Set up in 2009, The Sky Project is a charity that is actively working to reduce the number of forced marriage cases in and around Bristol and the South West.
Forced marriage is a criminal offence and a violation of human rights. Men and women should have the right to choose their own marriage partners, and society has a duty to recognise and defend this right.
Our aims:
- Educate and raise awareness of forced marriage and honour based violence amongst communities, schools, universities, professional bodies and any other relevant group
- Provide training primarily to professionals on the role they can take in preventing a forced marriage
- Create a multi-agency network of support services in Bristol
Meet the team
Sabeena Pirooz is the Director as well as a Trustee for The Sky Project. She has been involved with the charity on a voluntary basis since its inception in 2009. She leads and manages the team by driving the charity forward with her campaigns, arranging conferences and multi-agency work. As accredited trainer, she also regularly delivers training sessions across the South West and nationally. She chairs the Forced Marriage Working Group in Bristol, has featured on local and national radio and has also had published articles in local papers and the media. Sabeena is also a practising Solicitor and was a finalist at the national ‘Next 100 Years’ Inspirational Women in Law Awards 2020 and has previously won Bristol Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year for her work with The Sky Project. More recently in 2022, she was awarded a ‘True Honour’ Award from IKWRO. In addition, The Sky Project were finalists for the Bristol Life Awards and The Great British Business & Community Awards 2022.
Charlotte Gage has worked in the voluntary sector in the UK and internationally since 2004 with a focus on women’s rights, policy and human rights. She identifies as a feminist and has been involved in campaigning and influencing around various issues related to equality, discrimination and marginalisation. She has organised and run events and training and has been a keynote speaker and trainer on using domestic and international policy. In 2014 she completed an MSc at the LSE Gender Institute with a focus on debates around sexuality and gender identity. She then ran the Bristol Zero Tolerance initiative creating a city-wide response to address gender-based violence including delivering training on domestic abuse. She is now a consultant trainer for The Sky Project delivering their Forced Marriage and ‘Honour’ Based Abuse training.
Zara is a passionate advocate for women’s rights and equality. She is a full time Property Solicitor at Blaser Mills Law covering the London and Greater London area and has also volunteered for the Sky Project since 2013. She is currently the Fundraising and Volunteer Co-ordinator and also assists with general administration, house-keeping and marketing duties for the charity. In her spare time, Zara enjoys cooking, travel and spending time with friends and family.
Dr Farook Sarfraz is a qualified GP working in South Wales. As part of his medical school studies in Bristol in 2009 Farook led a project investigating potential forced marriage cases in Bristol and the South West from emerging Home Office research and reports. Farook founded The Sky Project and took it from inception, to its constitution and mission statement. He undertook independent research, training, and networking to build an identity and purpose for the charity and develop the training sessions we deliver today. Farook moved to Cardiff in 2018 as part of his GP training and has worked to spread the name and purpose of The Sky Project throughout the region. In his role as trustee and accredited trainee for the charity Farook has established firm links with local primary care networks and delivers training sessions regularly to a range of healthcare professionals. Farook is also a Safeguarding lead.
Get in touch
For further information, please contact The Sky Project: