• Countryfile – An episode explored how the countryside around Bradford shaped the city and its creative legacy. A story of grit and wool.
• Gardeners’ World – An episode featured a visit to Wibsey Community Garden in Bradford, showcasing the garden as a hub for community gardening and highlighted the work of volunteers.
• Virdee – A six-part crime thriller adapted from AA Dhand’s gripping novels.
• Extraordinary Portraits with Bill Bailey – An exhibition of portraits created as a part of the TV series hosted by comedian Bill Bailey opened to the public in Bradford at Loading Bay – a former warehouse which has been converted into a pop-up venue for Bradford’s UK City of Culture year. Overall footfall on Day one was 357 people in the exhibition. ​People were visiting locally, and from as far afield as Kent, Coventry and Glasgow. The overall number of people who visited from 13 March to 6 April was 11,004.
• Bradford’s Big Bash – This film produced by award-winning local production company Candour Films went behind the scenes of RISE the spectactular opening event heralding Bradford’s stint as this year’s UK City of Culture. Created by award-winning theatre director Kirsty Housley in collaboration with Steven Frayne, the world-renowned Bradford-born magician formerly known as Dynamo.
• FA Cup Draw – The BBC hosted the FA Cup first round draw in Bradford. The city was selected for its historical links with the FA Cup in October 2024.
• Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire – This documentary combined extraordinary access to the people who survived, family members of the bereaved and emergency service first responders.
• Songs of Praise – A special episode was filmed at Bradford Cathedral. Hosted by Aled Jones, it explored how faith and the arts are intertwined in Bradford’s cultural identity.
• Eid Prayers – The BBC covered Eid al-Fitr prayers live from Bradford. Hosted by Jason Mohammad, the service, a British TV first, was broadcast from Bradford Central Mosque on the morning of Eid al-Fitr, marking this special moment in the Islamic calendar at the end of the month of Ramadan. Eid al-Fitr means ‘festival of breaking the fast’.
• Live broadcasts – Across the year flagship BBC One network shows The One Show, Morning Live and BBC Breakfast have been in the city for events such as Yorkshire Day, the opening event RISE and the Bradford Progress – bringing Bradford’s buzz regularly to living rooms across the country.

Zaf who is the Director of Unite & Uplift Together CIC and also the Cabinet Member of Overseas Business Forum UK, is known as the Youth Pioneer in the UK and is also the UK Goodwill Ambassador for Youth & Community. Recently a weapon sweep was arranged with South and City College students and staff at Henry Barber Park/ Bordesley Green in aid of Op Sceptre week of action against under 25 violence / Knife crime.

13 Students/Staff participated and were accompanied by Zaf and the West Midlands Police. Machetes, Hammers, Syringes were found on the day and the it was an eye opener for the students who really enjoyed the day and especially the experience in giving back to the community. The impact on the young students is that they are made aware that these hotspots exist, and that it is important to keep themselves safe. They are also supporting their local community (British values) and working as a team.
During the month of Ramadan, Zaf will be engaging with a lot of youths and the general community in Mosques to discuss local issues and see how we can all get together and make this City the best to live in. “My aim is to spread peace everywhere and all the good acts I perform will be presented to my mother in her grave as ongoing charity as she was my pillar.”

They will share a pot of £58.8 million which will see arts venues transformed, upgraded and created as part of the government’s plans to make sure everyone, no matter where they live, can access the UK’s world-renowned culture.

Basildon Borough Council will receive £4.4 million to turn empty properties in the town centre into a creative facility for screen and immersive digital industries. The project will help support businesses and freelancers working in the film, TV, gaming, VFX and animation sectors, further demonstrating the government’s commitment to the creative industries as a priority growth sector.

Bradford, UK City of Culture 2025, will receive £4.9 million to redevelop the intercultural arts centre Kala Sangam and other cultural assets, to establish a network of local arts hubs and support the successful delivery of its year as the culture capital and beyond.

The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent will receive £5 million to build a wrap-around extension to improve facilities and accessibility and support local education, health and wellbeing projects.

Arts Council England will deliver this fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

This investment will help to level up access to arts and culture for everyone, no matter where they live.

Culture helps us create lifelong memories with our families and friends, provides entertainment and joy, and allows us to explore the world around us in new and exciting ways. It can also boost tourism, support local business and drive local economic growth.

This funding will support brilliant arts organisations to upgrade their venues and create new projects that will be at the heart of their communities.

Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England said:

Investment in creativity and culture is a catalyst for improving well-being and raising aspirations, reinvigorating pride in communities, regenerating high streets and local economies, and bringing people together. We are pleased to play a part in delivering the Cultural Investment Fund and this £58 million investment will help create new, or improve existing, cultural buildings and spaces in our villages, towns and cities. By doing so it will support recovery and growth and unlock the creative potential of those who live and work in communities across England.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England said:

Culture, heritage and the arts all contribute to people’s sense of belonging and place. These grants will help to reinforce this and we welcome them.

The fund, which totals more than £200 million and was launched in 2019, is made up of three separate streams, the Cultural Development Fund, the Libraries Improvement Fund and the Museum Estate and Development Fund. It is designed to protect and improve people’s access to culture, regenerate communities, upgrade buildings and digital infrastructure and use investment to promote economic growth.

In this round of funding, £32.4 million has gone to eight Cultural Development Fund projects, £4.9 million to 27 projects as part of the Libraries Improvement Fund and £21.4 million has gone to 36 museums through the Museum Estate and Development Fund.

This announcement follows a big boost for the cultural sector in the Spring Budget with an extension of tax reliefs for theatres, orchestras, and museum and gallery exhibitions for a further two years. These tax reliefs have already supported thousands of theatre and orchestral productions, galleries and museums across the country, and the extension is set to help the cultural sector continue to attract new talent and investment from home and abroad.

Extending these tax reliefs builds on the support the government has provided to the creative sectors. This includes the £1.6 billion Culture Recovery Fund that supported more than 5,000 organisations throughout the pandemic.

Other successful bidders today include:

• In Walsall, in the West Midlands, the Grade II* listed Guildhall building in St Matthew’s Quarter will be redeveloped as part of a £3.7 million project to deliver a three-year Cultural Activity Programme to reinvigorate and enliven this previously neglected corner of Walsall town centre.

• Cannon Hall in Barnsley will receive almost £900,000 to protect its stunning Grade II* listed Georgian country house and collection of fine and decorative art.

• £350,000 will go to Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, the first publicly funded museum outside London, to improve infrastructure and protect its nationally important collections covering social and natural history.

• Essex County Council will receive £337,500 to transform the first floor of Colchester Library to provide an interactive learning and play space for children and families.

• In Stockton-on-Tees, £50,000 will allow the library service to update and develop its collaborative workspace with new and updated equipment, new programmes and opportunities for library users to engage with technology.

Q.) Plating is an art. How did you learn this art?

Chef Michal: In the restaurants, I learned it with experience, practice & feedback from other chefs. That is the only way you learn it properly.

Q.) What made you decide to become an online cooking mentor?

Chef Michal: I wanted to start my own business and not just listen to my chefs. I wanted to work on my dreams, not on others’ dreams.

Q.) Please share your work experience in Michelin star restaurants and how it helped you to make your career?

Chef Michal: These experiences have been life-changing for me. There is a different world, but mostly in the wrong way. You work 14+ hours a day without brakes. There is so much stress. You don’t eat much and you don’t even sleep in between days. But all this just helped me to become a great chef, now I can use my knowledge to teach others and also have fun with cooking. You have to love cooking to stay in these kinds of restaurants because the work there is too hard for most people.

Q.) If a person wants to be a chef, is it necessary to get trained in a Michelin star restaurant?

Chef Michal: Not for sure. Michelin star is just a reward from one company. But there are plenty of restaurants without any stars and they are amazing. You can learn to cook very well there if you choose the right one.

Q.) Which is the difficult part of plating?

Chef Michal: Most people think that the difficult part is the last-minute positioning of the food, but what I found with my clients is the real difficult part is to create a dish which makes sense for plating, preparing, and cooking the ingredients so they look nice on the plate. Because you cannot just cook whatever and then expect nice plating at the end. No one can do nice plating with bad-looking ingredients or a recipe that has the wrong components.

Q.) There are so many multicolor ingredients in your dish. How do you manage to balance them while plating?

Chef Michal: I always focus on the taste first, so I pick ingredients that taste better when combined. I make sure to use the best techniques to cook, keep the color & shape, etc. in perfect order. Then I just put them nicely on the plate. When you get experienced, everything becomes easy. But you need proper feedback on your food from someone better than you, that is the key to improvement. 

Q.) What are Michelin star recipes and how is it different from normal recipes?

Chef Michal: The recipes in Michelin star restaurants and good fine dining restaurants are the same. Just one restaurant has some awards and the second one has none. But cooking techniques are very similar. In very good restaurants you see many different dishes and recipes because they want to be different from other average restaurants, they try an unusual combination of taste and plating so they can impress the guests.

Q.) Many people think cooking is an easy task to do. As a Michelin-trained chef, what do you think about it?

