Business leaders back Bradford’s bid as competition enters final weeks
A group of Yorkshire business and community leaders gathered in Bradford this week to voice their support for the district’s UK City of Culture bid as the hotly contested competition enters its final weeks.
The group included Amarjit Singh, chair of the Yorkshire Asian Business Association (YABA); Keith Madeley MBE; Sofia Buncy MBE DL from the Khidmat Centre; Dr Kuldip Bharj OBE DL and James Mason, the newly appointed chief executive of the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
There were also representatives from a range of Bradford organisations including African & Caribbean Business Ventures, BAME Business Committee (WNYCC), Bradford Literature Festival, Business in the Community (BITC), Bradford BID, Impact Hub Bradford, MyLahore and Exa Networks.
The group met with the Bradford 2025 team at their offices at City Park to share their ambitions for the bid and the impact it could have for businesses across the region.
Their backing comes at a pivotal time for the district’s bid, with the UK City of Culture expert advisory panel, headed up by Sir Phil Redmond CBE, vsiting the district imminently this week ahead of the winner being announced at the end of the month.
The event was organised by Nasar Hussain, founder and managing director of Bradford-based telecommunications company, ITC.
The UK City of Culture designation has had a dramatic impact on previous host cities, raising the bar for arts and cultural activities and acting as a catalyst for inward investment; boosting visitor numbers and creating jobs and opportunities for skills development for young people.
More than 35 partners from every sector of the business community have come on board as official supporters of the bid including Bradford Bulls, Emerald Group Publishing, Group Alfa, Jinnah Group, Morrisons, Rushbond PLC, The Broadway and Yorkshire Building Society.
