MY PERSONAL HISTORY:

I, with my mother and 2 brothers joined my father to live in Rotherham when I was 9 years old in 1969. I attended Thornhill Primary School and then went on to study at South Grove Comprehensive School.

MY WORKING LIFE:

At 16 I took on my very first job as an Apprentice Steel Maker, which involved learning how to process steel through hands on experience along with studying for my City and Guilds Qualification in Steel Making. Following my apprenticeship, I then got a permanent job in British Steel working in the Spring workshop. For the next four years I worked hard and through the 16 week strike, fought hard for employee rights.

Around 1983, with my family’s backing, I left the steel industry and bought a small supermarket. From then on I have had a number of local businesses, newsagents and restaurants.

WHY DID I CHOOSE POLITICS?

When I first started working within the community, my eyes were opened as I began to see how communities really lived together. After witnessing first hand a few incidents of community tension, I approached my local Councillor Ahmed (now Lord Ahmed) who advised me to join with others and gather support to tackle community cohesion at a higher level.

This led to me organising and forming a community organisation called the Rotherham Civil Rights Group which facilitated meetings between the Council, Police and young people within communities to tackle issues in order that harmony could be restored. As things started to change I became even more focused on making my community a better place for me, my family and future generations. Having seen the success of active participation within the community and being a long standing member of the Trade Union, I joined the Labour Party in 1990.

One of my first real successes was as a result of a campaign to create a multi-cultural centre for Rotherham, and through lobbying and working together with partners, the Rotherham Unity Centre was born, which does what is says on the tin ‘unites multi-cultural communities of Rotherham into one community’.

As I started to become more active within my political party, I took the tentative step to stand for the local elections in 2000 and was pleasantly surprised to secure a seat for the Central Ward, covering Masbrough, Ferham, Kimberworth and Meadowbank, learning about local ward issues, understanding political structures, learning how to change policies from the ground up. Since the Boundary changes, I now represent Rotherham West which includes Blackburn, Ferham, Henley, Kimberworth, Masbrough, Meadowbank and Richmond Park.

I came to live in Rotherham in 1969 as a 10 year old without knowing a single word of English and now, with God’s grace and the tremendous support of the community, I am privileged and honoured to represent my area on the Council as a local Councillor and from May 2008 as an Executive Member of the Cabinet with the Neighbourhoods portfolio.

A FEW PERSONAL FACTS:

• I have been married for 29 years
• I have 5 grown up children and 2 grandchildren.
• I have lived in the same area for 35 years
• I have a black belt in Kung Fu.
• I was a keen cricketer for 30 years but now only have time for Chess!

MY POLITICAL HISTORY TO-DATE:

2000-2004 Advisor to Cabinet Member for Housing and Environmental Health

2006 Vice-Chair of Democratic Scrutiny

Board Member of RBT

2007 Chair of Regeneration Scrutiny Panel

Member of Planning Board

2008 Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods

Member of Planning Board

Member of Transform South Yorkshire Sub-Regional Group

Regional Representative for South Yorkshire on the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Housing Board.