A NEW initiative in Bradford is using arts and culture to transform how ethnic minority women deal with death and bereavement, reflecting a shift in approaching end-of-life care among diverse communities.
The project brings together local organisations and healthcare experts to address the long-standing inequalities faced by disadvantaged women from minority backgrounds in accessing hospice and palliative care services, a palliative care doctor and academic who leads the project said.
Dr Jamilla Hussain told Eastern Eye, “As an academic, I dedicate half of my time to research, focusing on inequalities at the end of life, with a special emphasis on ethnic inequalities and racism.
“When I began working in Bradford, I visited community groups to understand the issues surrounding inequalities faced by ethnic minority groups. Our research shows that in palliative and end-of-life care, people from ethnic minority groups and those from deprived backgrounds are less likely to access our services.
“They are also less likely to report satisfaction with their end-of-life care and are more likely to die in hospital. Understanding why this happens and how we can support them is crucial.
“In 2022, we collaborated with WomenZone and the Leap, a creative people and places programme in Bradford, to apply for a small Dying Matters grant from Hospice UK, a national charity.
“We organised four workshops with women from a particularly deprived area of Bradford. The group consisted of slightly older women, though there was a range of ages, all living in a very deprived area. The women already met every Thursday, so we arranged to join them for four consecutive Thursday mornings, conducting hour-long to an hour-and-ahalf workshops.”
Sabir Musaji, development manager at the Leap, said, “We know access and quality of care at end of life is not equal and fair. We need to ensure those voices and stories are heard and that services meet communities where they are at.
“In the first set of four workshops, we explored their experiences of death, dying and grief. The women shared numerous stories and discussed issues around accessing healthcare.
“We also talked about how Pakistani women support each other and how the community could better support its members. This was particularly important as it’s a migrant community with different generations, where people are moving away and dynamics are shifting.”
Shy Burhan
Hussain, who works with Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said that during the first set of workshops, they identified significant knowledge gaps regarding end-of-life care and services.
“For the new series, we decided to understand what information the women wanted to learn more about, and arranged for specialists to come to them. This approach was crucial because while these women faced many barriers to accessing support services, they were comfortable attending this group. We met them in their preferred space, where they felt at ease among friends. This was a key factor in the project’s success,” she added.
“We began with a priority-setting workshop to identify their learning needs. The women, who were predominantly Muslim, identified four main areas of interest – Islamic teachings about death and dying; how to support bereaved people; available palliative care services in Bradford; and benefits and financial support.
“Through the initial workshops, they realised they had different understandings of religious matters. They wanted to learn more about what Islam says regarding their roles in death, dying and grief, particularly concerning the role and responsibilities of daughters-in-law. We invited specialist chaplains from the hospital to lead this session.
“We also brought in specialist grief counsellors who could speak Punjabi or Urdu. We organised different sessions focusing on various aspects – how to support someone who has lost a child; how to support those who have lost siblings or family members; and the importance of friendship. We also discussed pre-grief – the complex emotional process that begins even before a death occurs.”
According to Hussain, the workshops were successful, and the women enjoyed them. After the first set of meetings, the women established their own monthly bereavement support group. “They realised they had never discussed these important topics before and wanted to continue having a space for such conversations,” she said.
An artist was present at each workshop, using artsbased methods to help women discuss sensitive topics. It led to the development of an exhibition, and for Bradford 2025 (City of Culture), they will display it during Dying Matters week in May. The exhibition will then tour different women’s groups.
Dr Jamilla Hussain
The UK will observe Dying Matters awareness week 2025 from May 5-11, with the theme – the culture of dying matters – encouraging communities to start conversations about death in ways that suit them.
Hussain added, “The project has revealed multiple barriers that Pakistani women face in accessing end-of-life services. These include lack of awareness about available services, cultural knowledge gaps, language barriers, and experiences of racism within healthcare.
“The women also face multiple forms of discrimination – sexism as women, racism as Pakistanis, classism due to poverty, and some face ableism due to disabilities. These intersecting challenges make it difficult for them to advocate for themselves, and some have internalised the idea that they don’t deserve the same quality of care as others.”
Hussain has implemented various changes at both organisational and community levels. In the hospital, they are working on short, medium, and long-term goals. Short-term goals include improving facilities for wudu (ablution) on wards. Medium-term goals involve reassessing visiting policies to better accommodate large families. Long-term goals focus on incorporating community voices into hospital management and operational plans.
The project has also influenced national policy. Hussain presented evidence to parliament regarding the assisted dying bill, sharing feedback from these community groups. This led to a proposed amendment based on their input.
A workshop funded by a Dying Matters grant
The recent unexpected death of her father in Pakistan highlighted the contrast between death in traditional settings and the medical-led approach in the West. This experience reinforced her belief that death was not merely a medical event but a social one, she said.
Asked about the role of arts in the project, the doctor said, “The arts-based approach has been particularly effective. In the first set of workshops, we worked with a poet who initially used familiar craft materials before gradually introducing poetry writing.
