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The Asian Women’s Project in Oldham has reached the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards 2008 and will now battle it out against other Lottery-funded projects from across the UK for the chance to win £2,000 to spend on their project and the opportunity to star in a special prime-time BBC1 TV show.
The Asian Women’s Project, part of Highway to Opportunities (H2O) is one of only 10 projects to make it through to this stage in the Woman magazine Best Voluntary/Charity Project category and local residents are being urged to show their support as their vote could make all the difference!
There are over 8,000 Asian women in Oldham, many of whom feel isolated. The Asian Women’s Project goes out into the Asian Community in a specially adapted double-decker bus, which has a crèche, and a classroom equipped with IT facilities and other learning facilities with the aim of motivating the women into work, education or training. Currently over 50 women a week access the service learning a range of skills such as help with CV writing, interview techniques and completing application forms.
Lottery funding has helped to provide facilities, pay for the maintenance of the bus and provided the crèche, and paid for staff, including bus drivers and crèche workers.
Jayne Entwistle Director of H2O says: “We’re really pleased to have reached the semi-finals of The National Lottery Awards. Lottery funding has made a real difference to our project and has helped us to develop and grow. We’re really hoping the public get behind us and vote!”
The project also employed the first female Muslim bus drivers and for Mubeen Shahid this was an extra special job because it was through this project that she learnt English and progressed on to a childcare course after coming over to England from Pakistan.
“When I came over from Pakistan in 1985 I couldn’t speak any English, and my chances of getting a job was exceptionally slim. However in 1991 I moved to Oldham and began to learn English on this very bus-my advisors at the time are now my colleagues!”
“I was interested in a career in childcare so once I had learnt English my tutors suggested I move onto a childcare course- again this was done on the bus. Once I had completed this I found work as a crèche worker with OMBC, and then a job for a crèche worker came up on the bus which I applied for and got”
“In 2003 I completed driver training which means now I work full time as a bus driver and crèche care worker’. ‘
I can identify with the women coming on the bus who have little confidence because of their language barriers- that was me once, but its rewarding to see them move into employment or training at the end of it.’
‘To be nominated for an award is fantastic- we see how much this bus helps people on a daily basis and its great that that’s been recognised.’
Now entering their fifth successful year, the Awards recognise the difference that Lottery-funded projects - both large and small - make to local communities, as well as celebrate the achievements of the people behind them. Radio and TV presenter Gethin Jones is an Ambassador for this year’s National Lottery Awards. He says: “Each week Lottery players raise a staggering £25 million for Good Causes and this money helps projects like The Asian Women’s Project transform the lives of people and places across the UK.
He continues: “The National Lottery Awards recognise the talent and hard work of the people involved in running Lottery-funded projects just like this one. We want to thank these everyday heroes by highlighting their fantastic work, so please get behind them and give them your vote today.”
Public voting for the semi-finals starts at 9am on Monday 16 June and ends at midday on Friday 4 July.
To register your vote for The Asian Women’s Project call 0845 386 2504 or log on to www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards and look under the ‘woman best voluntary/charity organisation The three projects in each category with the highest number of votes will go through to the finals of the Awards and appear on a special BBC1 Saturday night TV show later in the year.
