THE Business Making a Difference Award recognises the companies that have struck the balance between finance and finding ways to improve the lives of others.
The award shines a spotlight on the district’s companies which go the extra mile to provide services to their community and help their customers and organisations in a range of ways.
The finalists are: Origin Fine Foods, Sofia Mahmood and The Big Soup Theatre Group
Origin Fine Foods is a newly-opened dog-friendly and community-minded cafe in Clayton, designed to combat loneliness in the modern age.
One person, who nominated them for the award, said: “They have put very long hours, sought input from the elderly clientele in the village and opened its doors for those who just eat someone to talk to helping the loneliness and those who need a independent person’s shoulder to cry on.”
They also delivered fish and chips free from the local chippy and movie night hampers to families to enable them to watch movies in style.
Sofia Mahmood, the founder of the Empowering Minds training programme, inspires mothers to develop their understanding on grooming and radicalisation as well as teaching them how to deal with these issues if it arises in their lives.
In March 2020, the person who nominated Sofia attended a conference with many mothers and ambassadors from different communities and ethnicities. They were all awarded for completing the Empowering Mothers Against Radicalisation programme.
This person said: “She has inspired so many mothers including myself to find our voices.”
Sofia said: “On behalf at everyone at Empowering Minds, we are honoured to be shortlisted as a finalist for this award. The pandemic has presented us all with challenges, but extremism and radicalisation has unfortunately increased and so it is more vital than ever we continue to tackle this. Our purpose is simple at Empowering Minds - to help individuals and organisations engage, educate, and inspire.”
The Big Soup Theatre Group, a day centre for special needs adults, has been providing entertainment and art packs for people with disabilities throughout lockdown.
The company makes phone call check in’s with each of their service users and created a much-enjoyed Youtube series. One person said the company helped her son adapt to the changes of lockdown through their live stream shows.
The group responded to being shortlisted by saying: “Wow, what a privilege! Our staff have worked tirelessly since March 2020. We have done socially distanced doorstep visits, we have delivered our self-made art packs with video instructions online, delivered medication/shopping direct to the door for those who are shielding, 24-hour phone lines, health/wellbeing calls, making and distributing PPE to care homes service users, staff and families in our community.”
“We would also like to thank all the people who are dedicated to supporting us at the Big Soup.
With an extra special thank you to parents, carers, 1.2.1 support staff, soupers and Bradford Council.”
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