A SELFLESS volunteer from Cardiff has been recognised by Their Majesties The King and The Queen Consort as part of the official Coronation celebrations in conjunction with Royal Voluntary Service.
Mo Alamgir, who has been volunteering for more than 14 years for the Muslim Council of Wales and Dar-Ul-Isra Mosque, is one of 29 volunteers from Wales and 500 nationally to have been recognised for their contribution and crowned a Coronation Champion. This follows a call out to the nation to nominate their volunteer heroes. Almost 5000 nominations were made nationally for individuals aged 14 up to 103.
Mo, aged 41, is the driving force behind numerous community and youth projects for the Muslim Council of Wales. This includes running iLEAD, a free programme empowering young adults to develop their soft skills and enhance their understanding of Islam. Many iLEAD graduates have since become leaders of the community.
At Dar Ul Isra Mosque, Mo is a vital link for those seeking to learn about the Muslim religion. He has spearheaded a number of events for the wider community to participate in and which provide a chance to embrace differences. Attendees have included business leaders and headteachers, who have applied their learnings in their organisations. In November 2022, Mo and his team also organised Wales’ first ever Careers Fair specifically for Black and Minority Ethnic job seekers – attracting over 50 Welsh employers and more than 600 job seekers.
Mo impressed judges with his dedication to uplifting the community and his immeasurable impact, all achieved whilst running his own global tech recruitment consultancy.
With the support of Her Majesty The Queen Consort, a passionate advocate of volunteering and President of Royal Voluntary Service, the Coronation Champions Awards were launched to recognise exceptional volunteers from across the country at this momentous point in history. Across the UK, 500 Champions dazzled the judging panel with the impact of their work, their inspirational stories and unwavering commitment to volunteering.
All Coronation Champions, including Mohammed have now been invited to attend one of the official Coronation celebrations, such as the Windsor Castle Coronation Concert or a Coronation Garden Party. They will also receive a specially designed, official Coronation Champions pin and a certificate signed by Their Majesties.
Commenting on becoming a Coronation Champion, Mo Alamgir said: “I am very humbled to become a Coronation Champion and very grateful to have been nominated. As a Muslim, volunteering is something that is deeply ingrained in us – we serve our God by serving our community.”
“I started to volunteer because I felt blessed by God. I felt embarrassed to be blessed with success and give nothing back to my community. It is so important to me that Black and Minority Ethnic communities have the same access as their white counterparts and I want to see a Wales that is representative across all sectors. To do this we need impactful social change. That can only be achieved by volunteers like me and countless others at a grassroots level who truly understand the community and its needs.”
“I’m really looking forward to the Coronation. My father, Samsu, is a huge Royalist, we grew up with a framed photo of Prince Charles in our hallway and as I’m allowed to take a guest to the Garden Party, I asked my father to be my plus one. We are both very excited.”
The Coronation Champions Awards invited people across the UK to nominate their local volunteering heroes who are going the extra mile. Nominations were made across eight award categories; supporting older people; supporting young people and children; crisis and welfare; community; sports, culture, and heritage; health and care; sustainability and the environment; and animal welfare.
Catherine Johnstone CBE, Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service said: “We were completely blown away by the response to the Community Champions Awards and the huge volume of amazing nominees put forward. Our judges had a tough job selecting just 500 Champions from an array of thousands of inspirational individuals, who all deserve to be recognised and commended. “
“Each of our Coronation Champions displayed a commitment and contribution that far exceeds any expectation and we’re overjoyed to honour and thank them during this exciting point in history.”
Royal Voluntary Service is immensely grateful for the generous support of brand partners Simplyhealth, for supporting the Health and Care category, Sky through its Sky Cares programme, for supporting the Community category and Petplan, for supporting the Animal Welfare category.
Those feeling inspired to try volunteering themselves are encouraged to take part in The Big Help Out on Monday 8th May. The Big Help Out is another official Coronation project, aiming to encourage newcomers to volunteering, bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation weekend.
Royal Voluntary Service is one of Britain’s largest volunteering charities with volunteers supporting the NHS and thousands of vulnerable people in the community. The charity delivers the NHS Volunteer Responders programme for NHS England, enabled by the GoodSAM app, with volunteers responding to over 2.5 million requests for help to support approximately 200,000 people, and completing over 363,000 shifts at vaccination sites. The charity also works in local communities running home libraries, companionship support, home from hospital services and patient transport. Its Virtual Village Hall provides online activities and classes to promote wellbeing and keep people active.
