TheMondayClubBrum

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Incredible line up on #bbcqt tonight.

The final question was on Labour introducing VAT on independent school fees.

What do you think ?

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Congratulations to @BhamLawSociety the launch of the new LGBTQ+ Sub-Committee @Shoosmiths #Birmingham office @103ColmoreRow

Sub-Committee Chair Shereen Johal welcomed guests to the party high above the city's @ColmoreBID business district along with Vice Chair Marc Forrest-Thomas, Steph Atkins, Jamie Adams, Joshua Purser and Lucy Williams to toast the launch with drinks and Mexican food from Habaneros.

Shereen Johal speaking at the launch said "...the new Sub Committee of the Birmingham Law Society exists to raise awareness, visibility and guidance for the LGBTQ+ Legal Community in Birmingham."

Enjoy the full set of images from the launch: https://t.co/JgjgIEFdRw

[Anjums Butler @anjumsbutler]

.@aktarislam smashes the glass ceiling of Michelin Stars in #Birmingham and food blogger* extraordinaire Anjum's Butler shares the news with the boss

•blagger

[TheMondayClubBrum @MondayClubBrum]

Offside. #ManVil

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

A pleasure to join national Law Firm @GTStewartSols
for their Christmas Party @SearcyStPancras

Thank you for hosting a fabulous night.
#christmas2023 #BrumHour

The images: https://t.co/Q2SliLA5Jm

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Just catching up with an event I had the pleasure to photograph last week, @InstLeadership #LeadershipAwards23 at Hilton #London Bankside

Congratulations to all finalists, runners up and winners on a magical smoking night in the capital.

I'm loving the posts from those who slipped on their heels, donned black ties and hit the red carpet in red dresses to celebrate outstanding individuals and team success.

Guests travelled far and wide to be in the room. The Leadership Excellence Award Winner, Graeme Jackson flew in from the Cayman Islands. It's a reflection of how highly regarded the Institute of Leadership is for a nominee to risk flying home empty handed to make an unparalleled effort to attend.

One of the nominees, @MaverickMastery penned an incredible piece about the event, Judith wrote "...unfortunately I did not win but I had a fun time losing!"  Judith deserves an award for that line alone.

This reflects the importance of being a nominee, to get yourself out there, meet people in a time when business leaders are working from home, mastering the universe one teams call at a time. It's important for humans to look each other in the eye.

I can't praise the hotel venue Hilton London Bankside enough. I place them in the same category of outstanding service I've had the pleasure of experiencing as @WaldorfAstoria #Beijing, @ShangrilaNewDel and @HyattBham. Thank you to all staff.

They even have a R2D2 type robot who chased me down the corridor whilst hoovering. That's the kind of early morning run I can get behind.

Congratulations to the Institute of Leadership team for hosting a fabulous night. There's a link to details about the Institute and a link to the full set of pictures in the comments below.

Let me know what you think of the images.

#Leadership #Awards #London

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

.@InstLeadership is an international community of over 50,000 leaders, managers, coaches and mentors.

They unlock individual leadership potential.

Hosted one of the best awards nights of the year.

Take a look: https://t.co/IVT960zWaz

#BrumHour #LeadershipAwards2023

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

.@BBGardens Winter Lights Trail is a mesmerising walk around the Gardens by night illuminated by an extraordinary light show

Link to the booking page below. Lighting up #Brum from 25th November to 2 January #LuminateBirmingham #BrumHour

https://t.co/qDwe7AZlTD

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Congratulations @CricketAus

The beauty of sport is it teaches you to celebrate the wins and accept the losses

Great job #India on hosting an incredible @cricketworldcup tournament, the fairy tale endings we enjoy in Bollywood films do not always materialise on the field. There is always another day @BCCI

In other news, @AsianbizChamber #ABCCAwards23 raise an outstanding £11,190 for @TheBHF. Kind hearts for healthy hearts. Thank you everyone 🩷

Congratulations to all finalists and winners. Pictures coming soon.

#CWC23
#INDvAUS

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Four times a year, the @GrBhamChambers gather in the Knowledge Quarter to present the Quarterly Business Report.

CEO @HenriettaLB describes this as 'measuring the pulse of the region's businesses.'

The report's findings are shared by @RajKandola83 from the top of @MyBCU Curzon Building overlooking @HS2ltd 's construction site.

The findings are now live streamed if you are unable to attend in person. Attending in person offers the advantage of networking and breakfast.

The event is always well attended. Updates about BCU and @STEAMhouseUK are shared by Joanna Birch and the panel is enriched by hearing from senior Business Leaders.

