Press Release - 8 June 2005

BBC Director General backs Bradford Charity

BBC Director General Mark Thompson will speak about the corporation's commitment to race equality at Bradford on Tuesday, June 14th.

The former Channel 4 chief executive is one of three influential speakers at the fifteenth annual review of leading charity QED-UK, which campaigns for the advancement of socially and economically disadvantaged South Asian communities and is based in the city. Delegates will also be addressed by Cay Stratton CBE, director of the National Employment Panel, and Tarique Ghaffur CBE, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the highest-ranking officer in the UK.

'We are delighted to have attracted so many prominent speakers to talk about how they are working to resolve the issues that we are campaigning for,' says QED-UK chief executive Mohammed Ali OBE. 'Our fifteen-year anniversary is an important milestone and we are maintaining our tradition of bringing leading figures from government and industry to Bradford. It is an event which our supporters look forward to and more than 300 people will travel from all over the country to attend.'

'QED does invaluable work in driving forward the diversity agenda and advising organisations like the Environment Agency on our policies. The issue of diversity is important for us, as with most businesses, both in the service we provide to our customers as well as the mixture of people we recruit,' says Andrew Wood, regional director of the Environment Agency, which is sponsoring the annual review.

QED-UK was set up in 1990 but soon became so influential that it was among four organisations shortlisted for the National Charity of the Year award in 2003. Later this month it will find out whether it has won the research, advice and support category in the 2005 competition for a project funded by Jobcentre Plus, which helped to integrate 250 new arrivals to the UK.

Previous speakers at the annual review have included leader of the House of Lords Baroness Valerie Amos, Confederation of British Industry director general Digby Jones, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt and Transport and General Workers' Union general secretary Bill Morris. Entry will be by invitation only.

You are invited to send a reporter and/or photographer to QED-UK's fifteenth annual review at the Hanover International Hotel, Bradford, from 11.30am-1pm on Tuesday, June 14th.

For further information, please contact Dr Mohammed Ali OBE on (01274) 483267 or (0781) 2010918.