‘Women are the unsung heroes of our communities,’ huge turnout at star-studded event as Yorkshire charity turns 25

Shantona, based in Harehills, Leeds works with women who have fallen through the net of the statutory agencies.

The charity was set up in 1998 by local Bangladeshi women who were concerned about the lack of support for women in their area. It has since grown and now employs 15 staff supporting hundreds of women and their children.

Chief Executive of Shantona, Nahid Rasool who has been with the charity since its foundation, said that women are often overlooked for their work at home and in the community.

“We want to write a story where women are the heroes themselves.

“We are incredibly proud of everything we have achieved in the past 25 years but we’re not standing still, we’re looking at what we can do in the next 25 years to be of even greater support to women and their families in Leeds.”

During the pandemic the charity reached out to a lot of elderly people who lived alone and didn’t have the support network intergenerational households tend to have.

TV presenter Christine Talbot hosted the celebratory event which saw nearly 200 people attend the 25th anniversary celebrations at the Bangladesh Centre in Harehills. The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin was the guest speaker at the celebrations alongside Christine.

West Yorkshire’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Alison Lowe OBE, who has been a supporter of Shantona since its early days, presented awards to those involved in the charity’s work.

She said that without the charity “we wouldn’t get the outcomes we need to get to be a fair, just and inclusive society.”

Guests included women the charity supports and dignitaries including the Lord Mayor of Leeds Al Garthwaite . They heard from women who work for Shantona on what has been achieved in the past 25 years and plans for the future of the charity. They also heard from women and girls who have used and benefited from Shantona’s services and support.

More than 100 women attended a party in the evening to round off the celebrations which was hosted by well-known DJ, Saika with Bangladeshi dancing, followed by lessons in belly dancing.

The Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said: “Our mission is for every woman and girl in West Yorkshire to thrive, feel empowered, and reach their full potential. To achieve this, we are working together with organisations like Shantona, and providing them with the funds to support more women and girls across the community. Over the past 25-years, Shantona has worked tirelessly to transform the lives of so many women and their families, and I wish them all the best for the next 25.”

As the writing on Tracy’s t-shirt says: “I am the hero of my own life.”