‘YOUNG achievers’ from Keighley have received recognition in a coveted awards scheme.

Amongst the 11 winners in the Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever Awards was Keighley entrepreneur Sabreen Ahsan.

The 29-year-old, who is of Bangladeshi background, launched digital marketing agency PIYA Media in 2018.

Sabreen – who scooped the Young Entrepreneur accolade – is also a trustee of Young Enterprise, which helps young people with skills and financial information.

Also victorious was Jagjit Singh Chaggar.

The 26-year-old British Indian suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis, a disease affecting his back and leg movement, but he has never let it hold him back.

He is currently a production manager at a cereal factory in Poole, Dorset, and is working on a qualification to become an associate programme manager.

He took the Achievement in the Private Sector title.

Meanwhile his brother, Harpreet Singh Chaggar, also from Keighley, was highly commended in the Health/Mental Health and Healthcare category.

Award winners were announced in front of an audience of over 300 guests at the Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford, last Thursday. The ceremony was broadcast live on the internet.

Overall winner was NHS worker Huma Malik.

The 27-year-old, who lives in Bradford and is of Pakistani background, won the Public Sector category as well as the Yorkshire Asian Young Achiever of the Year title.

She is employed by NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, and despite health problems is a long-standing volunteer for NHS Bradford People’s Board and runs a social enterprise providing music workshops for young people, as well as fulfilling other volunteering roles.

It was the first time the awards, launched in 2020, had been presented at a live ceremony – last year’s planned dinner had to be cancelled due to lockdown.

Host was BBC TV and radio presenter and stand-up comedian Noreen Khan.

And the keynote speaker was Professor Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington DC and the former Pakistani High Commissioner to the UK.

Dr Mohammed Ali – founder and chief executive of QED Foundation, which initiated and organises the awards – said there had been another “amazing raft of entries” from across the county this year.

He said: “We hope this event will leave people feeling inspired and uplifted by the dedication, commitment and talent of the award winners. But most of all we want other young people to follow their examples, aim high and know that with hard work and determination anything is possible.”

Main sponsor was York St John University.