Salma Bi, from Birmingham is to be recognised at the Palace of Westminster with a British Citizen Award in recognition of her extraordinary endeavours. The British Citizen Award, in partnership with One Stop, is now in its fifth year and recognises exceptional individuals who positively impact their
communities throughout the country.
Salma will be honoured for her services to education with a BCAe, at an official medal presentation being held on 23rd January 2020.
For the last 15 years Salma has devoted her life to making sport inclusive. Raised in a strict Muslim family with disabled and autistic siblings, Salma managed to make history as the first ever Muslim Asian girl to play cricket for Worcestershire County. Regardless of the physical, financial and mental challenges, Salma is one of the few UK Female Asian Umpires, a senior coach, sports company director and a full-time hemodialysis nurse. She successfully hosted 8 national events raising funds for vital charities and getting over 1,000 girls involved in grassroots sports. Salma also captained the first all Asian Futsal Team in Birmingham and founded the first all Asian women’s cricket team.
Salma had to face many obstacles during her journey, playing sport during Ramadan and attending an all-girls school with limited access to sports. She also dealt with anxiety and cultural issues and family resistance to woman in sport. Salma is also a senior nurse, providing care for acute and chronic patients with kidney failure, doing everything with a caring and kind nature. She created the project ‘Get her in the game’ which focused on BME groups to teach life skills, diminish crime in the area and reduce anti-social behaviour.
The Medal presentation will be hosted at the House of Lord’s by TV’s Michael Underwood who, together with Dame Mary Perkins, co-founder of Specsavers, is a patron of the British Citizen Award, which was established in 2015, to recognise exceptional individuals who work tirelessly and selflessly to make a positive impact on society. The BCA recognises true community heroes who would otherwise likely be overlooked. Dubbed the People’s Honours, many recipients have subsequently been selected to receive a Queen’s Honour after their
endeavours have been recognised with a BCA.
Each medallist has a day to remember befitting their achievements. At the Palace of Westminster each will receive a Medal of Honour, inscribed with the words ‘For the Good of the Country’. Medals will be presented by Senior Representatives from official partner One Stop, Places for People, Specsavers, Experian and Objective HR who all support these awards. Following this, medallists are treated to an Open Top Lap of Honour tour before attending a Certificate presentation at the prestigious Church House.
The British Citizen Award is widely viewed as the nation’s way of recognising extraordinary, everyday people for exceptional endeavour and are truly representative of today’s multicultural Britain.
