ASIAN JEWEL AWARDS 2003
(9 July 2003)

More than a thousand guests - a veritable Who's Who of Asian "movers and shakers" from London and the South East - attended the Southern Region presentation of the Asian Jewel Awards 2003. The awards recognise and celebrate the endeavours and achievements of individuals from the UK Asian community in various walks of life. Winners included well-known personalities like Sir G K Noon, Sir Anwar Pervez, James Caan, Baroness Shreela Flather, Parminder Vir OBE, Tarique Ghaffur and Sailesh Vara.

Anila Roohi won the Young Achiever Award, sponsored by the Royal Navy. Anila, head of recruitment and development for the London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority, was brought up on one of the most deprived housing estates in Leeds but after graduating in Law from King's College, London, went on to specialize in human rights, working for Amnesty International and projects combating child slavery. Appointed to her current position at the age of 31, Anila controls a budget of £2 million and heads a staff of 33. She also leads a very successful positive action programme recruiting women and ethnic minorities into the service.

James Caan of Hamilton Bradshaw, a well-known Asian businessman, received the Entrepreneur Award, sponsored by PriceWaterhouseCoopers. James's impressive track record includes creating a global HR consultancy with over 147 offices in over 30 countries and developing an international out-sourcing company with revenues of over £120 million. He is currently on a 12-month sabbatical from his business activities studying in the Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Program.

Baroness Shreela Flather was named Woman of the Year, sponsored by Sainsbury's. Highlights of Baroness Flather's 35 years in public life include becoming the UK's first ethnic minority councillor in 1976 and the country's first Asian woman mayor (of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead) in 1986. In 1990 she also became the first ethnic minority woman to enter the House of Lords. Baroness Flather has also served on numerous public bodies including the Commission for Racial Equality, the Police Complaints Board and the European Commission on Racism and Xenophobia. She was also highly involved in the construction of the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill, a long-overdue recognition of the contributions of the nearly five million volunteers from the Indian subcontinent, Africa and the Caribbean in the two world wars.

Shailesh Vara, vie-chairman of the Conservative Party, won the Social and Community Award sponsored by Abbey National plc. Shailesh, who delivered the 'rising star' speech at the Party's conference in 2000, has been described as a future leader of the Conservative Party. Previously a solicitor in the City. Shailesh's responsibilities include Conservative Future which has some 10,000 members.

	Irfan Qadir, director of New Business at the Bank of Scotland, received the Finance Excellence Award, sponsored by Lloyds TSB. In 2001 Irfan became one of the youngest directors at the Bank of Scotland Business Banking; he is now responsible for new business in the corporate and commercial sectors.
	Rabinder Singh QC of Matrix Chambers won the Legal Excellence Award, sponsored by OyezStraker. Specializing in public law and human rights, he was appointed Queen's Counsel in 2002 at the age of 38, he has recently been appointed the first Asian deputy High Court judge, at the age of only 39.

Tarique Ghaffur, Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force, received the Public Sector Award, sponsored by JobCentre Plus. The highest-ranking ethnic minority police officer in the UK, having achieved Chief Constable status in 2001, Mr. Ghaffur has responsibility for the Specialist Crime Directorate.

Sir Mohammed Anwar Pervez OBE, Managing Director of Bestway Cash & Carry, received the Business and Commerce Award, sponsored by Barclays. Beginning his career with one convenience store in Earls Court, Bestway now has 28 branches throughout the UK, with a turnover of £1 billion in 2002.

	Professor Jagdish Singh Gundara was the winner of the Education Excellence Award, sponsored by the Learning and Skills Council. Professor Gundara holds the UNESCO chair in Intercultural Studies and Teacher Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, where he heads the International Centre for Intercultural Studies.
	Sunita Shrotria was the recipient of the Healthcare Excellence Award, sponsored by AXA PPP Healthcare. Sunita, a consultant surgeon at Ashford and St. Peter's hospitals, specializes in breast disease. She introduced the concept of scarless breast surgery and her pioneering techniques have established her as a leader in her field.

Parminder Vir OBE received the Media and the Arts Award, sponsored by Southall Regeneration Partnership. Having set up her own independent production company Formation Films in 1994, Parminder went on to win many awards for her first feature film 'Babymother'. She is now responsible for diversity at Carlton Television and was also the driving force behind the Cultural Diversity Network (CDN). Parminder's current projects include the feature film 'The Prince of Dalston', a third series of 'Single Voices' and Carlton's Multicultural Achievement Awards.

There were two Lifetime Achievement Awards sponsored by HSBC, presented to Sir Gulam Noon OBE and Judge Mota Singh QC. Sir Gulam Noon, chairman and MD of Southall-based ready-meals company Noon Products Ltd., has spent a lifetime in the food business. Receiving his MBE in 1996 and a knighthood in 2002, he was elected president of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2002. He is also a trustee of numerous charities and chairman of the Noon Foundation that supports a wide range of causes both at home and abroad.

Judge Mota Singh QC, retired Crown Court judge, specialized in civil law after coming to England following Kenya's independence. Appointed QC in 1978, his later appointment as a Circuit Judge in 1982 received worldwide coverage. For the last seven years of his career he was Second Senior Judge at Southwark Crown Court.

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