclists on a almost £20m. A truly remarkable achievegruelling 400 km challenge. ment in such a difficult environment.” The event was hosted by British Asian The British Asian Trust was founded in Trust Ambassadors, Nihal Arthanayake, 2007 by HRH The Prince of Wales and BBC broadcaster, and Reshmin Chowdhury, British Asian business leaders to tackle Sports Presenter for BT Sport and the BBC. widespread poverty, inequality and injustice Other celebrity Ambassadors and friends in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri who attended to celebrate the organisation’s Lanka. During the evening, BT announced work included producer and director the renewal of their support for the Trust Gurinder Chadha, actor Nitin Ganatra, forwith a commitment of £3m to support mer Liverpool and Wales footballer Ian 200,000 adolescent girls in India. Rush, and music producer Naughty Boy. Manoj Badale, Chair of the British Asian The event was supported by OakNorth Trust, said: “The funds raised will help us Bank and Soneva, a family of world-class continue to deliver large scale outcomeresorts in the Maldives and Thailand. focused programmes in the fields of educaPrince of Wales and Duchess of tion, livelihoods, mental health, anti-trafCornwall tested positive the next day after ficking and conservation in South Asia postthe reception. This is the second time Prince Covid-19.” Charles has contracted Covid.
Food and drink entrepreneurs offered recipe for successful growth with innovative scheme Ambitious Asian food and drink producers in Greater Manchester the chance to pitch their product to a panel of that are keen to grow their brand can now get expert help thanks to buyers. Previous panels have included the likes the return of a popular GC Business Growth Hub programme. of Morrisons and Tesco. Rijul Shukla Participants will also learn about packagThe Hub’s ‘Recipe4Success’ scheme has supported hundreds of ing, labelling, sustainability, and receive advice on sales and marketsmall food and drink operators to develop and raise the profile of their ing with a session including food photography for social media. business since it started in 2015. Previous programmes have helped Spice Story founder, Rijul Shukla, said: “One of the best decisions fledgling Greater Manchester firms get their products stocked in I made last year was joining Recipe4Success. It massively helped me in department stores such as Selfridges, as well as specialist and indemoving towards the retail side of the business and getting stocked in pendent retailers. shops. “The workshops were super helpful and relevant, and the netOne graduate of the 2021 scheme is Rijul Shukla, founder of 100% work you create through the programme is invaluable. If you are a plant-based Indian curry company Spice Story based in Manchester. food and drink business it is not to be missed.” Since completing the programme his products are now stocked on the Recipe4Success is managed and delivered by the Hub, which is shelves of 10 different stores across the northwest, including the part of the Growth Company and part-funded by the European hugely popular Kenyon Hall Farm in Warrington. Regional Development Fund. The next Recipe4Success programme Recipe4Success is open to start-ups, entrepreneurs and small will be officially launched on March 2 at Kampus, in Manchester, and businesses who are in their first three years of trading and based in will offer interested businesses the opportunity to meet some of the Greater Manchester. specialists leading the workshops. The next programme starts on March 22. Places are limited and businesses need to register their interest at www.businessgrowthhub.com/recipe4success. The three-month programme consists of a tailored series of nine workshops and networking events designed to help businesses overcome barriers and succeed. It is fully funded meaning businesses who are accepted onto the scheme do not pay any costs. Businesses will be supported by a team of experts who will throughout the life course, from help with everything from how to approach and pitch to buy- A yet to be published 166-page race birth to death,” ers, to digital marketing, demystifying regulatory guidelines report by the NHS has suggested that It added that despite “clear”, and branding. At the end of the programme, participants get ‘radical action is needed urgently to tackle “overwhelming” minority ethnic “convincing” and “persistent” evihealth inequalities in the NHS’. dence that ethnic minorities are being failed, and repeated pledges of According to experts, this damning action, no “significant change” has study found the “vast” and yet been made in the NHS. “widespread” inequity in every aspect MORTGAGES INSURANCE Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA counof healthcare it reviewed was harming • Residential • Life & Critical cil chair, said: “This comprehensive the health of millions of patients. • Buy to Let • Private Medical report from the NHS Race and “Racism, racial discrimination, bar• Remortgages • Income Protection Health Observatory is a shocking riers to accessing healthcare and woe• Ltd Co Mortgages • Professional Indemnity indictment of the scale of harm that ful ethnicity data collection have “neg• Public Liability racism is causing millions of people in atively impacted” the health of black, the UK. Asian and minority ethnic people in NO FEES CHARGED FROM “Millions of people are not only England for years, according to the THE CLIENT faced with poorer health outcomes but review, commissioned by the NHS are also experiencing racism when Race and Health Observatory, which Sanjiv Nanavati, CeMAP, M.B.A interacting with the NHS and this reveals the true scale of health inequalMortgage & Insurance Adviser report, which is the first of its kind, ities faced by ethnic minorities for the 07970 265 748 highlights the fact that these experifirst time,” The Guardian reported. sanjiv@srfsmortgages.co.uk ences have been hidden and concealed The publication further added that Harrow Business Centre, 429-433 Pinner Road, Harrow HA1 4HN due to a lack of data. The data in this it had exclusive access to the report SRFS Mortgages Ltd is authorised & regulated by the report is unacceptable and shows that that said, “Ethnic inequalities in health Financial Conduct Authority (No. 839035) Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up your payments on any mortgage secured on it. racism within the healthcare service outcomes are evident at every stage
NHS race report hints at “overwhelming” minority ethnic health inequalities
All you need is… Marriage Allowance HMRC is reminding married couples and those in civil partnerships to sign up for Marriage Allowance this Valentine's Day and share their personal tax allowances. Married couples and people in civil partnerships could receive extra cash this Valentine’s Day as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) encourages those eligible to sign up for Marriage Allowance to reduce their tax bill. Marriage Allowance allows married couples or those in civil partnerships to
share their personal tax allowances if one partner earns an income under their Personal Allowance threshold of £12,570, and the other is a basic rate taxpayer. Eligible couples can transfer 10% of their tax-free allowance to their partner, which is £1,260 in the 2021 to 2022 tax year. It means couples can reduce the tax they pay by up to £252 a year. Couples can apply any time, backdate their claims for any of the 4 previous tax years and receive a payment of up to £1,220 at a time when they need it most. Marriage Allowance is one of the ways the government is helping couples to receive extra money back in their pocket each month. Financial support could help couples where they need it most, including household bills. Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said: Couples could be sitting on a tax relief worth up to £1,220 that could provide vital financial support at the time they need it most. To find out if you are eligible and how to apply search ‘Marriage Allowance’ on GOV.UK. More than 2 million couples have applied for the tax relief since it was launched in 2015 but there could be thousands more who are eligible to claim. Married couples may have experienced a change in their circumstances which could now mean they are eligible for Marriage Allowance, including: - a recent marriage or civil partnership - one partner has retired and the other remains working - a change in employment due to Covid19 - a reduction in working hours which means their earnings fall below their Personal Allowance - unpaid leave or a career break, or - one partner is studying or in education and not earning above their Personal Allowance If a spouse or civil partner has died since 5 April 2017, the surviving person can still claim by contacting the Income Tax helpline. Marriage Allowance claims are automatically renewed every year. However, couples should notify HMRC if their circumstances change. follows millions of people - right from birth to death. This can no longer be ignored - there is a moral duty to put this right as matter of urgency. “The Government must openly acknowledge structural racism within the NHS and the barriers that it creates - something it failed to do in its own race disparity report last year. Those responsible for our health service must develop a cross-government action plan with tangible outcomes, timescales and agreement across the NHS.”