Shariqua Ahmed

  

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Explore a selection of my work below

BBC News •

Families fear closure of Peterborough vulnerable adults hub

More than 700 people have signed a petition calling for a hub that coaches people with learning disabilities to be saved from closure.The Industrial Hub in Peterborough, which is part of City College's Day Opportunities programme, offers work experience and training.Families fear the service will shut in June. Vivienne Haresign said the closure would "destroy" her 58-year-old brother Tony Sanders.Peterborough City Council said those affected "will be supported to source alternative opportunities...
BBC News •

Eid celebration 'can be lonely' for Muslim converts

As a month of family celebrations around Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr pass for another year, for some Muslims who have converted to Islam the whole time period could be "isolating and lonely" instead, a charity said.New Muslim Circle, in Peterborough, supports converts in their journey of faith by teaching them how to pray, organising regular meet-ups and hosting meals and celebrations.Natalia Zaman, who became a Muslim in 2007, described the charity as a "safe space" and a "lifeline" for those it he...
BBC News •

Rubbish more than 20 years old found by the A47 near Peterborough

A volunteer litter-picker who has been cleaning laybys along the A47 has found rubbish that has been there for more than two decades.Mark Fishpool has been cleaning up along the A47 near Peterborough for 18 months, and he said the amount of litter there was "disgraceful".Mr Fishpool, 68, said the area had been neglected for years."The litter has blown into the undergrowth and the wooded area about 100ft back from the road," he said.

A volunteer litter-picker who has been cleaning laybys along t...
BBC News •

Community marks Bedford's first Muslim burial ground

Mr Akhter said: "Many bigger councils up and down the country don't have such a facility, and it is a testament to the community and our council that we can boast about this burial ground."It was really pleasing to have cross-party support at full council for this project and I look forward to the official opening in the summer where we hope to invite everyone for a big celebration."Mr Wotton said: "This initiative goes far beyond land and planning approvals."It embodies our commitment to respec...
BBC News •

'A smear test saved my life', says Peterborough cancer survivor

A woman who survived cervical cancer has advocated the importance of smear tests after she said having one saved her life.Stacey Roberts, 37, from Peterborough, has been in remission for three years after being diagnosed with the illness aged 34, and said she feels "proud" of her journey. NHS England said around one in three women take up their invite to get a cervical screening, even though 75% of cervical cancers can be prevented by the test.Ms Roberts said: "Screenings save lives. It saved mi...
BBC News •

Peterborough mums fight cultural stigma with Send support group

A support group for mums and carers who look after children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) has been described as "life-changing".The Julaybib Project, based in Peterborough, was set up by Natalia Zaman and Amina Ahmed - who both have children with additional needs - to provide a safe space for all, but especially those from the South Asian community.Mrs Zaman said they faced struggles on "multiple-layers, including stigma from within their own families" and she hoped the...
BBC News •

Woman calls for safer access after Peterborough station fall

A woman is calling for urgent improvements to access at a railway station after a fall left her with serious cuts and bruises.Anny Sherwood, 72, from Oakham, Rutland, said the fall - on an unmarked speed bump at Peterborough station on 15 November - left her "shell-shocked".She said she and husband Dennis had tried to contact London North Eastern Railways (LNER), which manage the station, since the incident but they felt "angry" at the lack of response.A spokesperson for LNER told the BBC they "...
BBC News •

Peterborough Soup Kitchen says demand up significantly

A soup kitchen feeding about 1,900 people a month said it was "scary" to see the number of new faces they were helping.Peterborough Soup Kitchen (PSK) provides a chat, a hot meal and drink from a van at a city centre car park each day and said demand had gone up "significantly".Beccy Tyler, secretary of PSK, said the volunteer-led organisation was serving an increased number of families with young children each week and called it "heartbreaking".Peterborough City Council said it had seen a 40% r...
BBC News •

