Bury: Women celebrate awards success at empowering event

Gathering at the Mosses Community Centre on Cecil Street, inspirational women from across the borough came to support one another at the ladies only event on Wednesday, March 8. 

Photos from the Wonder Women awards event (Image: Newsquest)

Bury residents had been encouraged to nominate deserving women for one of the 10 categories available at the ceremony.

Ummrana Farooq, who is also Deputy Cabinet Member for Communities and the founder of the BAME project (Image: Newsquest)

Organiser and host of the event, Cllr Ummrana Farooq, deputy cabinet member for communities at the council and the founder of the BAME Project, said she wanted to celebrate how women are bettering the community.  

She said: “We have delivered this fantastic event on International Women's Day and many of the ladies here will be going home with awards for their dedication to our communities.  

Photos from the Wonder Woman Awards night (Image: Newsquest)

“It makes me so happy to have seen such a diverse group of women here who go above and beyond but don’t always get that recognition.  

Photos from the Wonder Women awards event (Image: Newsquest)

“That’s why I wanted to do something different, and this is something I hope we can continue to do every year going forward.” 

Deputy Mayor Sandra Walmsley, Bury VFCA CEO Helen Tomlinson & Bury Council CEO Lynne Ridsdale. (Image: Newsquest)

The panel of judges included deputy mayor, Cllr Sandra Walmsley, Bury VFCA CEO Helen Tomlinson and council CEO Lynne Ridsdale.  

Photos from the Wonder Woman Awards night (Image: Newsquest)

Alongside the 10 award categories, a surprise "Wonder Woman Of The Year" award was announced at the end of the event, which was presented to Cllr Farooq by the BAME Project volunteers.

Photos from the Wonder Woman Awards night (Image: Newsquest)

One of the women who presented the award to her said: “Ummrana devotes and dedicates her time to helping others and making a life-changing difference.  

“She's known to empower diverse women in the community especially the most vulnerable and isolated.”  

The winners and runners-up from the event are as listed below.  

Tahira Zulfiqar, Gill Smith and, Wendy Howarth (Image: Newsquest)

'Going Above & Beyond' 

Winner - Wendy Howarth 

First runner up - Gill Smith 

Second runner up - Tahira Zulfiqar  

Congratulations to our Wonder Woman Award runner up, Fahmida Khan & Ching See Chan and winner Zebun Nisa for the 'Volunteer of the Year' category (Image: Newsquest)

'Volunteer of the Year' 

Winner - Zebun Nisa 

First runner-up - Ching See Chan 

Second runner-up - Fahmida Khan 

'Rising Star' runner up, Ashia Riaz & Jane Almond with Amina, accepting the winning award for Shivani Banger (Image: Newsquest)

'Rising Star' 

Winner - Shivani Banger (Not pictured, Amina received the award on her behalf) 

First runner-up - Jane Almond 

Second runner-up - Ashia Riaz 

Award runner up, Shazia's Street Food & Hadia Sakhi and winner Shazia Nawaz for the 'Women in Business' category. (Image: Newsquest)

'Women in Business' 

Winner - Shazia Nawaz 

First runner-up - Hadia Sakhi 

Second runner-up - Shazia Ansari 

Award runner up, Huma Farooq & Tahira Zaffar and winner Ashia Riaz for the 'Young Acheiver' category. (Image: Newsquest)

'Young Acheiver' 

Winner - Ashia Riaz 

First runner-up - Tahira Zaffar 

Second runner-up - Huma Farooq 

Runner up Mel Michael and winner Alyson Malach for the 'Women in Leadership' category. (Image: Newsquest)

'Women in Leadership' 

Winner - Alyson Malach 

First runner-up - Nahid Nazir 

Second runner-up - Mel Michael 

Award runner up, Kayanat Farooq & Sharon Byrne and winner Kate Lurie for the 'Woman in Health & Medical sector' category. (Image: Newsquest)

'Woman in Health & Medical sector' 

Winner - Kate Lurie 

First runner-up - Sharon Byrne 

Second runner up - Kayanat Farooq 

Award runner up, Seham Al Tamer and Zeba Manzoor winner, Shazia Ansari for the 'Women in hospitality' category. (Image: Newsquest)

'Women in hospitality' 

Winner - Shazia Ansari 

First runner-up - Zeba Manzoor 

Second runner-up - Seham Al Tamer 

Award runner up, Mandy Landbrinadis (Image: Newsquest)

'Women in fitness' 

Winner - Casey Lynchey 

First runner-up - Mandy Landbrinadis 

Second runner-up - Alex Milner 

Award runner up, Hadia Sakhi and Yvette Comer with the winner, Lida Fara for the 'Women in Hair & Beauty' category. (Image: Newsquest)

'Women in Hair & Beauty' 

Winner - Lida Fara 

First runner-up - Yvette Comer 

Second runner-up - Hadia Sakhi 

Ummrana Farooq winning Wonder Woman of the Year (Image: Newsquest)

'Wonder Woman of the Year'

Winner - Ummrana Farooq

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