Fourteen men and women have been nominated for a Unity 101 Community Award celebrating Southampton's Asian and ethnic community

The group of fourteen men and women have been put forward for the Unity 101 Community Award to help inspire other city residents to give their time for the benefit of society as a whole.

The awards have been organised as part of Unity 101’s 10th anniversary celebrations.

The big winner will be announced in public at a show on January 9, 2016.

Station manager Ram Kalyan Kelly, told the Daily Echo that he hoped the idea would encourage residents to look up to the nominees and do their bit for the community.

He said: “It was always my idea when we reached 10 years that we should do an award for Asian and ethnic people in the city.

“I hope that it will inspire young people to do voluntary work and these nominations are for the unsung heroes.”

Mr Kelly said the award was to honour those who give to their local community in a variety of ways.

He said: “The message is about community and that these people have been recognised in the paper, that is their local paper, but they all do different things.”

A panel of judges will team up to decide on a winner for the award next month and they will be crowned at a special event next year.

The triumphant nominee will first be announced at a private event on January 8 before being given their award by Dave Curry, chief officer of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Since it was formed in 2005 Unity 101 has organised live concerts, link-ups with local colleges, and interviewed a number of Bollywood stars.

It is supported by a number of its own dedicated volunteers who make sure it stays on air to serve Southampton.

The aim of the station is to promote the music and culture of Asian and ethnic minority groups in the city and its previous broadcasts include an advice show for newcomers settling into life in the UK.

In total there are 14 nominees with seven featuring today and seven in Bank Holiday Monday’s Daily Echo.

• Rajni Bali

Nominated by: Ahmed Sasso MBE, diverse community engagement officer with Hampshire Constabulary.

Rajni is a volunteer with the Asian Welfare and Cultural Association and Eastleigh Mela, and is a member of the Crime Prosecution Service’s Wessex hate crime case review panel.

She has worked with Eastleigh College supporting students and Eastleigh Multi-Agency Racial Harassment Forum, and has also been involved with the Eastleigh Gurkha Nepalese Assocation.

Rajni also sits on a number of statutory and voluntary bodies to help ensure that minority communities receive a fair and just service including Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Fire and Rescue, Hampshire Police, probation services, and One Community.

In addition she also works with many individuals in minority communities on a one to one basis providing support, advice and a very much needed listening ear.

Ahmed Sasso said: “I have known Rajni for some years and she has constantly shown genuine interest in helping vulnerable individuals across all communities, and particularly within minority communities.

“In my experience she has been an asset to the communities, and many agencies both statutory and voluntary and in particular the police.”

• Abdoulie Sanneh

Nominated by: Sangeeta Bhabra.

Abdoulie, who is originally from the Gambia and has lived in Southampton for 13 years, works actively in a number of community and voluntary groups.

He is a co-founder of The Gambia Society and founder of The United Voice of African Associations, as well as being an executive member of the Newtown Residents’ Association and a member of The City of Sanctuary, which welcomes refugees to the city. As part of his work after founding The Gambia Society he has been instrumental in helping people across a range of ages to adjust to life in Britain.

This includes supporting the welfare of African students coming to the city and helping them get used to the climate, food and culture.

The group also provides activities for women and children, funds training to boost employability, and runs an annual family picnic.

To build on the success of this organisation and enable other African communities in Southampton to replicate its support, Adboulie set up The United Voice of Africa Association in 2012 to link a range of societies together. And to top it all off Abdoulie established Active Kids Active Neighbourhoods, a children’s project that transforms abandoned spaces into play areas.

• Shobhna Phillips

Nominated by: Ravi Parmar, president of The Verdict Hindu Temple.

Shobna is quiet person who helps others regardless of colour, nationality or religion. She is an active member of the community and is constantly arranging talks for health issues.

Despite not being well, she has not stopped helping others and continues playing an active part in charities.

Currently she volunteers with Age Concern, Macmillan Cancer Trust, Wessex Cancer Trust, Art Asia, the Vedic Society, and the New Forest NPA.

In the past she has volunteered for the children and family forum at Lydlynch School in Totton, to teach human values to children through interactive programmes including role playing, games, singing, and group sessions.

She has also given her time as a voluntary community health educator,and is a mosaic champion with the NPA.

• Vilma Scott

Nominated by: Don John, race and diversity consultant.

Vilma Scott has been one of the strongest voices in Southampton’s African Caribbean community for more than 30 years.

As chair of the African Caribbean Centre she worked tirelessly to improve the condition of black people and all communities across the city.

She has also been a key player within many charities and voluntary organisations across the city, and this has been achieved whilst carving out a long and successful career in the health service, where she was one of early pioneers in a service that was heavily dependent on black nurses.

Her work in the church is also well recognised. Vilma has a quality that allows her to operate at a grassroots level with the capacity to interface with major institutions.

She said: “I am very surprised at the nomination; but very pleased that some of the things that I have done have been appreciated.”

• Kulwinder Kaur Lakhpuri

Nominated by: Harjinder Singh Virdee, economics lecturer at Southampton Solent Business School.

Kulwinder Kaur is married with four children and a grandmother, and has contributed immensely to promoting unity and harmony in Southampton within ethnic minorities.

She set up the one of the first Punjabi teaching classes in Southampton 30 years ago, helping Sikh youths to learn their mother tongue and the teachings of Sikhism and still teaches on voluntary basis.

Five years ago, alongside other ladies, she started the Thrinjun Women Group. The group, which currently has 60 members, teaches Punjabi and English and organises trips, swimming lessons and Yoga classes.

• Devan Kandiah

Nominated by: Lena Samuels, director at Wessex Media and communications special advisor for the Hampshire Cultural Trust.

Devan Kandiah is the chair and trustee of Age Concern, Eastleigh, and is also a member of Eastleigh Lions Club.

He is a hard-working person who puts a lot of effort into everything he does for Age Concern.

He is efficient and great at organizing activities for others in the way that gets the best results.

Devan said: “I am delighted to be nominated. I am one of the very many doing voluntary community service, enjoying the opportunity to help.”

Lena Samuels said: “”I have nominated Devan Kandiah because he is well known in the community for quietly but tirelessly working to improve the lives of other people.

“Helping others to improve their quality of life is evident in the work he does as chair and trustee of Age Concern, Eastleigh.”

• Andy Lai

Nominated by: Ram Kalyan Kelly, project and station manager at Unity 101 Community Radio.

Andy Lai, who is married and a father to two children, came to England from Hong Kong after working there as a police officer.

He then arrived in Southampton and joined Hampshire Constabulary as an officer in May 1995, before retiring in 2013.

Well-known in the Chinese community in the city, Andy spent a long time assisting ethnic minority groups by visiting them and giving advice, as well as encouraging black and ethnic minority people to join the police.

Currently he is the vice-chairman of the Chinese association of Southampton and the Secretary of the UK and HK Chinese Police Association, and is committed to serving his community above and beyond his day duties.

To this end he has organised a number of activities including festival celebrations and outings for youngsters and the elderly from Southampton’s Chinese community.

As well as his police work, Andy served as a petty officer at Winchester Sea Cadet Corps between 1997 and 1999 and was elected as a parent governor at Peter Symonds College while his daughter was studying there.