Community Activities and Business Awards

As well as being the managing director of a growing business which provides employment for 25 people, Mrs Unis is an ambassador for and an active member of the Edinburgh community, with voluntary interests as diverse as business support for the ethnic community, support for the ethnic elderly, feeding the homeless, and promoting South Asian culture through the arts.

Mrs Unis actively pursues opportunities to promote the South Asian community, its strengths, interests and needs. She is passionate about keeping the culture and its traditions alive among the ethnic population, endeavouring to support families and ensuring that old traditions are not forgotten.

Since 1977, she has been an active member of the 'All Pakistan Women's' Association' (APWA), whose ethos is focused on keeping South Asian traditions and culture alive.

In 1990, Mrs Unis jointly established Milan , an organisation whose name means 'togetherness' and which supports the ethnic elderly through organising trips, befriending exercises and special support from the Social Work Department. Today Milan helps and supports more than 300 members at any one time. Mrs Unis is currently the Company Secretary.

As a founder and director, Mrs Unis helped establish the Edinburgh Mela, an annual two-day festival celebrating Edinburgh's multi-cultural citizens and now Scotland's largest intercultural festivals. Established in 1994, the Edinburgh Mela has grown phenomenally through Mrs Unis's ongoing support and active involvement. In 1997, Mrs Unis won the ABSA (Association of Business Sponsorship of the Arts) Award for her commitment to the arts.

In 1995, Mrs Unis became a board member of the Ethnic Enterprise Centre under the umbrella of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, whose aim is to foster and support ethnic businesses and research within Edinburgh. She also became a mentor for the Black Mentoring Project through Edinburgh's Telford College and the company has strong links with Careers Scotland. These links see it host work placements for school children and participate in an annual manufacturing roadshow.

Mrs Unis has been recognised in a number of awards:

2007 - Awarded Deputy Lieutenant by Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh.
2006 - Short-listed for Lloyds TSB Asian Jewel Award.
2005 - Business Woman of the Year with EMPOWER.
2004 - Short-listed in the Asian Women of Achievements Awards under the Business Woman of the Year corporate category.
2003 - 19th in the Top 100 Influential Women in Scottish Business with the Sunday Herald.
2000 - Avon in Praise of Women Awards , in conjunction with Woman and Home magazine for her extraordinary achievements in all her business and voluntary commitments and community efforts.