Diversity champion in running for top award

Man of the year finalist Muzahid Khan

A tireless community worker from Oldham has been nominated for the Man of the Year title at the North-West Fusion awards.

Muzahid Khan will join some of the region’s most dedicated community workers and business people at Ewood Park in Blackburn on May 22.

The awards celebrate unsung heroes from all walks of life and their contribution to their various communities.

Mr Khan (40), who is married with two children, is well known for setting up Oldham’s award-winning Festival of Diversity, and his voluntary work has already resulted with a meeting with the Queen in 1998, then Tony Blair in 2000.

He was a member of the Asian Scanner Appeal, which helped to raise money for the Royal Oldham Hospital’s MR scanner.

He previously worked as a community safety officer with Oldham Council, but is now a project director for the Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Forum, which provides a voice for the voluntary sector in those regions.

He is currently organising a cycle ride in Bangladesh, from where his family originates, to raise money for a new health centre.

Mr Khan said: “It’s nice to be nominated. It surprised me.” His voluntary work goes back to 1991 when he helped to found the Oldham Bangladeshi Youth Association, and he has been involved with the Peshkar Theatre Company.

Now he mainly mentors young people and up and coming entrepreneurs, giving them help and leadership advice.

His week-long cycle ride in October, with a group of colleagues, will raise money for a free primary care health centre for the village where his parents come from, as the nearest one is 25 kilometres away.

The other Fusion finalists are Preston-based muscular dystrophy sufferer Kamran Ahmed, who volunteers five hours a day at his local community centre; Mahuq Hussain from Nelson, who has worked on many community cohesion projects in his local community and Father Michael Walters of the Burnley-based Building Bridges project.

There are also awards for woman of the year, community, public service and voluntary workers, and entrepreneur of the year.

The awards are sponsored by Lancashire County and Blackburn with Darwen Councils, the University of Central Lancashire, local solicitors, Blackburn Cathedral and other organisations.