Chef Michal: Yes, cooking is not rocket science, you can learn it easily if you have passion and you invest the time to learn with good mentors. Problem is that people are learning from the wrong people and in bad restaurants which leads their career down. That is easy math.

Q.) Any advice for the upcoming chefs?

Chef Michal: Best what young chefs can do is to find a good restaurant with the food they like to cook and with good chefs inside and work there, “learn as much as you can.” Then move to another one and maybe another one. Experience can only make you perfect which comes through practice.

By : Rida Khan ( Aviation Author)

Instagram A/c : aviationauthor.ridakhan

If you had a hundred home educators in a room, each of them would likely have a different approach, but there are various steps you can take to get the most out of homeschooling.

With a third national lockdown closing most UK schools, Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home Schooling, one of the UK’s leading home education providers, has given his 10 tips for how to effectively homeschool.

1. Take breaks

A bit of experimentation should identify what works best for you and the child. You might find 30-minute blasts followed by 10-minute breaks help to keep your concentration up. Alternatively, you might prefer to work for longer periods at a stretch and then enjoy a longer break.

Boring as it might sound, giving your learning a predictable structure and routine does help to make sure you get everything done!

2. Make a routine

Children get the most out of homeschooling when parents decide when and what they should be studying. At school, the typical day might consist of seven 40 minute periods – four in the morning and three in the afternoon. So should parents try to emulate this?

It’s important to remember that most children (and adults) are not able to concentrate for long periods of time, whatever the learning environment and kids do not concentrate on their studies for five hours a day at school. The average lesson is filled with interruptions and irrelevancies and the real ‘work’ might be condensed into 10 minutes. The same is true at home. Even if you have assigned 40 minutes to a subject, do not be surprised if the useful work is done in just 10 minutes and the rest is spent in (apparently) less productive activity.

Organisation is not simply a matter of time slots. It is a combination of timetabling and study objectives. By setting routines, children will find it easier to stay focused, engaged and make progress.

3. Get rid of distractions

It’s really hard to focus when the TV’s blaring, the radio’s on or there is lots going on in the place you’re working, so try and get rid of the distractions. Also, concentrating is easiest when you’re in a quiet, comfortable place, so play around with how you and your child study – sitting, standing or lying down; inside or outside; with lots of light or without – and find a method that helps them concentrate.

4. Divide up the work

Sometimes it can be difficult to motivate yourself when faced with a really big or difficult task. The best solution is to break it down into smaller pieces, planning out the various stages that need completing before you start. This way, your child will know what needs doing and you’ll both get a good sense of progress as you work.

5. Get lots of sleep

It’s an accepted fact that if you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll find it harder to concentrate, learn and retain information. The trick is pretty simple – get some sleep! Most people between the age of five and 11 need 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night, while 11 to 18-year-olds need 8 to 10 hours.

6. Don’t multitask

Sometimes, particularly when there’s a lot of work to be done, it can be hard to resist the urge to multitask and try and get lots of jobs done at once. This is best avoided though, as, in essence, you’re dividing up the amount of brainpower you have available to a given task, meaning you might miss out on important bits of information.

7. Meditate and reduce stress

Plenty of scientific studies have shown the benefits of sitting silently, with your eyes closed and the mind focused on the present. This can dramatically reduce stress levels – a factor that’s been proven to exacerbate tiredness and reduce memory retention.

8. Utilise TV and online learning

Technology is a massive part of education both in schools and at home. Sites like BBC Bitesize and Geography Games are great for delivering educational content in a fun, engaging way.

It can also be used to keep in touch with the homeschooling community to share tips and advice.

If you’re temporarily homeschooling, then tools like Google Classroom can help you interact with your class and teacher from school.

9. Stick to the curriculum 

It’s important to try and cover all of the subjects your child is used to learning about, but don’t worry too much about spending an equal amount of time on each.

You will naturally have greater knowledge in some areas than others and it’s fine to lean on these more heavily. However, your child may have interests in subjects you are less familiar with, and it would be a shame if they were unable to continue learning about these during this period. Avoiding these topics altogether could result in your child losing their passion.

If you are unsure about any content, it can be quite refreshing to do some research yourself and learn something new, before passing on the information to your child.

10. Make it fun

Learning doesn’t have to be a chore, there are hundreds of games you can play to exercise your brain, including the following memory tests.

There are card games where you have to match pairs or groups of face-down cards, flipping two each turn and reverting them face-down if they’re not a pair.

You could also place a number of small, random items on a tray, memorise the items for a minute, then cover the tray, listing as many of the items as you can remember in a given time period.

