Shariqua Ahmed

  

Featured Articles

Explore a selection of my work below

BBC News •

Lithuanian women find friendship through exercise

Luda, 70, spoke to the BBC after the badminton session at the Gladstone Park Community Centre, external."It's very nice and I love it; this exercise session is great for us," said the grandmother, who moved to the UK 18 years ago."I try and stay active. I want to come every day and have made some friends here."Norviltaite, who has lived in the UK for 12 years, said the group was looking at getting funding to continue using the community centre for badminton."It's all about getting active. Especi...
BBC News •

Peterborough woman 'can't celebrate Eid' during Middle East war

A food stallholder says she does not want to celebrate the festival of Eid this weekend because she is worried about family and friends caught up in the fighting in Lebanon.Sahar Khalil, who lives in Peterborough, says a friend of hers was killed this week, while members of her family are now living in tents in freezing cold conditions after being told by the Israelis to evacuate the town where they lived.The feast of Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims around the world to mark the end of Rama...
BBC News •

Female-only support for homeless is a 'life-saver'

A cup of tea, a shower and a friendly chat in a safe space might sound like basics, but for vulnerable women living on the streets they are "life-savers".Every Friday morning, Light Project Peterborough (LPP) opens The Garden House, its respite centre for female rough sleepers, where they can find help with issues such as healthcare and housing.The charity for the homeless says it has seen a rise in women seeking help, with about 20% of people they support being female.The centre says women can...
BBC News •

Open iftar at King's College Cambridge 'unites' community

More than 350 people gathered at King's College Cambridge for an open iftar, a meal that marks the breaking of a Ramadan fast.Sunday's event was organised by the Ramadan Tent Project (RTP) and worshippers were joined by people of different faiths, and no faiths.Organiser Kashif Darr said it aimed to break down barriers and educate people about the practices of Islam. "It's open to everyone. Breaking bread is one of the oldest traditions to make friends and this is what it is - you are sat on the...
BBC News •

GP surgery reopening a great relief, says patient

Patients have welcomed confirmation their GP surgery will reopen on 1 April after being closed since 2022.Parnwell Medical Centre, in Saltersgate, Peterborough, shut after subsidence and structural safety concerns made the building unsafe, leaving about 1,700 patients to seek care elsewhere.When speaking at a residents' meeting on Thursday, Mohsin Laliwala, who owns the practice, said that "it has taken considerable time to resolve the building issues, secure resources and restore the premises"...
BBC News •

Chinese new year: Year of the horse welcomed with optimism

The Chinese community in Peterborough is approaching Lunar New Year with a renewed sense of optimism, embracing the theme of "freedom and success" associated with the Year of the Fire Horse.The festival begins on Tuesday and marks not only a new 12 months but also a hopeful chapter after challenging periods shaped by the pandemic and social change, local organisers said.Faustina Yang, founder of the Chinese Community in Peterborough, said the symbolism felt particularly powerful this year and ad...
BBC News •

Peterborough's Hindu temple left 'heartbroken' over site's sale

Worshippers at a Hindu temple said they were "heartbroken" to potentially be facing eviction after their second bid to buy the temple's site was unsuccessful.The Bharat Hindu Samaj Temple in Peterborough, which caters for nearly 14,000 people, was established in the city's New England Complex in 1986.Peterborough City Council's cabinet met on Tuesday and agreed to sell the site to an undisclosed bidder to help balance its budget. Ekta Patel, the temple's vice-president, said the community had "l...
BBC News •

Disgust over racist graffiti left at grassroots football club

Cassidy said: "After the game finished, we came back to the changing room. Darren noticed the words written in red and blue on the walls. There was fresh paint on the soap dispensers, too."No-one carries paint in their car for fun... in my opinion this was done deliberately."It took me four attempts to scrub it off. I did not want our young kids to come and see that. It is unacceptable."Foster said: "You must be thick-skinned in this job – that's what I have learnt. I am just trying to upskill t...
BBC News •

My shop is not a safe space for me, says Pokémon card store owner

The owner of a gaming card shop said his business felt "no longer a safe space for him" after £100,000 worth of stock and cash was stolen from the premises. Collectors Corner in Culley, Court, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, was broken into on 27 January by a person who spent about 25 minutes forcing entry through a quadruple-glazed front window before ransacking the store.Juliano Scibelli, the shop's owner, said he returned to the store to reopen on Wednesday, but found the experience emotionall...
BBC News •

Can street art help boost city centre footfall?

Can art and creativity really help bring people back into town?Peterborough Positive, the city's business improvement district (BID) body, has launched a new street art trail and map celebrating the collection of murals brightening up the city, hoping it will attract visitors to the centre.The free map, external highlights 15 artworks and free, guided tours led by city artists Nathan Murdoch and Tony Nero, and Peterborough Civic Society and the BID are also available.Pep Cipriano, chief operatin...
BBC News •

Muslim leader calls for action on hate crime

A Muslim leader is calling on the government "to do more" to help his congregation feel safe.Abdul Chaudhuri, chairman of Peterborough's Joint Mosque Council, said hate crimes against members of the community had "significantly increased" and he called on ministers to "adopt a definition of Islamophobia".It comes as Sarah Jones, the policing and crime minister, visited a city mosque and a gurudwara on Thursday, and offered reassurances that community concerns were being heard."We are determined...
BBC News •

Skatepark left unlit with users raising safety fears

Skatepark users said a lack of lighting was putting them at "serious risk" and forcing some to travel elsewhere.The lights at the facility in Hampton Hargate, Peterborough, have reportedly been out of order since August, and regular users said repeated attempts to contact the council have so far failed to resolve the issue.Ricky Hughes, who uses the Hampton Park site several times a week, said the park was a "safe haven" for many, but without lighting it becomes unusable and unsafe after dark.An...
BBC News •

Cambridge breast cancer survivor's plea after screening

A breast cancer patient who says a mammogram likely saved her life has urged people to attend routine screening appointments.Shirley, 69, from Cambridge, was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer following her screening in October and underwent surgery about a month later.She was told her cancer had been removed while being featured on a live Channel 4 TV programme. "I can't stress enough how vital it is to go [to the appointment] when you're invited," said Shirley.

