Winners of the 2024 Rochdale Diversity Awards

Date published: 30 November 2024

The winners of this year's Rochdale Diversity Awards have been revealed at a ceremony on 22 November at Rochdale Town Hall with over 300 guests, finalists and and representatives from organisations in Rochdale.

The ceremony drew a wide range of attendees, including community groups, service providers and guests of honour.

Keynote speakers highlighted the significance of embracing diversity not only within their respective organisations but also across every aspect of life. They included the Mayor of Rochdale, Shakil Ahmed; Paul Waugh, MP for Rochdale; Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, Lord Wajid Khan and Councillor Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council & equalities and communities lead for Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The awards, established in 2012, recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals, organisations and employers who promote best practices in making the borough a more inclusive and cohesive place to live and work in. The event was sponsored by Rochdale Borough Council, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Hopwood Hall College, Your Trust, Rochdale Training, Rochdale Safer Communities Partnership and The Greater Manchester High Sheriff’s Police Trust.

The finalists and guests were welcomed to the ceremony by Zulf Ahmed, CEO of KYP who said: “Rochdale is a town with a rich and diverse history, culture, and identity. We have a strong tradition of social justice, democracy, and innovation.

“I'm delighted to be here tonight to celebrate the achievements of individuals, groups, and organisations making a positive difference in equality, diversity, and cohesion in our borough.”

The mayor of Rochdale Councillor Shakil Ahmed officially opened the event.

Paul Waugh, the MP for Rochdale recorded a video message for attendees. He said: “This evening is about celebrating those who take diversity a step forward. I am delighted that our borough celebrates diversity in all its forms: class, religion, race, gender, age, or disability. I would like to thank Zulf and KYP for their vision and dedication in organising these awards year after year. All of those nominated this evening are winners in my eyes, for you are the heart and soul of our borough.”

This year’s winners:

Workforce Diversity Award: Hopwood Hall College

Diversity in Public Sector Partnership Working Award: ;GMP Operation Affect

Diversity in Health Award: Springhill Hospice – Dying Matters Project

Cohesion Award: Outdoor Education Team- Rochdale Youth Service

Education and Apprenticeships Award: Skills 4 All

Breaking Barriers Award: Fida Hussain

Voluntary & Faith Sector Award: Cresent Radio

Outstanding Achievement in Diversity: Zahida Bibi

Special Recognition Award: Sajjad Miah (Community Cohesion, Resilience and Integration Manager at Rochdale Borough Council), for leading community cohesion for the council and working across sectors to ensure people receive the help they need at the right time.

Zulf Ahmed expressed his gratitude to the judging panel for their time and dedication to ensuring a fair and transparent decision-making process. He acknowledged the challenging task of selecting a single winner from each category due to the record number of nominations received this year, highlighting the wide range of initiatives and good practice taking place in the borough.

Lord Wajid Khan paid tribute to KYP and the Rochdale Diversity Awards. He said, “I congratulate all the nominees and guests for helping to promote unity over division and for putting Rochdale on the map for all the right reasons.”

Cllr Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, commented, “These awards are an essential event, not just for Rochdale, but for all of Greater Manchester. The late Sir Tony Lloyd was a champion of these awards, both in his capacity as Rochdale’s MP and previously as the Police and Crime Commissioner.” She added, “Together, we can create a world where demographic characteristics do not dictate our career paths, for diversity is a practical necessity.”

Councillor Neil Emmot, leader of Rochdale Council, greeted the guests in multiple languages, adding: “We are a wonderfully diverse borough,” emphasising the need to be inclusive to all to make Rochdale a safer and better place.