Then there are two-player games, such as Memory Master, where one player stares at a picture (magazines, books or photos all work) for a minute, after which the second player quizzes them on all aspects of the picture.

Ten of the best online learning resources:

• BBC Bitesize
• Geography Games
• Google Classroom
• YouTube
• Science Journal For Kids
• National Geographic For Kids
• Fun Brain
• Quizlet
• Carol Vorderman’s Maths Factor
• Seneca

Thankfully, many non-profit organisations have seen huge support from donors, with reports suggesting that more than third of Brits donated to charity during 2020, despite economic worries.

UK Charity, National Zakat Foundation, has announced it saw a huge surge in generosity from the UK Muslim community in particular throughout this time, raising a total of £4.92 million* to support those in need over the past 12 months, a significant increase compared to the year prior.

For Muslims, the act of donating Zakat, which is understood as 2.5% of an individual’s total wealth, is a vital part of the faith. According to the charity, however, Zakat is much more than a religious obligation.

Mahboob Hussain, Head of Marketing Communications at National Zakat Foundation, explains “Zakat is now a lifeline for UK Muslims as many struggle to gain the right monetary support elsewhere. “The generosity of Muslims in the past 12 months has exceeded our expectations and it’s incredible to see how Zakat is transforming lives and making a difference.”

The charity, which collects and distributes Zakat within the UK, has so far helped over 17,000 Muslims across the UK within the past 12 months. The foundation have plans to continue this work, with the hope that the strong sense of community and selflessness that has so far been witnessed will continue throughout the remainder of the year.

The generosity seen during the last year is at least predicted to continue over the coming months.  with a recent survey by blood cancer charity, DKMS, revealing that upwards of 44% of Brits feel more inclined to take part in charitable acts since the pandemic began.

Yet whilst the outlook may appear positive, there’s still much work to be done. Whilst donations appear to have skyrocketed across many charities throughout this time, the need for support has also increased at an equally aggressive rate. “We have received over 19,000 applications within the past 12 months for various funding, mainly surrounding hardship and housing”, adds Hussain.

Muslims are falling into poverty at a rate 10 times higher than any other demographic in the UK, meaning donations count more than ever.

The charity are keen to encourage Muslims across the UK to continue giving what they can in order to help feed the demand for support and minimise the level of poverty within the community.

Alex brings extensive experience into the organisation with an illustrious career spanning tech, digital marketing, and finance. Having worked on multi-million-pound campaigns with leading household brands, Alex will bring his corporate expertise into the charity sector, which has faced incredible challenges in the wake of the pandemic.

Chair of Trustees of the Wakefield-based charity, Mohammed Jahangir said, “We are excited to have recruited Alex as our new CEO. He brings an incredible wealth of skills to the role. Our interim CEO Harris Iqbal has done an incredible job in the past 18 months. This includes launching a new 5-year strategy, breaking records in annual income, driving a full change management plan as well as ensuring improving effectiveness and efficiencies whilst leading our COVID-19 response worldwide. Sadly, the need for humanitarian intervention, both in the UK and around the world has only increased in recent times. We are confident with Alex at the helm, we can continue to grow in our service to those in need, offering an essential lifeline to vulnerable people around the world.”

Alex is also the first non-Muslim to be in such a role within the Muslim-led charity space. It represents the organisation’s commitment to championing diversity and cross-cultural collaboration. Mohammed Jahangir went on to say, “While the values and vision of Penny Appeal are firmly inspired by our Islamic faith, they are also universally accessible. In Alex we see a leader who recognises the power of communities coming together for the greater good.”

Alex will start in his new role on the 21st of June. He said, “Since its founding in 2009, Penny Appeal has created a truly remarkable humanitarian legacy, lifting generations of people out of the poverty cycle. I was inspired by the tenacity and appetite of the leadership to strive to always do more for those in need. I’m keen on rolling up my sleeves, learning on the job and bringing my all to the table.” On joining a Muslim-led charity, he added, “Diversity is more than a tick-box exercise, it’s about recognising and leveraging the strength we have in our differences. I’m proud to have one of the most diverse boards and workforces in the charity sector, together we represent the best of Britain.”
Alex’s appointment comes after Interim CEO, Harris Iqbal has chosen to focus on a wider portfolio of consulting work in the public and private sector and scale his family business in the health and leisure industry, whilst continuing to provide senior support to Penny Appeal. He said, “It has been an honour to lead the lifesaving transformative work of Penny Appeal over the past 18 months during a deeply challenging and complex time for the charity. I’m grateful for the support and trust from the board, staff and donors extended to me over this time. I remain ever-committed to Penny Appeal and will continue to work closely with the organisation, as well as with Alex as he assumes his new role.”

