HIGH Wycombe and District Citizens Advice Bureau celebrated seven years of outreach work with Asian women in the town last week and the proceedings were televised on Prime TV, an Asian language channel, this Tuesday.

The showcase celebration was held at the Reggie Goves Centre to mark the success of the project which is designed to help the female members of the Asian community, who according to Sandra Garey, the joint leader of the CAB until last year, were conspicuous by their absence in the list of the CAB's clients.

The project was specifically aimed to help Asian women and the first outreach advice clinic was set up in Green Street School with a similar one starting at the Castlefield School.

She outlined the language and cultural barriers which had to be overcome before the community began to trust and appreciate the service being offered.

Shazia Sarwar, an advisor at the Green Street clinic, explained very graphically the sort of problems which were brought to her by her female clients. They ranged from explaining the contents of an official letter or making doctors appointments, to applying for various benefits a person may be entitled to.

Parveen Malik, who takes the CAB clinic at Castlefield School, felt that the project was a success as it has identified needs and offered assistance.

In the seven years the clinics have helped over 500 ladies, many of whom were regular visitors.

Barbara Kardana, who was a joint manager until last week, spoke with passion and enthusiasm about the success of the project, which she recommended to the rest of the country.

The exposure on Prime TV has no doubt helped to carry her message across to the Asian community.

Sandy Moreton, the current joint leader of CAB, speaking after the event, feels that their "champion rota of female advisors" has raised the profile of the Asian women and "without a doubt has made a difference".

The current project is only funded until next March and she hopes that alternative funding may be forthcoming as the Lottery Commission will not renew its grant from March 2002.

The outreach clinics for Asian Women meet during term time at Castlefield School and the old Green Street School site on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 9.30am and noon.

TODAY is Bisakhai, the annual festival of the Sikh community, which is marked by prayers in Gurdwaras (Sikh Temples), and festivities and community gatherings and marches.

The Sikhs, whose men folk wear the distinctive beards and turbans, hail from Punjab in Northern India (although three-quarters of the Punjab province of British India now lies in Pakistan), and are very proud of their identity.

Trainloads of Sikh pilgrims from India as well as planeloads from the rest of the world have, therefore, arrived in Pakistan for the Bisakhai celebrations, which fall at the beginning of the harvesting of the wheat crop in the Punjab, which is known as the bread basket both in India and Pakistan.

The High Wycombe Sikh community will join larger gatherings of the Sikh community organised by various Sikh temples in Southall, over the Easter weekend.

So a very hearty and happy Bisakhai to all our readers.