Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2011 Winners Announced with Special Posthumous Awards to three Muslims killed during UK Riots
On the evening of 11th October, the winners of the Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2011 were announced by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP at an awards ceremony hosted at the Houses of Parliament.
The Young Muslim Beacon Awards, in its fourth year, is a project of the Youth Affairs Committee of the Muslim Council of Britain. The awards are designed to recognise the very best of projects and organisations working in our communities to help improve the lives of young Muslims locally, regionally and nationally.
The winners who came through stiff competition to triumph were Osmani Trust for the local category, Somali Youth Development Recourse Centre for the regional category and Charity Week UK for the national category.
The three judges deciding the winners after an open nomination process, were Farooq Murad (Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain), Neil Jameson (Executive Director of London Citizens) and James Cathcart (CEO of the British Youth Council).
The awards ceremony was jointly hosted by the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, Farooq Murad and Lord Sheikh of Cornhill with Chief Guest, The Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP presenting the awards. The ceremony celebrated and acknowledged the outstanding achievements of youth organisations in the presence of leading parliamentarians, diplomats, young Muslims, civic, community and religious leaders from across the country.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt. Hon. John Bercow MP said the awards are inspiring to the Muslim youth and showed that Muslims were a huge asset to Britain, “Britain is proud of Muslims. Your contributions to this country and your future potential should be championed and nurtured.”
Shadow Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Rt. Hon. Sadiq Khan MP also commended the winners calling on all to continue to work in communities to help young people through difficult economic times.
The evening also awarded Special Posthumous Awards to the three young Muslims who paid the ultimate sacrifice standing up to defend and protect their community from looters during riots in Birmingham, in August 2011. Haroon Jahan, Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir were honoured with an award for Model Citizenship. Receiving the awards Abdul Quddos, brother and Ghazanfar Ali, father of Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir thanked the MCB and said they were honoured to be keeping alive the memory of Shazad and Musavir.
Addressing the audience, the Attorney General, Rt. Hon. Dominic Grieves QC MP applauded the MCB for recognising the work of youth organisations and also paid tribute to the sacrifice of the three riot victims saying their families provided “moral leadership and exemplary mannerism” to the country. “They brought the country together and upheld the rule of law. All of us saw the riots tearing our communities apart but at the same time we were overwhelmingly impressed by the dignity of the victims’ families. The award given to them is recognition of their talent and participation in the civic life of Britain and they best deserve it”.
Sayid Ali, Deputy Overseas Development Manager at Al Muntada Trust, a leading charity in serving communities in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa, who sponsored the event said "We are delighted to have sponsored this outstanding event which gives much deserved recognition to members of our community. Al Muntada Trust congratulates all the winners and runner ups for what they have achieved".
In his keynote address, Farooq Murad, the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said “British Muslim youth are a very special group of people. They provide an important bridge between cultures and despite many challenges, from economic and social disadvantage to negative media portrayals in the form of Islamophobia, they are moving forward, thanks to some excellent work being done to engage and empower them to take their rightful place in Britain. It is essential that we recognise these efforts”.
[END]
Notes to Editors:
1. The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK's largest Muslim umbrella body with around 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools.
2. Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2011 is a project of the Youth Affairs Committee of MCB. There are only three winners each year and they are awarded solely on the basis of the application form they submitted. For more information visit: www.ymba.co.uk
3. Winning Organisations:
Local Winner – Osmani Trust is a youth and community organisation operating in the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Newham. The Trust delivers a wide range of educational, training, health and sporting initiatives tailored to the needs of the local community. It aims to provide a holistic service that helps people, particularly those living in disadvantaged urban communities, re-engage with mainstream society and improve their quality of life.
Regional Winner – Somali Youth Development Resource Centre was established in 2000 as a federation of five Somali organisations and operates London wide. The charity works to tackle underachievement in the Somali community providing a centre for young people from challenging backgrounds to achieve with help and assistance offered through a range of services.
National Winner – Charity Week UK is a student led project which mobilises young people in colleges and universities throughout the country to fundraise for various charities around the world. It results in young Muslims working together and last year students raised over £399,000 with £1.5million raised since its inception in 2003.
The other shortlisted nominees who were runners-up were Khidmah Organisation, Selfless and Muslim Youth Skills
5. For interviews with the winning organisations or picture requests email media@mcb.org.uk
6. We are grateful to Al Muntada Trust for their sponsorship, the Markfield Institute of Higher Education for their support and Dark Falcon Productions for their media services.
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2010
MCB CELEBRATES OUTSTANDING WORK OF YOUTH ORGANISATIONS – YOUNG MUSLIM BEACON AWARDS 2010
13 October 2010
On Monday 11October the Muslim Council of Britain held its third Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2010. The ceremony hosted at the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace of the House of Lords saw three organisations awarded for their outstanding contribution to young Muslims in the UK.
The winners who came through stiff competition to triumph were Positive Start for the Local category, Nida Trust for the Regional category and MADE in Europe for the National category.