Muslim girls football team from Peterborough win championship

Muslim teenagers at an all-girls school who won a national football championship said they felt empowered to play in their hijabs and likened it to superheroes wearing capes.Peterborough's Iqra Academy, an independent Islamic school, won the Muslim Schools National U15 Girls Football Championship on 3 December, which is sponsored by the English Schools Football Association. In the final, which was held in Leicester, the Iqra team beat Al-Aqsa school from the host city 2-0 to win the title for a...
BBC News •

Abuse survivors from Peterborough urge others 'do not lose hope'

Two survivors of domestic abuse have shared their stories - to give courage to others to seek help.In 2021, Linda Huskisson, from Peterborough, set up Living Keys to support and empower women who have gone through abuse - and has seen a rise in demand.The charity has helped more than 400 women, who Mrs Huskisson has described as "brave and amazing".As part of the White Ribbon Campaign, external - a global movement to end male violence against women and girls - Ms Huskisson and Anna (not her real...
BBC News •

Peterborough City Council rejects mandatory CCTV in taxis

Cabbies say they are "relieved" mandatory CCTV cameras will not be introduced for taxis despite it being considered for the safety of passengers and drivers.Peterborough City Council overwhelmingly voted against introducing the cameras, arguing drivers might simply register their cars in other districts.The proposed scheme proved unpopular with drivers, with nearly 90% opposing it when surveyed by the council.Peterborough Private Hire Association chairman Nawaab Imran Khan said members "welcome...
BBC News •

Coach of Peterborough swimming club without a pool scoops award

A coach who trains a swimming club without a dedicated pool says he has been humbled with a Swim England award for his work.Ben Negus from City of Peterborough Swimming Club (COPS) was awarded the Performance Pathway Coach of the year at the Swim England National Awards.The 180-member club, which competes national and international championships, has "grappled" with "extraordinary situations" after the city's regional pool was closed by the council - forcing the athletes to find alternative loca...
BBC News •

Women-only taxi driver recruitment event held in Peterborough

A charity that trains and recruits women into the taxi trade is bringing its campaign to Peterborough.The Rosie May foundation has teamed up with a taxi firm in the city and is holding a recruitment drive on Tuesday.Mary Storrie, the charity founder, previously set up female-only tuk-tuks in Sri Lanka.She said the team was "excited" to get to work.

A charity that trains and recruits women into the taxi trade is bringing its campaign to Peterborough.The Rosie May foundation has teamed up with a...
BBC News •

Former Peterborough rough sleeper lands new job

A former rough sleeper who secured a new job said a charity helped him turn his life around.Roy Stubbs had mental health issues and started attending respite centre the Garden House, in Peterborough, in April last year.He then started volunteering with Light Project Peterborough and Peterborough City Hospital and hoped to "give back and build his confidence".This week, he successfully applied to become a health and wellbeing lead at Boroughbury Medical Centre, in Craig Street, and said he "was a...
BBC News •

Peterborough charity aims to end shame around sexual violence

A charity that supports survivors of sexual violence has launched a new campaign called Shatter the Shame, to fight any negative stigma and encourage people to seek help.Peterborough Rape Crisis Care Group said its work had supported more than 1,300 people over the past year.Kayleigh Adams, 23, a marketing executive at the charity, organised the new campaign after she said she realised a lot of survivors of sexual violence still "feel guilt and shame" over what they experienced.As part of the ca...
BBC News •

Drug awareness event at Peterborough Mosque is 'a positive step'

A drug and alcohol awareness event has taken place at a mosque to encourage Muslims and families struggling with addiction to seek help. Dozens of people, including children, attended the workshop organised by Dr Azhar Chaudhry at Peterborough's biggest Mosque, Faizan-E-Madina.Dr Chaudhry said the issue of drug and alcohol dependency within the city's Muslim community was "a huge problem", but engaging with them had been a challenge due to cultural stigma.Raja Alyas from Peterborough-based Asp...
BBC News •

