ABCC
Updates and useful information from the largest ethnic support organisation in the UK
Contact: Anjum Khan T: 0845 603 6650
Divisions support
Indian arts festival Two divisions that are part of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) have shown their support for a South Indian arts festival. Solihull Chamber of Commerce and Asian
Business Chamber of Commerce are supporting the Thyagaraja Festival, taking place on 27 April. The annual festival celebrates the life of
Thyagaraja, the South Indian singing saint and composer best known for his compositions of Carnatic music, a system of classical music associated with southern India. A musical tribute to Saint Thyagaraja will
be performed at the Core Theatre in Solihull, showcasing classical Indian music and dance. Lillian Elekan, head of Solihull Chamber of
Commerce, and Anjum Khan, director of Asian Business Chamber of Commerce met with Dr Chitra Ramakrishnan, head of South Asian arts and culture firm Shruthi UK, and Tony Elvin, general manager of shopping and leisure destination Touchwood, to discuss their support for the festival. Touchwood is also supporting the festival. Ms Khan said: “Being able to work with
the Solihull Chamber of Commerce and Touchwood in supporting this festival is a real treat – bringing together two Chambers to show support for the Thyagaraja Festival. “In the ABCC, we like to highlight and
promote celebrations across our spectrum of membership. This event, a collection of music and dance, is a perfect example of an engaging, powerful show of culture and recognition of the renowned south Indian composer Thyagaraja.” Ms Elekan said: “We’re really excited to be supporting this fantastic festival, which is set to be a spectacular celebration of music and dance. It’s been great being able to work with the ABCC and Touchwood, patrons of Solihull Chamber of Commerce, in supporting this event, and hope to work with Chitra, Shruthi UK and the ABCC again in promoting these diverse events taking place in Solihull.”
Tickets are £10, to book or to find out more visit
www.thecoretheatresolihull.co.uk
Celebrating diversity (L-R): Anjum Khan, Qasim Majid, Shani Dhanda, Laura MacLeod and Gurdeep Hanspaul
Event puts focus on women and diversity
By Jessica Brookes
Members, non-members and patrons of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce celebrated diversity and inclusion at the Chamber’s annual International Women’s Day celebration. More than 80 guests attended the event at
Edgbaston, with inspiring speakers who spoke about women in sport, diversity, disability and inclusion. Speakers included Laura MacLeod, women’s
and girl’s performance manager at Edgbaston stadium, Gurdeep Hanspaul, operations and enterprise business partner at BVSC, who sponsored the event, and keynote Shani Dhanda. Shani Dhanda is the founder of several
disability support and advocacy organisations, including the UK’s first Asian Women Festival – which the ABCC is supporting. The festival aims to empower and celebrate
Asian women, and took place last month. Shani, who has brittle bone disease, is also a
disability rights advocate, speaker and columnist. Qasim Majid, president of the ABCC, said: “It
was a joy to hear Shani speak candidly and openly about inclusion, diversity and equality – all things that reflect the ABCC’s mission and values through our Diversity in Leadership pledge. “The pledge exists to make actual change
Namaste (greeting): (from left) Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan, Tony Elvin, Anjum Khan and Lillian Elekan
54 CHAMBERLINK April 2019
happen in business, to make underrepresented voices heard in boardrooms across Birmingham. “Shani’s speech has only entrenched the need for more diverse work forces, more inclusion,
and highlighting the inspiring, empowered women which live and work in this city. “We were really pleased that Shani, and our
other speakers, could join us for this wonderful celebration for International Women’s Day.” Anjum Khan, director of the ABCC, said: “I, like
our guests, was absolutely blown away by Shani’s keynote address.
‘The pledge exists to make actual change happen in business’
“It was great to hear about her advocacy
work, her motivation and her stanched views on diversity, inclusion and representation. “Shani is just one of many keynote speakers
that we have had the pleasure of hosting at our annual International Women’s Day event, which has grown in popularity and size over the last eight years. “It is an extremely important event for us to
host, and a favourite among ABCC members, as it is always a fantastic celebration of inspiring women excelling in business. “However, we shouldn’t confine celebrate and
empower women just one day of the year. Through the ABCC’s Diversity in Leadership pledge, we aim to celebrate and empower women, and other underrepresented groups in businesses across the length and breadth of the West Midlands.”
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