THIS category recognises businesses and business people who responded well to Covid-19.

The finalists are Phylecia Sutherland, British India Radio volunteering team and gravedigger Graham Swain.

Phylecia organised a street art project in Greengates and Apperley Bridge to paint over green electrical boxes with iconic local images, commissioning local artists who were unemployed due to the pandemic.

“The repainted boxes have improved civic pride and community togetherness in the area”, said a person who nominated her.

“Phylecia is very determined, sympathetic and patient. She has now set up a GoFundMe me page as people in surrounding areas have requested their boxes be painted too. Her dedication has been recognised by the Bradford 2025 bid team, who not only commissioned a culture box themselves, but may include her creations in their City of Culture bid.”

The volunteering radio team from British India Radio “encourage and enable people to make a positive difference within their community”, said a person who nominated them.

“Covid has been a devastating time. They had several radio programmes on mental well-being and the importance of Covid vaccination in ‘BAME’ communities”, they added.

“The team assisted vulnerable individuals with emotional support and food shopping. They organised several virtual yoga and dance events to promote a healthy lifestyle, and also organised free online mock interview sessions for A-Level students.

“The team is very special, as they connect with people. Even though they are all professionals in full-time work, they work tirelessly to go above and beyond. They demonstrated exceptional level of commitment, high standards and are a highly motivated team who aim to improve outcome for others.

“The team worked towards tackling health inequalities, with deaths from Covid-19 among people from minority ethnic groups two to four times higher than others.

“They tried to mitigate the ethnic disparities by increasing awareness among the general public and addressing issues around vaccination, and I believe helped to increase vaccination uptake.”

Graham Swain has “supported the Asian community for numerous years, managing projects including creating a children’s bluebell garden for families grieving from still births”, said a person who nominated him.

“For many years, Graham has provided an outstanding service to the Muslim community, burying over 500 people, seven days a week, and often at short notice”, they added.

“The Covid emergency created unprecedented demands on Graham and his team. At one stage cremation, which is inconsistent to the beliefs of Islam, was considered to be the only viable option. Graham and his team responded to the challenges magnificently, ensuring that Covid and non-Covid deaths were dealt with sensitivity and in a timely manner, peaking at 100 burials a month.”

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