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Blair applauds minority achievers

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FORMER Prime Minister Tony Blair joined leading names from politics, business, sports and entertainment to applaud high achievers among Britain’s minority communities at the annual GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards on Tuesday (September 15).

Chief guest Blair, who now runs the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and his wife Cherie were among a 1,000-strong audience who saluted the successes of a dozen winners on the night.
The awards are organised by the Asian Media & Marketing Group (AMG), publishers of GG2 and Eastern Eye.

The top award of the evening, the GG2 Hammer Award, was presented to firefighter Vijith Randeniya, the head of the fire service in the West Midlands and the only Asian to head an emergency service.

The Hammer is awarded to a person who has smashed through the glass ceiling.
Christopher Rajendran Hyman was announced as the GG2 Man of the Year. The Pentecostal Christian of Asian origin grew up in South Africa during the apartheid and now heads multi-billion pound international service firm, Serco PLC.

Dr Nemat (Minouche) Shafik was declared the GG2 Leadership & Diversity Woman of the Year. She is the permanent secretary at the Department of International Development and looks after the government’s multi-million pound development budget. She is one of the few ethnic minorities to reach the highest echelons of the civil service.

The awards ceremony was compered by TV presenter and journalist Hardeep Singh Kohli.
Among those who attended the high-profile event, now in its 11th year, were legendary shoe designer Jimmy Choo, actress and Strictly Coming Dancing star Laila Rouass and Eastenders personalities Rudoplh Walker, Nina Wadia, Marc Elliot.

In his remarks, Blair said: ‘If we cannot get people to understand that our diversity is a strength, that actually we are enriched by having people from different walks of life around us, then we are condemned to an uncertain and possibly violent future.’
The former prime minister spoke about the work of his foundation.

Kalpesh Solanki, group managing director of AMG, said: ‘The award winners are an inspiration to us all. Their achievements are hugely commendable and provide a spur to others. The GG2 Leadership & Diversity Awards show how far Britain has come. They also reflect the huge talent contained within Britain’s ethnic communities and should serve as a powerful reminder to many organisations that they cannot afford to overlook ethnic talent and ability. We are all richer from a more equal and diverse country – these awards prove that.’
The winners were chosen by a panel of esteemed judges, headed up by Barry Gardiner MP.

Please see the detailed list of winners in the Community News seciton on  gg2.net

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