Asian Business Chamber celebrates Eid
The Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) celebrated Eid with a networking event yesterday at Millennium Point.
The event, sponsored by Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM), was held with the attendance of more than 100 members and guests.
Eid Ul Adha signifies the completion of the Hajj pilgrimage during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah.
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca that all able Muslims are expected to complete at least once in their lives. Around two to three million Muslims every year complete the pilgrimage, which is spread over five days.
The event was hosted by ABCC vice president Neelam Afzal while president Omar Rashid welcomed the guests.
The keynote speech was given by Zhagum Arshad, CEO of Loft 25 Group, who shared his inspirational business journey and talked about how businesses should get together to create a better city.
He said: “My wife and I started selling duvet covers from our loft which was the 25th, making it our brand name.
“We designed and manufactured our own products. Later we outsourced it to Pakistan to create more jobs there.
“Now we sell our products across nine countries.
“My father comes from a town in Pakistan called Gojra. And in that town, we managed to create over 100 manufacturing jobs.
“But I wanted to do something more.
“So, two years ago, we set up an IT skills company called Cloudsearch where we train students from Pakistan with the necessary skills who now assist businesses in the UK.
“This journey also led us to understand about the skills that UK businesses need. We then set up another academy called TriVA which plays a main role in empowering women.
“There is huge potential in the Birmingham and a long way to go with lots to do. And we have to take charge. This is our city, our responsibility, and our time.
Speeches were also given by Mike Hopkins, principal of South & City College Birmingham (SCCB), Martin Grant and Ash Mehmood from Business Growth West Midlands, president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) Nasir Awan, and Victoria Webb from Millennium Point.
Mike Hopkins said: “Birmingham is a great city, but we have some issues that needs rectifying, including employment.
“At SCCB we try to fulfil the issue of unemployment by helping students gain a valuable skillset across different areas, spanning from construction to AI.
“We’re the biggest college in the region with more than 1500 students and we have eight campuses across Birmingham where a large proportion of students come from disadvantaged background.
“Giving people the opportunity is what we’re all about. We educate them and upskill them to get new jobs.”
Martin Grant talked about Aston University’s Decarbonisation Net Zero and BEAS programme.
He said: “In the UK, smaller businesses are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.
“The West Midlands Combined Authority and Aston University are dedicated to helping businesses in the West Midlands to reduce environmental impact and
energy costs.
“FREE business energy assessment for SMEs are available and we also match funding support from £1000 to £100,000.”
Meanwhile Ash Mehmood talked about The West Midlands SME Grant Programme which is designed to support start-ups and existing business with their growth plans. It is Funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and managed by WMCA.
Chamber president Nasir Awan talked about GBCC’s chosen charity Cure Leukaemia.
After surpassing the initial target of £20,000 and raising over £35,000, Nasir said that he is planning to push the target to £50,000 with some new fundraisers including a skydive and a charity abseil.
Victoria Webb from Millennium Point said: “We are proud to host spaces where different communities can meet and we are passionate about uniting Birmingham’s businesses.
“We are a city famous for industry and technology and we want to enable this tradition to continue, which is why we invest in education in the city.
“What most people don't know is that we use the profits we receive as a landlord and from being a host venue for events such as this to deliver funding for educational projects to the young people across the city and the wider West Midlands.
“Our customers, clients and visitors have enabled us to invest more than £40 million back into the region through projects which has supported the growth of STEM.”
Pictured from left to right: Martin Grant, Neelam Afzal, Mike Hopkins, Nasir Awan, Omar Rashid, and Zhagum Arshad.
