December 21st saw the first ever national award ceremony for Muslim mental health practitioners in London, UK. Taking place at the Maryam Centre at East London Mosque, the ceremony celebrated the achievements of eight mental health professionals within the Muslim community across the UK. The event was organised by Penny Appeal’s leading educational project, Alif Institute and hosted by the British Islamic Psychotherapy and Counselling Association (BIPCA).
The 8 winners are as follows:
- The Aisha Utz Award for outstanding work on research was awarded to Amna Choudry from Salford, who works at Strangeways prison in Manchester assessing people convicted for life on the likelihood of becoming re-offenders.
- The Mary Calkins Award for outstanding work on mental health advocacy was awarded to Fatima Khasimi from London, a community chaplain for the past 32 years, she has been doing some outstanding work in the community offering pastoral, religious and spiritual care to many of all faiths and various backgrounds.
- The Al-Rumi Award for outstanding work in spirituality was awarded to Mohammed Ullah from Manchester, chaplain of Manchester metropolitan university. He counsels students on faith-based matters and university life. He also guides students on challenging situations and exploring deeper questions on life.
- The Al-Razi Award for outstanding community work was awarded to Sultan Hatab from London, founder and CEO of the Afiyah Project and young mental health activist who hopes to remove the stigma associated to mental health in south Asian communities.
- The Anna Freud Award for outstanding work with children was awarded to Khalida Haque from Birmingham, a counselling psychotherapist, clinical supervisor and group facilitator. She is also the founding director of Khair therapeutic.
- The Ibn-Sina Award for outstanding work in academia was awarded to Sytske Mulder from London, a consultant psychiatrist. She believes that empowering her patients by paying careful attention to them is necessary for their recovery. She believes in combining this approach with the latest medical research in the area of psychology and psychiatry.
- The Al-Ghazzali Award for outstanding teaching was awarded to Yunus Mohamed from Bolton, an Islamic Studies teacher who has a long-standing history of outstanding teaching and positive engagement with his students.
- The Al-Balkhi Award for outstanding work in the workplace was awarded to Safiyyah Sultana from London, founder and director at Sakinah Counselling. She is a qualified psychotherapist and supervisor.
Alif Institute operate on a not for profit basis offering the leading service for Islamic Counselling. BIPCA is the professional association for members of the counselling and mental health profession within the Muslim community in the UK. The vision of BIPCA is to empower individuals so that they can contribute and empower communities.
When asked about why this event is so important, Marzuqa Karima, Project Manager of Alif Institute and BIPCA said “It is to recognise the crucial work of our mental health practitioners, and the positive impact it is having on the population’s mental wellbeing”.
