Wakefield charity shortlisted in the British Muslim Awards

The Penny Appeal, from Wakefield, will learn its fate on Wednesday night in an awards ceremony which recognises a wide range of achievements in the Muslim community.

The Wood Street based charity is up for two awards as Haroon Mota, its fundraising manager in the Midlands, is a finalist in the ‘Muslims in the community’ category. He has helped raise more than half a million pounds for the Penny Appeal’s 30 unique programmes, which include sponsoring orphans, building water wells and responding to the ongoing refugee crisis.

Penny Appeal chief executive officer (CEO) Aamer Naeem said: “It is always wonderful to be recognised for the work that we do, both in the UK and abroad. The team as a whole are thrilled to be nominated and Haroon in particular well deserves the attention this nomination puts on all his efforts for those less fortunate in the world.”

The charity’s work has grown considerably since it started in 2009. It has launched many new campaigns and work in even more crisis-hit countries including Syria, The Gambia and Gaza. Its projects comprise a mixture of emergency support and both short and long term relief aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty.

The CEO added: “We make giving to charity affordable and easy. We ask people to donate whatever they can, often a few pennies a day, and with this small change we can make a big difference.”

In recent years, The Penny Appeal has grown its aid work closer to home. It works with the disadvantaged and vulnerable, like the homeless and victims of domestic abuse.