ENTRIES for the Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever Awards – known as “the YAYAs” – are now open.

Back for their fourth year, the awards look to recognise success and achievements of young role models who can inspire others. They are open to any young person aged 16 to 30 of South Asian heritage who was born in or lives and works in Yorkshire.

This year, shortlisted candidates will be invited to a gala dinner in November at Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford, alongside business leaders, celebrities, and influencers.

2022 YAYA winners included Neil Bharat Patel, a software developer with Cerebral Palsy, Habib Karimi, who could not speak English when he arrived from Afghanistan and went on to work with the Business Enterprise Fund, and midwife Jawairiya Khan, who was determined to achieve her ambition despite the challenges of health issues and a financially disadvantaged childhood.

Last year’s awards featured video messages of support from Hollywood actor Riz Ahmed and the BBC newsreader Reeta Chakrabarti.

Actor Riz Ahmed, speaking at last year’s awards said: “Culture can still be a barrier to our achievements, by that I mean discrimination.”

He added: “Too often young Asians feel held back by poor educational achievement or impoverished family backgrounds…this is all the more reason to truly celebrate the amazing people who have been considered for the YAYA awards. When our community faces real challenges, it is all the more important to celebrate those people leading the way.”

Bradford's Adil Rashid, an English cricketer who presented at the YAYAs last year, said: “The YAYAs show with determination, courage, belief and having that vision, that dream - you can go all the way and achieve great things.”

The award ceremony will be presented by BBC TV and Radio presenter and stand-up comedian, Noreen Khan.

The YAYAs attract high profile sponsors such as Bradford-based Morrisons, the Home Office, LanguageCert, University of York, Barnardo’s, alongside headline sponsor, York St John University.

The YAYAs are hosted by the QED Foundation, a charity founded in Bradford in 1990. Today, QED is a key player in ethnic minority issues at both national and international level.

Dr Mohammad Ali OBE, founder of QED, said: “Having arrived in the UK aged 12, unable to speak English, I’m passionate that every race and faith should be able to fulfil their potential. These awards hopefully inspire young people, despite the barriers they may face.”

To enter or nominate a young person for the awards go to YAYAS – Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever Awards 2023