Hand in Hand for Syria won the top award at last night’s inaugural Muslim Charity Awards for its work in Syria.
The Muslim Charities Forum Humanitarian Awards took place in London to celebrate the contribution the sector makes.
Hand in Hand for Syria won the charity of the year award for its work in Syria, which includes building an underground hospital that will be protected from bombings. The charity said it was "overjoyed" to win.
We're overjoyed to have won Charity Of The Year at the #MuslimCharityAwards - thanks for all your support!
— Hand in Hand 4 Syria (@hands4Syr) February 22, 2017
Ahead of the awards MCF revealed that its 17 members were collectively responsible for raising over £162m last year and that British Muslim volunteers give 29 years of time towards charity every year.
Former international development secretary Clare Short, who was one of the judges, said the standard was high.
“There were lots of wonderful applications and we couldn’t give awards for all,” she said.
She added that it’s important for others to “stand with” the Muslim charity sector.
“If everyone stands together it’s much more difficult” to attack the sector, she said.
Jehangir Malik, trustee of MCF, paid tribute to the organisation’s founder and chair, Hany El-Banna, for having “the vision that has brought us all here today”.
Speaking afterwards, El Bana, said that partnership and collaboration were key to improving.
“We are going to fight terrorism and radicalism through compassion, love, care and communication,” he said.
Other awards
- Small charity of the year – Sufra
- Most impactful international programme – Muslim Charity
- Most impactful domestic programme – Human Appeal
- Fundraising campaign of the year – Penny Appeal
- Charity partnership of the year – Al Imdaad Foundation
- Corporate partnership of the year – Global One
- Advocacy campaign of the year – Islamic Releif
- Volunteer of the year – Zakariya Sharif Nur (volunteering for MADE)
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