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Associated Press
01-07-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Syed Muhammad Faisal Sami Honored as ‘Humanitarian of the Year' at Influencer Magazine Awards 2025
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, July 1, 2025 / / -- In recognition of an extraordinary legacy of compassion, resilience, and global service, Syed Muhammad Faisal Sami has been awarded 'Humanitarian of the Year' at the Influencer Magazine Awards 2025 (Organised by Influencer Magazine UK ). As the UK Head of the Faizan Global Relief Foundation (FGRF), the charitable wing of Dawat-e-Islami, Syed has spent more than two decades on the frontlines of humanitarian efforts delivering life-saving aid, building sustainable systems, and transforming lives across continents. From the flood zones of Pakistan to the war-torn streets of Gaza and the earthquake-hit communities of Morocco and Turkey, Syed has led urgent, high-impact relief missions that respond within hours of disaster. Under his leadership, FGRF has distributed emergency food, clean water, medical care, and shelter to hundreds of thousands of individuals. Beyond crisis response, his long-term development projects have laid the foundation for a better future in countries like Malawi, Tanzania, The Gambia, and South Africa, where FGRF has helped build schools, housing, and water infrastructure for the most vulnerable. 'I am deeply humbled to receive the Humanitarian of the Year Award 2025,' said Syed Muhammad Faisal Sami. 'This honour is not mine alone—it belongs to every volunteer of FGRF and Dawat-e-Islami who tirelessly give their time, energy, and heart to serve humanity. It also belongs to those silent supporters behind the scenes whose generosity makes these life-changing projects possible. Above all, I dedicate this award to the founder of Dawat-e-Islami and my spiritual guide, Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat, Maulana Ilyas Qadri. Whatever good has come from my efforts is a reflection of his teachings, guidance, and the mission he ignited in us all.' At home in the West Midlands, UK, Syed's humanitarian efforts are equally powerful. Through grassroots programs focused on youth empowerment, community safety, and prisoner rehabilitation, he has become a leading figure in the fight against knife crime, drug abuse, and exploitation. His mentorship, educational talks, and support systems have offered countless young people real alternatives to violence and helped incarcerated individuals re-enter society with dignity and purpose. Syed's commitment to environmental stewardship is another pillar of his mission. Through FGRF-led tree-planting initiatives, he has overseen the addition of thousands of trees to local communities, proving that humanitarian work also means investing in the planet and future generations. His service has earned widespread recognition. Syed has been honored with the British Citizen Award at the Palace of Westminster, named UK Volunteer of the Year by Charity Today, and recognized by the West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner. His accolades also include the Community Champion of the Year at the Birmingham Awards, the High Sheriff of West Midlands Award, the Frontline Leader Award, and his inclusion in the 50 out of 50 Champions list cementing his status as one of the region's most impactful changemakers. Whether responding to crises abroad or nurturing change at home, Syed Muhammad Faisal Sami has dedicated his life to service that heals and inspires. His impact reaches far beyond emergency relief, it touches hearts, builds stronger communities, and restores dignity where it's needed most. Honoring him as 'Humanitarian of the Year' is more than a recognition, it's a celebration of the hope he brings to the world. Paul Hebert Influencer Magazine UK +1 402-598-0367 email us here Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
The Independent
24-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
‘We've gone from helping earthquake and flooding victims to clearing up Birmingham's bin bags'
A charity that usually responds to global natural disasters has now turned its attention to clearing the streets of Birmingham amid the ongoing bin strike. Aston-based Faizan Global Relief Foundation (FGRF) has previously responded to flooding in Pakistan and earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco by sending over supplies. But now its volunteers are working into the early hours to clean up the towering piles of black bags left because of the seven-week strike. Volunteer at FGRF Muhammad Wasim is a senior IT engineer by day but has dedicated his spare time to clearing the waste. While saying the clean-up wasn't the charity's usual line of work, he stressed that it is a 'public health hazard' and the charity needed to step up. 'We normally respond to various disasters... but we also do a lot of work to tackle UK child poverty and helping people in the community get health checks,' he told The Independent. 