The nominations were judged by a distinguished panel of three led by the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain FarooqMurad as well as Neil Jameson, Executive Director of London Citizens and James Carthcart, Chief Executive of the British Youth Council.
The ceremony saw over 150 young people come together including many of MCBs youth affiliates, representatives of faith communities, civil society organisations and others. Also in attendance were notable parliamentarians from across the House to celebrate the work of the successful youth organisations.
Lord Sheikh of Cornhill, Chairman of the Conservative Muslim Forum who hosted the event said `It is so brilliant to see the great work taking place. You are great role models for our country and I am honoured to join you in celebrating beacons of hope and inspiration for our country'.
Newly elected Labour MP for Glasgow Central, AnasSawar MP said `We face big challenges throughout the UK. We have chosen this country; our education matters to us, our good health service for our parents matters to us. And it matters to us that we have opportunities for our young people and this is something the MCB has always championed. Young people are the future and it is fantastic to see so many young faces. Now is your time to reach for the very best'.
Simon Hughes MP, the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats said `The future of Britain depends on young people, particularly in our minority ethnic and faith communities, seizing every opportunity to be the leaders of tomorrow. The reality is that Britain will be setting an example to the World if the next generation shows that no matter what your background, your faith, your class, your region, your geography, or your family history, you believe this is a society in a world worth working and contributing to.So the salute is to sisters and brothers in Islam in the younger generations. You are changing Britain, you are changing Britain for good, the country salutes you and this parliament of yours salutes you'.
Also in attendance were Baroness Uddin of Bethnal Green and Simon Danczuk MP.
Dr David Atkinson, Director of Development at The British Institute of Technology and E-commerce who sponsored the event said `We are delighted to be supporting this fantastic cause and I would like to send my heartfelt congratulations to the winners of these awards'.
Representatives of the three award winning organisations spoke of their delight and asked for support from all in their voluntary work for the good of the nation.
In his keynote address to the reception, Farooq Murad, the Secretary General of the MCB emphasised that excellence is very central to Islamic tradition and highlighted by the term 'Ihsan'. He said `This is what these awards are trying to encourage. They also encourage creativity in ideas and expand what we call good practice on how we can help young Muslims. It is through creative solutions that we can move forward. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees'.
[END]
Notes to Editors:
1. The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK's largest Muslim umbrella body with around 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools.
2. Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2010 is a project of the MCBs Youth Affairs Committee. There are only three winners each year and they are awarded solely on the basis of the application form they submitted.
3. Winners and Nominees:
Local winner Positive Start is a small local community organisations based in Rossendale, Lancashire which was established in the living room of their founder trustee. Positive Start hosts a wide range of activities for its local community with over fifty different activities delivered each year for young people.
Regional winner Nida Trust based in London runs a Leadership course for people of different faiths focusing on raising the aspirations and achievements of young people. It provides free skills and training with a specific focus on leadership development and has produced many successful individuals through its programme.
National winner MADE in Europe is a UK-Based NGO mobilising young Muslims to take a leading role in the fight against global poverty. The NGO provides overseas volunteering opportunities on issues such as maternal health, climate change and trade justice. MADE seeks to address the under-representation of the Muslim and ethnic minority communities within the sector and facilitate the recognition and contribution of faith in international development.
The other shortlisted nominees who narrowly missed out were Global Pindd, Unwind Summer School, and the Muslim Youth Helpline.
5. For interviews with any of the winners of the awards or picture requests email media@mcb.org.uk
6. The event was kindly sponsored by The British Institute of Technology and E-commerce and hosted by Lord Sheikh of Cornhill. The MCB Youth Affairs Committee is further grateful to Aliways for their media services.
For further information please contact the MCB:
The Muslim Council of Britain,
PO Box 57330,
London,
E1 2WJ
Tel: 0845 26 26 786
Fax: 0207 247 7079
media@mcb.org.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MuslimCouncil
Youtube: www.youtube.com/MuslimCouncil
2009
Muslim Council of Britain Celebrates Outstanding Youth Work: Announcing the Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2009
Wednesday 16 December 2009
The Muslim Council of Britain yesterday held their second Young Muslim Beacon Awards in a ceremony in Westminster. The Awards recognise those grassroots community organisations who inspire excellence in their work with young people.
The 2009 winners were the Leicestershire based-BUILD Development Project; the national student body the Federation of Students Islamic Societies (FOSIS), and the disability charity the RADAR Leadership Project.
In his commendation of the winners, the Awards' external judge Neil Jameson, Executive Director of London Citizens, said, `it is inspirational to see all the outstanding work that is happening. The winners have all carried out exceptional work. Their work is to be highly commended and will hopefully serve as examples to the rest of the country'.
The Awards were presented at Westminster House by MCB Secretary General Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, Lord Sheikh of Cornhill, Alistair Burt MP, Opposition Assistant Chief Whip and the Chair of the Department for Communities and Local Government Select Committee, Dr Phyllis Starkey MP. The ceremony was attended by over 100 of MCB's Affiliates, youth groups and civic society representative bodies from across the UK, which saw people from all backgrounds converge to celebrate the work of the three organisations receiving the awards.
