FINALISTS for awards celebrating the British Indian community have been named, including many organisations from this town.

The finalists for the sixth annual British Indian Awards have been named this week, following nominations from across the country.

Rani Bilkhu, of Jeena, based in Slough, has made it through to the final round of the ‘Influential Leader’ category, while the organisation itself is also in the final fight for the Community Initiative of the Year. Jeena works on a one to one basis with women and men from ‘minority’ black, Asian and refugee societies who are facing abuse - providing referral to support services where necessary.

Meanwhile, one of the finalists for the ‘Woman of the Year’ is Harnaam Kaur, founder of the Harnaam Kaur Foundation. Ms Kaur is an anti-bullying activist who has polycystic ovary syndrome, that caused her to grow a full beard from a young age, and now campaigns for acceptance and body positivity.

Mohsin Jameel, CEO of Bull InfoTech, that helped create and fund the awards, said: “We are really pleased to be the title sponsor of the British Indian Awards. The British Indian Awards provide a perfect stage to reach out to innovators, entrepreneurs and community representatives that the awards aim to recognise.”

The final awards ceremony is due to be held on June 21 in the Athena, Leicester. The evening will raise funds for Magic Bus, a charity that helps poverty-stricken teenagers complete their secondary education.