Long-standing relationship recognised at London awards
The close working partnership between East Hampshire District Council and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has been recognised at a prestigious awards ceremony at the Houses of Parliament.
Collaboration on the annual Charity Walk for Peace, currently held in Whitehill & Bordon, and on the Jalsa Salana convention, also held in the district, saw EHDC announced as 'Best Council' at Thursday’s Mercy4Mankind Awards.
Cllr Catherine Clark, EHDC Chairman, collected the award on behalf of the council and picked up a personal award for her long-standing civic service and her contribution to the charity work run by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community locally and regionally.
She said: “I am thrilled that EHDC’s strong partnership with the Ahamadiyya Muslim Community has been recognised with this award.
“We at EHDC know the wholehearted commitment the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community brings to helping others through charity work and fundraising.
“Through the Charity Walk for Peace we have raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes in this district, directly benefiting the people of East Hampshire.
“And we are proud to say that East Hampshire is home to the Jalsa Salana convention, an event of international significance.
“It is fantastic to work alongside the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and I am honoured to see they have recognised our contributions in this way.”
Hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA), the event was organised to honour the national and regional partnerships with charities and organisations around the country, from local authorities to national charities such as Marie Curie.
The AMYA is an auxiliary body of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, a religious and charitable Muslim organisation, with more than 10,000 members spread across 140 chapters in the UK.
This year, it has raised £280,000 for charities, donated 14,000kg to food banks, provided 1.5 million meals, and dedicated 25,000 volunteer hours to community service.
With initiatives like Mercy4Mankind, the AMYA aims to engage in humanitaran projects, empower the youth, form partnerships with charities, and contribute to promote unity, peace and tolerance around the UK.