Entrepreneur, founder and trustee of Penny Appeal, Adeem Younis added, “From humble origins, Penny Appeal has now raised over £100 million for life saving causes both at home and across the globe. With the leadership demonstrated by Harris during his tenure in tough times for the sector, our impact and growth has surpassed our greatest expectations. It is with regret that we see him stand down. Nevertheless, we are really excited about Penny Appeal’s next chapter and are certain under Alex’s stewardship, Penny Appeal will reach new heights and levels of success as we return to our new offices in the heart of the beautiful Thornes Park in Wakefield to begin the next chapter”.

Oxygen for India Emergency Appeal is an initiative launched by The British Asian Trust to raise funds to provide oxygen concentrators to hospitals and patients in India. The aim of this cook-along is to help unite the community to raise as much money as possible for the cause.  

We are thankful to our foodie friends each of whom has their own special and personal connection to India and have come forward to support this activity by giving up their time and sharing their delectable recipes.

BREAKFAST 

Dr Chintal Patel (@drchintalskitchen) and Dr Payal (@theblushingdoc) will be kicking off the fundraising event with their breakfast recipe – Cinnamon Swirls at 10.30am

BRUNCH

Flavour enthusiast Radhika Howarth (@radikalkitchen) will be sharing a fabulous brunch menu including Masala Egg Muffins with Achari Baked Beans @12.30. 

DINNER

At 4.30 pm you can then tune in to start cooking dinner with Kripa Dewani (@15min_mom) who is going to conjure up a Pav Bhaji Pizza

Attendees will be able to donate by clicking on the just giving link on the day during the IG live or by visiting your donation at Just Giving before or after the event. Every penny counts towards this lifesaving equipment. Donations can also be made directly by visiting the appeal page on British Asian Trust’s website.

The Cook for a Cause cook-along will allow participants to be a part of a mission to help save lives in India. Moreover, the cook-along will give the community a chance to come together and show solidarity during these difficult times.

To find out more about the British Asian Trust’s Oxygen for India appeal please visit: https://www.britishasiantrust.org/support-us/covid-19/oxygen-for-india/ Remember, every donation counts and can help save lives.

Muslim Aid will be providing crafts and activities for the children, which can be taken home. Mindful of the need for gifts that are suitable for children who are unwell, the charity will provide items such as chunky pens that are easy to grip, paper mâché kits, which are great for sensory play, and sock kits for children to create their own companions to keep at their bedside. 

Spearheading the campaign is Muslim Aid volunteer and mum of three, Sultana, who has first-hand experience of long hospital stays with her son, Musa. Diagnosed with cancer when he was just 10 months old, Musa bravely faced five months of intensive chemotherapy, and later, a bone marrow transplant. Over the many years that Musa needed treatment, Sultana spent months in the hospital, where she experienced the many challenges that young patients and their families face when confined to the wards. In particular, Sultana noticed how the hospitals would be decorated for holidays such as Christmas and Halloween, with gifts being distributed by volunteers to mark these occasions. However, during Eid, there was nothing. For this reason, Sultana is now leading this campaign to ensure that Eid won’t be cancelled for the hundreds of children in hospital this year. Sultana will be an integral part of the project, delivering many of the gifts herself. 

Sultana says: I am delighted to be working with Muslim Aid as their staff have shown real enthusiasm to support communities right here in the UK. Eid is a joyous occasion, which every child should be able to enjoy, so we are helping to bring some normality to their lives. With the pandemic and continued uncertainty, a small gift can bring a smile to the faces of these beautiful children.

Muslim Aid CEO Kashif Shabir says: Muslim Aid supports thousands of children across the globe through a range of initiatives, including child sponsorship, education, and protection projects. Our campaign to provide gifts to children in hospitals comes as part of our commitment to bring the support we offer to children abroad to young people living here in the UK. By enabling hundreds of children in UK hospitals to share in the celebration of Eid, while spreading joy to patients and families feeling isolated within hospitals, we will ensure that sick children across the UK are supported through the challenges they face. 

Muslim Aid is an international humanitarian charity with relief and development programmes in countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is the second oldest Muslim charity in the UK and celebrated its 35th anniversary in November. The charity works to support and empower people suffering the effects of poverty, war, and natural disaster through both emergency relief and sustainable programmes designed to provide long-term support and create independent futures. 

For more information, please visit https://www.muslimaid.org/children-in-hospital-eid-gifts/ A gift for a sick child costs £15, while supporters can donate up to £500 to provide gifts for an entire ward of approximately 35 children. 

For further information, please call Pedro on 07831 556 951 or e mail fnik@btconnect.com