More help for Asian disabled people - often victims of 'double discrimination' - is on the way, thanks to a £300,000 lottery win by a Bradford group.
The Asian Disability Awareness Action in Bradford (ADAAB) group won the biggest grant in the latest round of awards from the Community Fund for Yorkshire and Humber.
For the group's co-ordinator Bary Malik the cash is a great boost because it means ADAAB's staff can increase from two to seven.
Mr Malik worked as an unpaid volunteer for the first ten months in order to get ADAAB off the ground.
"Today I feel my sacrifice has been rewarded," he said. "Hopefully we will have seven workers soon.
"This grant is amazingly important - we will be able to look for bigger premises within the inner-city area."
The ADAAB group works directly with Asian disabled people, offers support and helps to get them jobs. Recently one person was helped to get a job in a restaurant, and another landed a job in IT.
The group also campaigns on welfare benefits and helps claimants win their dues.
"We are delighted with this news, it means we will be able to help lots more people in Bradford," Mr Malik said.
"Asian disabled people are the most deprived and socially excluded, even by their own community. We want to bring them out and give them all the information, and encourage them to become part of a wider society, trying to enhance their opportunities for jobs and recreation."
ADAAB got help from QED's South Asian Voluntary Organ-isations Network (SAVON).
Other grants were awarded to Bradford Talking Maga-zines Ltd (£149,797) and Keighley Community Nursery (£137,127). The Talking Magazines project will use the cash to develop a new Asian Language service.
The Community Fund is the new name for the National Lottery Charities Board, re-named as part of a major overhaul of the agency's work to target cash more effectively.
e-mail: sarah.walsh @bradford.newsquest.co.uk
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