'Now the biggest issue in Birmingham with these bin strikes is the black bags that are not being picked up.' A major incident was declared by Birmingham City Council on 31 March, which allowed the authority to increase the availability of street cleaning, with an extra 35 vehicles and crews. But the bin strike has been ongoing due to a dispute between the council and Unite the union over pay and job security. Mr Wasim said the team has seen the odd rat and mouse coming out of bin bags and said the sheer volume of rubbish is stopping people from leaving their homes. He added: 'There have been some areas we have gone to and the bin bags are literally blocking the pavement. 'We feel sorry for the people living there because obviously it stops them from going out because there are so many bags piled up.' Mr Wasim said the charity was working with private companies to dispose of the rubbish. Over the past two weeks the charity has already collected hundreds of black bags, thanks to the group of dedicated volunteers. 'The volunteers work eight to 12-hour shifts at their regular jobs and then dedicated their evenings to supporting the city, volunteering six-plus hours and then spending the bank holiday Friday also supporting the community. It is absolutely amazing the dedication we have,' Mr Wasim said. One volunteer, Qumar Iqbal, who works as a professional driver, said: "I was concerned by the litter and unpleasant odours I encountered while working across the city on a daily basis since the strikes began. 'Motivated to make a difference, I volunteered my time and was proud to witness the positive changes and the uplifting impact it had on Birmingham's residents." One resident from Sparkbrook in south-east Birmingham who gave his name as Sohail said his bags hadn't been collected in more than two weeks, and it was becoming a 'big concern'. 'One night, I saw the volunteers outside with a van and cleaning the street and approached them. They kindly took my household rubbish, which was such a relief and made me really happy,' he said. It comes as Shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Alex Burghart, warned of 'Rats the size of dachshunds terrifying the local residents.' He said the huge rats spotted scurrying though waste has prompted fears the piling rubbish could result in a surge in rodent-borne diseases. Union officials have said the end of the bin strike is in 'touching distance'.
BBC News
24-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Birmingham bin strike: Disaster relief volunteers collect rubbish
A Birmingham charity which supports those affected by global natural disasters has turned its attention to clearing the city's rubbish amid an ongoing bin Faizan Global Relief Foundation (FGRF) usually responds to disasters such as flooding in Pakistan and earthquakes in Syria, sending over supplies to aid relief since the strike began on 11 March, volunteers have been working into the night to remove uncollected waste piling up on Birmingham's Wasim from FGRF said he never expected the time would come when he would be collecting bin bags but it was important that community groups "stepped up". Mr Wasim told BBC Radio WM that volunteers had been working 12 hour shifts in their personal jobs before returning home and then going straight back out to collect rubbish building up on the side of roads, sometimes working until 03:30 to 04:00 BST the next day."It's been really great work from them, I cannot thank them enough," he said."Because we are part of a religious organisation, one thing that really inspired us to do this is the Prophet Muhammad mentions that cleanliness is half of your faith so that's what really motivated some of our volunteers to step up and help the city." Mr Wasim, who works as a senior IT network security engineer in his day job, said volunteers had been working with private-based companies to dispose of the rubbish, and while they had witnessed "many rats and mice", things were starting to look better."For the last week or so we have seen a huge amount of improvement, especially scenes of rubbish piling up, we haven't seen that for the last week or so."In the House of Commons on Tuesday, Jim McMahon, local government minister, said Birmingham City Council had the situation "in hand", adding at least 26,000 tonnes of rubbish had been removed from city streets and "regular bin collections had resumed" despite disruption caused by the strike. Birmingham City Council declared a major incident on 31 allowed the authority to increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tipping removal, with an extra 35 vehicles and the dispute between the council and Unite the Union over pay and the cutting of the Waste Recycling and Collection Officers (WRCO) role are due to resume next week. Why are Birmingham bin workers on strike?How much do bin workers get paid? FGRF Volunteer Qumar Iqbal, who works as a driver in his professional capacity, said he was "motivated" to make a difference after encountering litter and "unpleasant odours" while working across the city."I volunteered my time and was proud to witness the positive changes and the uplifting impact it had on Birmingham's residents," he Suleman, who represents the Hall Green North ward on Birmingham City Council, thanked the volunteers on said: "Many of these volunteers have jobs to get to the next morning yet they still show up, night after night, driven by a deep love for our community. "That kind of selfless dedication deserves to be recognised and celebrated." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
