December 21st sees 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 celebrates the achievements of eight mental health professionals within the Muslim community. The event is organised by Penny Appeal’s leading educational project, Alif Institute and hosted by the British Islamic Psychotherapy and Counselling Association (BIPCA).
The 8 award categories named after influential trailblazers are as follows:
- The Aisha Utz Award for outstanding work on research
- The Al-Ghazzali Award for outstanding teaching
- The Al-Balkhi Award for outstanding work in the workplace
- The Anna Freud Award for outstanding work with children
- The Ibn-Sina Award for outstanding work in academia
- The Al-Rumi Award for outstanding work in spirituality
- The Al-Razi Award for outstanding community work
- The Mary Calkins Award for outstanding work on mental health advocacy and last but not least
- The Lady Zainab Cobbold Award which is sponsored by Dome Tours. The winner will be given the opportunity to be involved in an exciting project looking at the experience of mental health whilst performing Hajj/Umrah and also author an article surrounding the same topic.
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”.
For more information about the National Muslim Mental Health Awards, to purchase tickets or to nominate someone you know, visit www.bipca.org.uk.