A breast cancer patient w...
BBC News •

Faith, food and community: Indian Christmas in the UK

In a kitchen in Peterborough, Christmas begins weeks before 25 December. A rich fruit cake is baking, its fruits soaked for more than a month - a tradition passed down through one Indian Christian family for decades."My husband has always baked the Christmas cake," Cathy George, who lives in Netherton, said. "We've been married for over 31 years, and that's how it's always been."Ms George belongs to the Indian Syrian Christian community from Kerala in southern India. She said few people in Brita...
BBC News •

Lack of Changing Places toilets is 'frustrating'

Families have spoken of their frustration at the lack of specialist Changing Places toilets (CPTs) in Peterborough. The large accessible toilets for disabled people - including hoists, changing benches and space for carers were made compulsory for new buildings in England in 2020.Louise Ravenscroft, a Peterborough mum to two adult children with complex needs, said she had been campaigning for these toilets for more than 20 years.There are four CPTs in the city including at Car Haven Car park an...
BBC News •

Peterborough council chooses bidder for site housing Hindu temple

The complex on Rock Road contains seven community-use units including the Bharat Hindu Samaj, which told the BBC it was one of the bidders seeking to buy the building.The Hindu temple was established in 1986 and is used by worshippers from across Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.Dinesh Odera, who attended Tuesday's cabinet meeting on behalf of the temple, called the situation "confusing", but said the community believed "their bid to buy the building has bee...
BBC News •

Former councillor avoids jail after drink-driving crash

A judge told a former councillor he "narrowly escaped" jail after crashing into a school's wall while drink-driving at high speed and injuring four people.Shaz Nawaz, 47, of Park Road, Peterborough, claimed to be a "non-drinker" but consumed alcohol to soothe a toothache, Huntingdon Law Courts heard.Nawaz, the former leader of Peterborough City Council's Labour group, crashed his BMW on Park Road at 19:10 GMT on 16 March, with three children and a woman in the car.Judge Jonathan Seely told Nawaz...
BBC News •

Peterborough school's water safety scheme in memory of Jack Lloyd

A city school is launching a swimming project in memory of a teenager who died after getting into difficulty at a lake.Peterborough's Hampton Vale Primary Academy plans to install a portable pop-up pool in its playground by the Easter term, so about 400 pupils can have swimming lessons.Sixteen-year-old Jack Lloyd, a student at Peterborough College, drowned at the Crown Lakes Country Park on 3 April.PE teacher Scott Collins, who taught Jack at Hampton Vale, says the scheme is vital because of the...
BBC News •

Disabled bay misuse puts Send families 'in danger

Families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send) said misuse of disabled parking areas was making life stressful and unsafe. Cambridgeshire charity Little Miracles said it received regular complaints about people using bays improperly, forcing parents "to unload medically fragile children in dangerous areas".One mother from Peterborough said drivers often parked so close to her car it was impossible to extend her daughter's wheelchair ramp, while others said holders of...
BBC News •

Children no longer housed in B&Bs, says Peterborough City Council

Children are no longer being housed in bed-and-breakfast (B&B) accommodation following a campaign to end the practice, a council said.Peterborough Citizens, an alliance of schools and charities, had called on Peterborough City Council to stop placing families in B&Bs after schools said the arrangements were having "a significant impact" on pupils.The authority said the campaign had helped drive a 73% reduction in the use of B&Bs to house homeless people since December 2024 and no children were n...
BBC News •

Budget must focus on housing, says shelter resident

A man experiencing homelessness said he hoped the government would focus on increasing accessibility to housing in its upcoming Budget. Josh, 26, who is currently a resident at the night shelter Jimmy's in Cambridge, said the availability of council housing and "move-on housing" - shared accommodation where people can receive support - was important. Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver Labour's second budget on 26 November. Cambridge City Council received 1,139 homelessness applications betwe...
BBC News •

Cambridgeshire Police launch internal review into knife incidents

A police force has launched an internal review into three knife-related incidents that are being investigated for possible links to the train attack suspect. Cambridgeshire Police said it was re-examining an attack on a 14-year-old boy and two reports of a knifeman at a barbers' shop in Peterborough between Friday and Saturday.Darryl Preston, Cambridgeshire's police and crime commissioner, said he asked Simon Megicks, the county's chief constable, to review these incidents which occurred prior t...
BBC News •

Peterborough mosques tighten security after harassment incident

Mr Choudhuri said: "As you know, mosques are open all the time during the day. People can come and go. Steps are being taken to tighten our belts on security matters."I want the community to be vigilant. We welcome anybody who comes, but we just have to be more careful than before."Mr Choudhuri said the community is determined "not to let people creating Islamophobia win", and that planned activities and classes at all the mosques will go ahead."This incident happened at a mosque... tomorrow it...
BBC News •

Hindu temple in Peterborough feels 'let down' over sale of site

Members of a city's Hindu community said they felt let down after the news that their temple site could be sold by a council to help balance its budget.The Bharat Hindu Samaj Temple was established in the New England Complex in Peterborough in 1986.The complex is owned by Peterborough City Council and its sale forms part of the authority's ongoing efforts to reduce debts by selling its assets.Kishore Ladwa, the temple's president, said the group was "feeling devastated and the council's decision...
Load More