A SPECIAL dinner will be held in Bradford to honour one of the district’s community champions later this month.

The dinner has been organised by the Professional Muslim Institute (PMI) and will celebrate the success of PMI member Sofia Buncy DL, following her inclusion in the New Year Honours List.

Ms Buncy DL has been awarded an MBE for her pioneering work with the Muslim Women in Prison Project, the Young in Covid project and her overall contribution to supporting communities across Bradford.

“It has been extremely humbling for me to be recognised in the Queen’s Honours List”, she said.

“I am delighted to have been invited by PMI to share my journey to educate and inspire young professionals. It has been an incredible journey, and only with the support and direction from colleagues was I able to achieve this.”

PMI is an organisation which is dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of professional Muslims in the UK, and aims to improve Muslim representation in professional settings.

PMI aims to develop leadership skills within the British Muslim community and its membership includes lawyers, bankers, politicians, Peers and successful role models from the business world, amongst others.

Some of the recent guests at its dinners have included Bradford-born Jabbar Sardar, the Global HR Director for BBC Studios, as well as England’s world cup-winning cricketer Adil Rashid.

“PMI was set up in response to a variety of issues in the district, including economical and educational underachievement and low aspirations”, said Dr Javed Bashir, PMI founder.

“These disadvantages can lead to alienation and social exclusion, particularly among young people. Therefore, action was needed to change this.

‘Therefore, local solutions were needed to tackle local issues. Nurturing leadership skills among young professional is critical to the success of the community, so that they can progress within their chosen profession and serve their communities more effectively.

“I’m very pleased that a key PMI member, Sofia Buncy DL, has made exceptional achievements in her career and in the local community.

“She has achieved recognition at the highest level, which she can use to inspire other young people.”

PMI member Reverend Nathan Javed added: “It is very inspiring that Sofia Buncy DL has been honoured, and I am looking forward to attending the dinner to congratulate her and the other members.”

The dinner will be held at 7pm on Friday, 21 January at Anam’s Restaurant. For further information, contact pmiukorg@gmail.com.