Last week I was honoured to be awarded with the cross-party Campaign of the Parliament of 2010-2015 by the Asian Voice newspaper, the largest circulation Asian newspaper in the country. The award was for my work on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee gift from parliament.
There was a drinks reception on Thursday evening at the House of Commons and I invited 15 guests from the Northampton Asian community to join me. Also honoured were William Hague MP who received a Lifetime Achievement Award and Education Secretary Nicky Morgan received an award for Cabinet Minister of the Year.
The successful campaign I launched in 2010 was to honour Her Majesty The Queen’s sixty years of devoted service to this country and the Commonwealth with a fitting tribute from Parliament. I set up a cross-party committee, chose the gift of a stained glass window to be placed in the ancient Westminster Hall so that hundreds of thousands of visitors a year could enjoy it, and raised nearly £100,000 from MP’s and Peers to fund it. I ensured that not a penny of taxpayer’s money was spent on the window, its design, its display or its eventual installation.
I am delighted to have been able to work together across party political lines and across both Houses of Parliament to realise this project and I am very pleased to receive this award.