HRH Prince William Duke of Cambridge presented the MBE to Zanib Rasool on Tuesday 18th March at Buckingham Palace.
Zanib received the MBE for services to the community in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.In the early 1980s she was a key player in the establishment of the United Multi-Cultural Centre, the first community organisation in Rotherham dedicated to supporting Asian women. Zanib has also championed community cohesion and worked tirelessly in her local area of Masbrough and Ferham and developed many sustainable projects including a local football project. Zanib is Chair of the Ferham Children Centre, Community Governor of Thornhill Primary School and serves as a Magistrate in Rotherham. She is also director of GROW, women's project in Rotherham.
In 2008, Zanib became Community Project Manager of Rotherham United Community Sports Trust (RUCST) where she made an impact by making football more inclusive and breaking down ethnic and cultural barriers. She has been influential in securing over £1.5m of external funding. Under her leadership RUCST was the Football League 2012 Community Club of the year. Zanib also developed the Kashmiri/Yemeni Older People Forum in 2011. In 2012 she set up Rotherham BME young people and carers group where she mentors parents of disabled children.
Zanib told us the conversation which she had with HRH Prince William, she stated “He asked how long I lived in Rotherham, I said nearly all my life. He then asked what do you do in Rotherham, I said I work for the charity arm of Rotherham United FC and through football we engage young people in diversionary activities and move them on to education and training. He said football is a good way of engaging people, I love my football but I am not good at it, you may have to give me some pointers. I said I am not good at it either and he smiled.”
Jamie Noble, Head of Community said “Zanib is a very inspiring woman and she has given so much to the communities of Rotherham to make it a better place to live, learn and work for all of its residents.
“On a personal note, I have had the honour of working with Zanib and I have seen how much her work means to her as well as the difference she seeks to make in her spare time with the many hours spent in court as a Magistrate and Governor of her local school not forgetting all the other voluntary positions she has held over the years.
“I would like to give another huge Congratulations to Zanib for her MBE, she thoroughly deserves it.”