Presenting the Awards Alistair Burt MP, Opposition Assistant Chief Whip said, `The Muslim Council of Britain wants to emphasise what their young people are doing and the contribution they are making to the nation arrives at the most important time in the development of our society. It's very, very important that everybody sees this and welcomes it, and I think this is the best counter to those who seek to separate and divide and you'll find us all standing shoulder to shoulder to defend our unity. I'm delighted to see this. It's a very important work that's being done. I'm very pleased to be here and I look forward to supporting this for many years to come'.
The Chair of the Department for Communities and Local Government Select Committee, Dr Phyllis Starkey MP said, `I think what the MCB's Youth Committee is doing in encouraging young people within the community is to reach out to the communities in Britain to play your full part as active citizens of this country. It is incredibly important as you are examples for your community and for the country as a whole'.
Representatives of the three award winning organisations spoke of their delight and asked for support from all in their voluntary work for the good of the nation.
In his keynote address to the reception, Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari emphasised the need to promote good work: `All too often the good work in our community is overshadowed by a tiny minority who do otherwise, and the negative portrayal from sections of the media and political class. I hope these awards serve as a reminder in highlighting the great work already taking place in our country. The winners have all made unique contributions to their localities and wider society at large'.
[END]
Notes to Editors:
1. The Muslim Council of Britain is the UK's largest Muslim umbrella body with around 500 affiliated national, regional and local organisations, mosques, charities and schools.
2. Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2009 is a project of the MCB's Youth Committee. There are only three winners each year and they are awarded solely on the basis of the application form they submitted.
3. The RADAR Leadership Project is part of a disability charity who ensure the training and development of young disabled Muslims to take part in civic and community activities. Leicestershire based BUILD Development Project work in madrassas (community schools) and community centres tackling issues such as crime and substance misuse with boys and girls; and the national student body the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) won for their sustained work and services over the decades to help Muslim students in the universities.
4. 2008 Young Muslim Beacon Award winners: Association of Muslim Researchers (AMR), Federation of Muslim Youth Organisations (Leicester), and PEACE in Youth Project.
5. The event was kindly sponsored by Helping Hands and by Lord Sheikh of Cornhill and Alistair Burt MP. The MCB Youth Committee is grateful to 'Invite Media' and 'Raylight Studios' for their media services.
For further information please contact the MCB:
The Muslim Council of Britain,
PO Box 57330,
London,
E1 2WJ
Tel: 0845 26 26 786
Fax: 0207 247 7079
media@mcb.org.uk
2008
The Young Muslim Beacon Awards 2008 aimed at recognising the work and achievements of 3 young Muslim organisations in the UK who have made a significant contribution to the lives of young Muslims in their comunities and inspiring other.
Attended by MCB's youth affiliates and youth organisations from across the UK, the awards ceremony was held at the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund in Westminster on Wednesday 29th October 2008 presided over by Mujibul Islam and Kawsar Zaman from the MCB's Youth Committee. After hundreds of applications and nominations were submitted, only 3 organisations were selected by the MCB panel which were presented to the winners by Chief Guest Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham, and the Deputy Secretary General of the MCB, Dr Daud Abdullah.
THE WINNERS OF THE YOUNG MUSLIM BEACONS AWARD 2008:
1. The Federation of Muslim Organisations Youth Awards, Lecister
The Federation of Muslim Organisations is an Umbrella Body of Muslim Groups in Leicestershire and Beyond. The Youth Awards were set up to celebrate the achievements of young Muslims to give them recognition, to provide positive role models to peers, as well as letting the wider society know of the many positives associated with young Muslims. Over 900 people attended the awards ceremony where a mixture of young and old, political, civic, economic and cultural representatives were present to honour successful people who have contributed to improving the lives of Young people in Leicester.
2. Association of Muslim Researchers, London
AMR is an organisation which works on strengthing family structures within the muslim community by carrying out intergenerational work. Their projects include organising events and activities which the whole family can attend and enjoy together: an example being a retreat which AMR every year where they take Muslim families to the country side and participate in activites such as canoeing, high ropes and rock climbing which are made accessible to all members of the family. Such activities pose opportunities for the whole family to interact and build on the relationships between the generations. AMR also hold workshops and interactive discussions on issues being faced by Muslim families in Britain; trying to open the communcation channels between parents and their children so that they can bridge the gaps that exist.
3. PEACE Youth Project, London
PEACE, which stands for Participate, Activate, Communicate, Empowerment and Equality, is a learning and development programme linking good youth work practice with examples and quotes from the holy Quran and Hadiths. As Islam means PEACE, it seemed a fitting title for a project aiming to prevent violent extremism. The project aims to:
• Counter negative imagery of Muslims and Islam.
• Enable Muslims to debate and question social and political issues;
• Promote understanding and acceptance of key shared values; and
• Promote Islamic awareness.
• Increase the resilience of key organisations and institutions and supporting early interventions, by identifying and supporting vulnerable groups