“In the latest workshops, photographer Shy Burhan used culturally appropriate methods, including traditional elements like sharing tea and using a bucha (a decorative cloth) for writing thoughts.”
Burhan explained that her workshop design incorporated creative activities to help participants express their feelings about different aspects of grieving, and said the process was mutually inspiring for both herself and the participants.
Rubina Khalid
There are plans to expand the project to other Pakistani women’s groups and Bangladeshi women’s groups, as they likely share similar learning needs.
The Leap has also expressed interest in developing similar programmes for Pakistani men, recognising that their experiences around death and grief differ from that of women.
Rubina Khalid, chief executive at WomenZone said, “We had previously delivered a project at WomenZone, funded by Hospice UK, to understand how Pakistani communities, particularly women, cope with the death of a loved one.
“This time, we partnered with Bradford Leap and NHS palliative care to bring together diverse organisations across the ‘death system’ in Bradford. The aim was to facilitate direct discussions with women about their experiences and foster network/relationship building.”
A UK court on Thursday denied bail to fugitive Indian diamond businessman Nirav Modi, who sought release while awaiting extradition to India. Modi cited potential threats to his life and said he would not attempt to flee Britain.
Modi, 55, has been in custody in the UK since March 2019. He left India in 2018 before details emerged of his alleged involvement in a large-scale fraud at Punjab National Bank.
He denies any wrongdoing, according to his lawyer. His extradition to India was approved by UK courts, and his appeals, including a request to approach the UK Supreme Court, were rejected in 2022.
On Thursday, Modi’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald told the High Court that the extradition could not take place for confidential legal reasons. "There are confidential legal reasons why (Modi) cannot be extradited," he said, without providing further details.
Representing Indian authorities, lawyer Nicholas Hearn opposed the bail application, arguing that Modi might try to escape or interfere with witnesses. Hearn referred to Modi’s past attempt to seek citizenship in Vanuatu as an indication he might flee.
Fitzgerald responded that Modi would not leave the UK due to fear of the Indian government. He mentioned alleged recent plots to target Sikh activists in the United States and Canada, which India has denied. He also cited India's alleged involvement in returning Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Dubai’s ruler, to Dubai in 2018.
"The reach of the Indian government for extrajudicial reprisals is practically limitless," Fitzgerald said. "The idea that he could go to Vanuatu ... and there be safe from the Indian government is utterly ridiculous. They would either send a hit squad to get him or they would kidnap him or they would lean on the government to deport him."
The Indian High Commission in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Judge Michael Fordham denied the bail plea, saying, "there are substantial grounds for believing that if released by me on bail ... (Modi) would fail to surrender".
Modi is wanted in India in connection with two linked cases — a major fraud at Punjab National Bank and alleged laundering of the proceeds.
His uncle Mehul Choksi, also linked to the case, was arrested in Belgium last month. Choksi has denied any wrongdoing.
Sky TV customers across the UK faced widespread disruption on Thursday night, with issues continuing into Friday morning despite the company saying things were back to normal.
The problems, which began around 9pm, saw more than 30,000 users unable to access TV content. Most complaints were linked to Sky Q boxes crashing or freezing. Some viewers were stuck with error messages saying they couldn’t watch TV due to “connectivity issues” even though their internet seemed fine.
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By Friday morning, over 2,500 users were still reporting trouble, according to tracking site DownDetector. Most problems (87%) were TV-related, while a smaller number mentioned full blackouts or broadband issues.
DownDetector chart shows view of problems reported in the last 24 hours Downdetector
Sky said the issue stemmed from a technical glitch that pushed some Sky Q boxes into standby mode. “We’re sorry some customers had trouble accessing Sky Q,” the company said. “The issue was quickly resolved, and service has been restored.”
However, many users said otherwise. On social media and DownDetector, complaints kept coming in. Some said rebooting the Sky box worked temporarily, only for it to crash again. Others were irritated by the lack of updates from Sky, especially as the blackout clashed with the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, a big night for live TV.
“I’ve restarted my box six times already. It just keeps going off again,” one user in Southport wrote. Another from Sheffield posted: “Still down this morning.”
Sky recommends a basic fix: unplug your Sky Q box from the power socket for 30 seconds, then turn it back on. For some, that’s worked. For others, the issue returns after a while.
Downdetector shows the most affected locations and problems Downdetector
Posting on X this morning, the official Sky account shared : "We are aware of some technical issues overnight that led to Sky Q boxes to go into standby mode. Our technical team worked quickly to investigate and restore service.
"If your Sky Q box is still stuck in standby please switch off your Sky Q box at the power socket for 30 seconds and back on again which will restore service. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused."
Sky’s own help page offers a few steps to try: reboot the box, check Wi-Fi, update the software, and make sure your remote and connections are working. But when none of that helps, users are left in the dark.