Peterborough nurse who went from refugee to ultramarathon runner

A former Afghan refugee who works as an NHS nurse wants to inspire more women, especially from the Muslim community into sports after she completed a 26-hour ultramarathon.Fatima Painda, who lives in Peterborough, grew up in the city of Ghazni, in a mountainous region of Afghanistan, but fled to the UK when she was 14 to escape the Taliban.Ms Painda, a deputy sister at North West Anglia Foundation Trust, embarked on a global running challenge this summer, and she will be running trails and marat...
BBC News •

Early release prisoners seek Peterborough homeless charity's help

A homeless charity said the early release of inmates to free up prison space was contributing to the rise in people needing its help.Light Project Peterborough, which runs the Garden House respite centre for the city's rough sleepers, said 40 new people - some of those former prisoners - were seeking aid from the charity every month.Fundraising officer Matt Edgley said: "We are seeing people who have just been released from prison coming to the Garden House. As winter approaches, we might see a...
BBC News •

'Troubled' Peterborough teen says boxing has changed his life

A 15-year-old aspiring boxer said he had been "immature and troubled" before the sport helped him become a better person.Ismael, from Peterborough, who attends Top Yard Boxing School in Newark Road, won gold at the National Development Championships, external on Sunday.The tournament in Kettering, Northamptonshire showcases up-and-coming talent, and is a boost for the teenager's dreams of boxing for Team GB one day.He said he took up the sport two years ago after going through "years of getting...
BBC News •

Cambridgeshire mum hopes baby loss ribbon display will raise awareness

A mum who lost her baby girl in the 28th week of pregnancy wants more to be done to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW).Adele Mann, who lives near Whittlesey in Cambridgeshire, had to terminate her pregnancy and say goodbye to Lottie on 23 August last year after a private scan detected a rare heart condition which concluded her chances of survival were slim.Mrs Mann says she is disappointed to see a lack of remembrance events in the county to mark BLAW, external and has organised a ribbon displ...
BBC News •

Peterborough lunch club fears it will run out of space

A church initiative fighting social isolation and poverty has seen a rise in demand and is "struggling to cope and needs expansion", one of the volunteers has said.Every Thursday, people who are lonely, homeless, elderly and those with mental health issues are given a hot meal at the St. Mark's Church in Peterborough.The Lincoln Road Church launched Millfield Hub five years ago and feeds about 100 people each week.Peter, 58, who has been homeless since June last year described the lunch hub as a...
BBC News •

Peterborough's first Bengali Film Festival set for Key Theatre

A city's Bengali community said it was "excited" to host its first film festival.Peterborough's Sanskriti Club supports the city's migrant Bengali community, which includes people from India and Bangladesh.The group, along with Gateway Films, a community-focused arts and films group, is hosting the film event on Sunday at the Key Theatre.Annamika Gosh, who founded the Sanskriti Club, said, she "takes pride" in organising these community events that "highlight the culture and heritage of Bengal"....
BBC News •

Family Voice Peterborough leaving Goldhay Centre to focus on Send families

A charity supporting families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) is closing a community centre due to "unsustainable running costs".Family Voice Peterborough (FVP) offers health, education and social care support to struggling parents and carers based at the Goldhay Centre in Peterborough, which it has managed since 2015.The centre in Orton Goldhay also ran a weekly cafe and food pantry to support people who felt socially isolated that was attended by about 50 peo...
BBC News •

Addiction group in Peterborough working to beat cultural stigma

A drug and alcohol rehabilitation group has welcomed an increase in people from harder-to-reach communities using its services.Peterborough-based Aspire has expanded its work with religious groups, community centres and local radio station Salaam Radio to beat "cultural stigma" surrounding drug and alcohol use within South Asian communities.The group's Raja Alyas said a clinic was held regularly at Thislemoor Medical Centre to give people facing stigma a "discreet option" to seek help."We have a...
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