This month we had a chance to sit down with our new CEO, Aamer Chaudhry. We explored his initial experience of MYH, his background and the future for MYH.
Read on below to find out more.
What is your professional background
After completing a degree in Electronic Engineering I worked in the automotive and aerospace engineering sector for over 7 years.
Having been involved in a number of charity projects in my spare time, I was then blessed with the opportunity to work in the Muslim Charity sector for the last 5 years. I have also enjoyed working with a number of different charities as a volunteer: helping with events, management, fundraising and content creation.
What was the motivation for you to enter the Third (charity) Sector?
My main motivation was to simply serve others. This is a core principle in Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasised its importance in the hadith, which connects the act of selfless service to a profound spiritual reward.
“The most beloved of people to Allah is the one who is most beneficial to people.” (At-Tabarani)
It’s a beautiful principle that I try to live by and what better way than to be a part of organisations that serve the Muslim community.
It’s been 3 months now, how are you finding the role with MYH?
MYH has a unique value proposition for the British Muslim community. The work that the charity does is varied in terms of projects and partnerships that we are involved with, and it is amazing to see the number of different collaborators working together in the Muslim mental health space.
The role is varied, I have met so many interesting people who are working at the community level all the way up to policy level, trying to fill the gap of faith, sensitive care for the Muslim community.
Has anything stood out for you yet?
I’d say two things, the calls and the volunteers that take them!
As I was reading through some of the post chat feedback, one comment in particular stood out. A user who had taken steps towards taking their own life, had decided to “log in and chat” to MYH. After speaking to one of our amazing team, they commented, “She saved me… I’m eternally grateful”.
It reminded me of the well known words from Surah Al-Ma’idah,
“…whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.”
However what has impressed me the most is our amazing volunteers and helpline team and their continued dedication! The contributions and impact have been invaluable to young Muslims across the UK.
I feel so fortunate to be a part of MYH, where we have the opportunity to save lives, to serve our community and ultimately earn the pleasure of Allah swt.
What do you see as the main issues affecting Muslim Youth in the UK?
The main issues affecting the youth that we serve in the UK are centred around religious advice, mental health, and family problems. A significant number of young people seek guidance on their faith and spirituality, often feeling unable to discuss these topics openly due to shame or fear of judgment. Along with this, mental health concerns, including both diagnosed conditions and general feelings of anxiety and depression, are popular topics amongst our callers who face long wait times for professional support, that don’t always meet their needs.
What’s the future for MYH?
Over the coming years we are hoping to implement the long term strategy set out in 2024, while being flexible and adaptable to the needs of our service users. The way we want to do this is by expanding services beyond the helpline to support young people interested in mental health careers and amplify youth voices by establishing a Youth Advisory Board to guide our initiatives. Additionally, MYH aims to increase community engagement by partnering with religious and community organisations to expand reach and improve resources for mental health support.
How is MYH Funded?
We have three main funding sources:
Grants from other charitable organisations: These grants can be a significant part of the budget, often coming from foundations or trusts that align with our mission to support the community.
Public donations: This includes both one-time and recurring donations from individuals. This public support is a vital source of income, as it allows us to operate independently and directly provides the resources needed to deliver your services.
General fundraising: This covers a wide range of activities, from fundraising events and online campaigns to corporate partnerships. This helps generate public awareness and engagement while also bringing in essential funds.
Saying this we are at a point where we really need an uplift from the British Muslim community to really get behind projects like MYH, because at the end of the day the callers are our children and we need to support them. Especially when other interventions are sometimes not effective as they aren’t faith sensitive.
What do you do in your spare time?
I have children Alhumdulilah (All praise is to Allah), so I don’t have spare time! No I’m joking I have a number of different personal interests including playing League Hockey, I currently play for Old Silhillians Hockey Club, playing football socially and making the perfect (according to me) Karak Chai.
Anything else you’d like to relay to our audience?
I’d like to partner with and understand what others are doing in the sector, if you’re involved in a youth mental health project then reach out! Also if you have any other suggestions for improvements, email us on info@myh.org.uk.
A final request from me, please keep MYH in your duas as we enter this new chapter, I pray Allah (swt) allows us to continue serving our community for decades to come!