Rahat will be promoting the good work of British Asian Trust, which is focused on alleviating poverty in South Asia.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has been announced as the ambassador of the British Asian Trust by Prince Charles.
The announcement was made at the fourth annual dinner of the trust at the Guildhall, London, Prince Charles, who is the president of the trust, announced Rahat’s appointment as ambassador.
The British Asian Trust was founded in 2007 by the Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and focuses on alleviating poverty in South Asia.
The singer also joined forces with performer Naughty Boy and gave a performance at the annual dinner.
The maestro is very honoured to be given the title and hopes this will be his chance to give back to the community.
To date, the British Asian Trust has positively impacted the lives of over 3 million people in South Asia, and the gala dinner will mark the beginning of a special year that will focus on four key areas to transform the future of South Asia – Education, Anti-trafficking, Livelihoods and Mental Health/Disability.
The event will be a vehicle to highlight positive change and unlock the philanthropic potential of the night’s guests, which will include leading names in British and international business, enterprise and philanthropy, as well as celebrities from the world of film, TV, music and sports. Ambassador and trustee, British TV and radio presenter Nihal Arthanayake will host the special evening for 450 supporters, including Priti Patel MP, Secretary of State for International Development, and ambassadors.
Richard Hawkes, CEO, British Asian Trust said: “We are looking forward to another fantastic annual gala dinner for our friends and supporters. The evening will give us an opportunity to discuss and share our plans for 2017 as well as reflect on our achievements from last year. The New Year will give us new focus and we are looking across the key sectors of education, anti-trafficking, livelihoods and mental health / disabilities in our overall campaign to transform the Future of South Asia.”
International Development Secretary Priti Patel said: “This is an important opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate the vital role diaspora communities play in reducing global poverty.
“My own Department recently supported the British Asian Trust’s ‘Give a Girl a Future’ appeal by match funding public donations to help 50,000 women and girls in Pakistan master the technical skills and business know-how they need to secure steady jobs. Together, we can continue to lift thousands of people out of poverty.”
The British Asian Trust supports the development of a South Asia that maximises the potential of its people, and that is free from inequality and injustice. The coming year will see a focus on education to enable children to achieve better learning outcomes; anti-trafficking, protecting the welfare of children and young people; women’s economic empowerment; rural livelihoods, connecting farmers to markets to earn a sustainable living and mental health/disability, providing inclusive care and support for better mental and physical health.
Last year’s star-studded event raised a staggering £900,000 for development in South Asia and saw celebrities including music moguls Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh, pop star Leona Lewis, model Neelam Gill and British Asian Trust ambassadors Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Naughty Boy and Gurinder Chadha attend to support the Trust.