This week we heard from Jayne Hussey, head of Law Firm @MillsandReeve who end their 18 year stay on Colmore Row moving to One Centenary Way at @ParadiseBham

Completing the panel was Paul James from @BRB, the company who this year arranged a mesmerising marriage between @BlackSabbath & Ballet.

This collaboration of pirouettes, paranoid, ballerinas, bass riffs, moves and metal unearthed the holy grail of business namely how to bring new people through your doors; 60% of tickets were purchased by individuals who had NEVER seen live ballet. To quote @OzzyOsbourne "F**king hell, Sharon....!!!!" Incredible.

A love letter to the city from the genius of Carlos Acosta CBE and Caroline Miller OBE

A huge welcome back to the Chambers for Grace Morgan and equally huge thanks to Jenny Williams who stood in for Grace whilst on leave.

Let 2024 be the year you and your company join the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce who embark on a new era with moving to 54 Hagley Road, Edgbaston.

This post is all about the moves.

#GBCCQBR #KeepBusinessMoving

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Indian-owned @HexawareGlobal, a global provider of IT and digital solutions, has marked the next phase of its UK expansion by opening a new Birmingham-based facility, with plans to create 250 jobs. The facility at 3, @Brindleyplace was officially opened by West Midlands Mayor, @andy4wm , who took part in a ribbon cutting and traditional Indian lamp-lighting ceremony.

The expansion plan forms a key part of the business' UK growth strategy, which is focused on establishing themselves as a trusted partner for innovative IT and digital services. The company is committed to scaling up its Birmingham facility to house 250 talented professionals by 2025. The business' recruitment drive is being supported by the @WestMids_CA skills team, following an introduction by the @WMGrowth

R Srikrishna, CEO at Hexaware, said, "We want to deliver personalized services to our large and rapidly growing British customer base while helping build and improve the economy and talent in local communities. Birmingham and the Midlands, with their rich and diverse talent base, offer immense potential to meet both objectives."

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said, "Last year's trade mission to India helped us to further strengthen our region's economic ties with this dynamic nation on the rise -- as discussions advance around a new Free Trade Agreement between the UK and India.

"India is now one of our region's leading sources of foreign direct investment, and now, the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) is spearheading our international strategy to further strengthen our reputation as the UK's leading FDI recipient outside of London.

"This important investment announcement from Hexaware a year on from our trade mission is a fantastic result. I'm pleased that Hexaware have made this commitment, and I look forward to seeing them go from strength to strength here -- supported by our world-class STEM talent base and strengths in innovation."

Councillor John Cotton, @BrumLeader @BhamCityCouncil, said, "Birmingham is a hub of educational excellence, housing multiple institutions that consistently rank among the world's top 100 universities. Our city is not only home to these world-class universities, but it also offers an exceptional environment for both local and international students and skilled professionals. With this expansion, Birmingham presents a unique opportunity to students and professionals alike to acquire invaluable industry experience through work placements with Hexaware, contributing to the needs of their global clientele."

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Lighting a candle to mark #BandiChhorDivas & #Diwali @NishkamCentre @SohoRoadBID

A symbolic day for the international community of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists

Sending you all very best wishes in the journey to light over darkness

#BrumHour

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Countdown to #Diwali, the festival of light celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists in India and around the world.

I'm posting images this week about #India to cast a light on this annual celebration.

One of the key tenets in the #Sikh religion, 'seva' means Selfless Service. This is demonstrated in Sikh Gurudwaras (temples) around the world which provide free, nourishing vegetarian meals to visitors, irrespective of their religion.

On a recent visit to Sri Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) in Amritsar, India, I asked if I could see the operation delivering 100,000 meals a day to visitors.

It was INCREDIBLE. Entire halls are allocated to the production of each element of the meal service. This image illustrates just one of the spaces where volunteers prepare food in huge cooking vessels that require stirring with instruments as large as oars.

The experience filled me with enormous pride in being part of the Sikh community. A community that during Diwali celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, which means 'Prisoner Release Day.' This occurs on the same day as Diwali, so the two are combined.

There are 169,000 registered charities in the UK, selfless service is a universal calling for humanity.

