SOME of the North West’s most dedi-cated community workers and public service people have been announced as finalists in the prest-igious Fusion Awa-rds 2010.

The awards will take place at Ewood Park in Blackburn on Saturday to celebrate unsung heroes from all walks of life and their contri-bution to their various communities across the region.

They again feature people from all backgrounds and cultures in the event sponsored by our sister newspaper Asian Image.

Among the finalists is Burnley-based The Love and Etiquette Foundation who are nominated in the Community Cohesion Award section.

It was set-up in December 2006 by husband and wife team Rizwan and Shahida Iqbal and aims to dispel myths about the Muslim community through art.

Also up for a Community Cohesion Award is teacher Koser Mahmood, a teacher who has helped to challenge widely -held perceptions head on through a series of projects that explore what it means to be a British young person. They join the Bishop of Manchester, the Rt. Rev Nigel McCulloch and Scout leaders Ian Parkinson and Nigel Cross.

Nazya Khalid has given twenty years to the Library Service and also helped to make a huge difference at grassroots level through her work.

She is nominated in the Woman of the Year section.

She is joined by charity workers Latifa Umar and Sofia Esa from Blackburn, who have raised thousands of pounds for orphanages in Malaysia; Roch-dale’s Nosheen Ahmed, who lost 14 stones in a year; and artist Kulsoom Satia, who donates her paintings to charities across the North West.

Snooker ace Farakh Ajaib is nominated in the Achievement in Sport Award.

Other awards on the night include the Youth Leadership Award, the Community Gorup of the Year, the Public Service award, and the Entrepreneur of the Year and the UCLAN Education Achievement Award.