DownDetector, a platform that tracks service interruptions, showed how the problem spread and continued, even after Sky’s official fix.
This article was updated following Sky’s public statement issued on Friday morning.
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Disability campaigners from 'Dignity in Dying' hold placards as they demonstrate outside The Palace of Westminster during a gathering in favour of the proposals to legalise assisted suicide in the UK.
A PROPOSED law that would allow assisted dying for terminally ill people will return to parliament on Friday, with lawmakers set to debate a series of changes before a final vote on whether the bill should proceed.
In November, lawmakers voted 330 to 275 in favour of allowing assisted dying. If passed, the legislation would make Britain one of several countries including Australia, Canada, and some US states to permit assisted dying.
The bill allows mentally competent adults in England and Wales, who have six months or less to live, to end their lives with medical assistance. It has already been revised following detailed scrutiny.
A final vote on the updated bill will take place after Friday’s debate. The large number of proposed amendments means the session may continue next month.
Supporters of the bill point to opinion polls showing most Britons favour assisted dying and say the law should reflect public opinion. However, some lawmakers have raised concerns about protections for vulnerable people. Others argue that palliative care should be improved first.
The Telegraph and Guardian reported that some lawmakers who previously supported the bill are now reconsidering their position.
Prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is neutral on the issue. Lawmakers are free to vote based on their personal views rather than party lines.
A key change from the original version of the bill is the removal of the requirement for court approval. Instead, a panel including a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker would decide whether a person is terminally ill and capable of making the decision.
Any further changes to the bill will need to be approved through separate votes. If Friday’s debate runs out of time, the discussion could continue on June 13, before the final vote.
If passed, the bill will move to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.
In 2015, lawmakers rejected similar legislation by 330 votes to 118.
The current bill does not apply to Northern Ireland or Scotland. On Tuesday, the Scottish parliament voted in favour of a similar proposal, which will now move forward for further consideration.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Koolesh Shah, Reena Ranger OBE, Ameet Jogia and Sir Oliver Dowden
SIR OLIVER DOWDEN MP and businessman Koolesh Shah have been appointed co-chairs of the Conservative Friends of India (CF India), following the resignation of Ameet Jogia MBE and Reena Ranger OBE, who had led the organisation since 2019.
Jogia and Ranger stepped down after a five-year term that saw CF India grow into the Conservative party’s largest affiliate group, a statement said. The group was founded by Lord Dolar Popat with prime minister David Cameron in 2012.
Appointed by then-prime minister Boris Johnson, their leadership coincided with two general elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the appointment of Britain’s first prime minister of Indian origin, Rishi Sunak.
Sir Oliver is a senior Tory MP who has held several ministerial roles, including deputy prime minister and secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport. Shah, founder of the London Town Group, is active in philanthropy and community work, particularly in education and social mobility. Sir Oliver and Shah said, “It is a privilege to take on this responsibility and build on the outstanding work of Ameet and Reena. CF India plays a vital role in ensuring that the voice of the British Indian community is heard, valued, and represented in the political mainstream, especially during this highly sensitive time. We are committed to deepening that engagement, supporting the next generation of leaders, and continuing to celebrate the values we share – from entrepreneurship to public service, and from community cohesion to our enduring ties with India.”
Under the outgoing co-chairs, CF India said it significantly strengthened the party’s engagement with British Indian communities. According to the statement, the group played a key role in the 2024 general election, contributing to the Tory victory in Leicester East, where the party’s vote share rose from 11 per cent in 2001 to 49 per cent.
Jogia and Ranger also oversaw the development of outreach, training, and fundraising initiatives. They credited CF India’s director, Nayaz Qazi, and grassroots supporters for their contributions to the group’s progress.
In their farewell statement, Jogia and Ranger said, “We leave with immense pride, having brought vibrancy, energy, and renewed purpose to an organisation that has been integral to our political journeys from the start. We will always support CF India and its new leadership.”
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Tavistock Road between William Prance Road and Manadon Roundabout
A three-vehicle collision on Tavistock Road in Plymouth led to significant traffic disruption on Thursday, May 15.
The crash occurred at around 11:00 BST and prompted an immediate response from Devon and Cornwall Police, the fire service, and paramedics. Emergency services attended the scene to manage the incident and assess those involved.
According to a witness, it appeared that one vehicle had collided with the rear of another. Photographs from the scene showed emergency crews present amid long queues of traffic.
The collision resulted in the closure of all southbound lanes on Tavistock Road between William Prance Road and Manadon Roundabout, causing substantial delays for motorists. The roads and traffic monitoring service Inrix reported the incident at 11:27 BST, confirming slow traffic and lane closures in the affected area.
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Police stated that investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing. The road remained closed for several hours to allow emergency services to clear the scene safely.
By 14:30 BST, Tavistock Road was reopened to traffic. No further details have been released regarding any injuries sustained or the circumstances leading up to the crash.
Drivers were advised to follow local traffic updates and seek alternative routes during the closure.