Diwali - Sunday 12th November 2023

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

.@AstonUniversity launch their new city centre HQ and 2030 strategy

Press Release: https://t.co/LghPIXXmrS

#Inclusive #Entrepreneurial #Transformational

Picture (L to R): @andy4wm @dameyveb & @ProfAleksSubic

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

.@AstonUniversity officially launch their new #Birmingham City Centre Headquarters, John Cadbury House

The reception at John Cadbury House brought together more than 70 business leaders and other senior figures from across the city and region

The Mayor of the West Midlands, @andy4wm , was guest speaker at the event

@ProfAleksSubic Subic shared the University’s vision and ambitions for the future.

Enjoy the images captured at the reception for the launch:

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

.@diwalibrigade volunteers gather to assemble 1500 hampers of food

I witnessed a remarkable feat of human compassion in Birmingham’s inner city this morning. An army of Diwali Basket Brigade volunteers giving up their time for others.

Hundred and hundreds of hampers were packed for delivery to vulnerable individuals and those struggling to provide healthy nourishing meals for their families, along with a handmade card, signed by children, addressed to ‘A Friend’ offering Diwali wishes.

Diwali Basket Brigade is a grassroots initiative Chaired by @deeparekh and led by Deepak, Kishen Pattani, Vaidehi Pattani and Rupinder Cheema, that delivers thousands of hampers of food to those in need at a special time of year for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists.

The movement began in #Birmingham and now reaches out to #London, #Manchester and #Leicester.

Diwali is a festival Indians have carried to all corners of the planet. Diva candles illuminating the battle against darkness, a community coming together empowering good to banish evil, and people wiping blackboards to dispel ignorance by sharing knowledge.

Diwali lights up November at a time of the year when Winter sets in, daylight is rationed and plummeting temperatures make us reach for an extra blanket.

Our ancestors understood the need to share blessings with those less fortunate by setting festivals like Diwali into calendars. This mantra has been adopted by Deepak who along with the trustees have created something special in the creation of Diwali Basket Brigade.

This is the set up; volunteers gather in a community centre to pack grocery items purchased at cost price from donations made from individuals and organisations. These hampers of food are then delivered to charity groups who oversee the distribution to the vulnerable and struggling families. Light over darkness, hope over despair, good over evil.

Really well done to my kindhearted friend Deepak and the Diwali Basket Brigade Trustees and Volunteers.

My admiration and respect for him and his team has elevated higher than the Diwali fireworks that illuminate night skies with noise and colour. They remind us there is always light in darkness and in the most bleak of circumstances, there is always hope.

Happy Diwali Dear Friend

#DiwaliBasketBrigade2023

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Light 'em up @jazzyb

The Punjabi mover from Vancouver lights up Soho Road #Birmingham with a fabulous set in front of 30,000 fans who throng the iconic road in Handsworth to enjoy the hottest ticket in town.

The lights celebrate the #Hindu festival of Diwali and the #Sikh celebration of Bandi Chhor Divas, which means 'Prisoner Release Day', which occurs on the same day as Diwali, so the two are combined.

It is a time of good over evil and hope over despair, messages that are as relevant now as they ever were.

Incredible work from the @SohoRoadBID team to bring this incredibly popular star to Brum.

Wishing everyone very best wishes for Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas

Jas Sansi

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

Fabulous to see @jazzyb and @BrumLordMayor light up the #Diwali lights on Soho Road #Birmingham to welcome in this key festival for Hindus and Sikhs around the world.

Great work from @SohoRoadBID team in hosting this annual event and bringing one of the biggest global stars to #Brum

Soho Road will be forever known as Jazzy B21 for a lot of people on a night great memories were captured.

Huge thanks Jazzy B 🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️👊🏽👊🏽

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

I would encourage everyone to go see the Grunwick Strikers Mural on Soho Road in Handsworth.

Painted by Pakistani artist Haider Ali Truck Artist, it is curated by @DESIblitz with the support of @SohoRoadBID, @networkrail & @AstonUniversity

It now has the addition of being bathed in #Diwali lights that were switched on by global music artist @JazzyB to symbolise the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance."

Reflect on how many different cultures have collaborated to produce this mesmerising work of public art under the glow of Diwali lights. I would say representation from every major religion and those without.

So whether you go by day or night, try and pay a visit.

[Jas Sansi @jassansi]

#BIFF2023 Launches with a Spectacular Opening Gala @mac_birmingham with a welcome address by @dharmesh_rajput and @CGI_Bghm

Indian actor @Aparshakti was at the launch to meet fans of Indian cinema

check out the full programme showing at @mac_birmingham, @mockbirdcinema, @TheLight_UK #Walsall, @cineworld in @westsidebid @STEAMhouseUK and @eprjcts, and book your tickets at https://t.co/K3mncZlTCT