A club which brings professional people together from different backgrounds is really taking off.

The Sherdil Club, which meets at the Punjab Sweet Centre Restaurant in Listerhills Road, Bradford, is expanding its membership and drawing in top-quality speakers.

It draws its members from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds and aims to bring people together to improve the prospects of Bradford residents. It also works with other groups to bring about a greater understanding between the ethnic groups which make up Bradford society.

Tomorrow's speaker will be Bradford Council's chief executive Ian Stewart. Over the next few months the club is expected to attract Arshad Choudhury, chairman of the West Yorkshire Asian Business Network, Leeds MEP Michael McGowan, Neil Franklin of the Crown Prosecution Service, Keighley MP Ann Cryer and John Pennington, vice president of Bradford Chamber of Commerce.

The club, which was founded by Asian businessman Mohammed Sheikh, has been revitalised in the last few months which has resulted in an increased membership.

The club, which started in 1992 and was re-organised in 1995, had between 20 and 25 regular members last year and now has between 25 and 30 people attending the monthly lunches on the last Tuesday of each month.

Club members include solicitors, accountants, managers, small business bosses, shopkeepers and people from the NHS, police, local authority and the Army.

Glyn Roberts, the club's secretary, said: "Sherdil means lion-hearted which suggests members need to be determined, committed and persistent if they are working for greater co-operation between the variety of ethnic groups which make up the community of Bradford and district.

"We do not lobby in the strictest sense of the word, but we do seek to be influential by being an independent organisation which meets with key people in the district."

For further information contact Mr Roberts on (01274) 542746.

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