RECOGNITION: Mohammed Amran BCAc receiving his Medal from Pat Egan, Group Exec Director of Affordable Housing, Places for People
RECOGNITION: Mohammed Amran BCAc receiving his Medal from Pat Egan, Group Exec Director of Affordable Housing, Places for People

Bradford community hero receives medal from the House of Lords

A charitable community leader has been recognised at the House of Lords after dedicating 25 years of his life to supporting the youth of Bradford.

40-year-old Mohammed Amran has been awarded for his commitment to working with local communities and setting up support networks across the city. His hard work and dedication earned him one of the country’s highest accolades – a British Citizen Award (BCA).

Launched in January 2015, the BCA recognises extraordinary achievements by everyday people who have made a positive difference to the lives of others that may otherwise have gone unnoticed.

Mohammed received his BCA Medal from Pat Egan of Places for People, one of the sponsors of the awards, at the Palace of Westminster on 7th July.  

Mohammed Amran said: “It’s such an honor being awarded a BCA for something that I’m so passionate about and has given me so much joy over the years. Helping people in my area and giving back has been a main priority for me because I understand how hard it is growing up in the inner city. I can’t wait to celebrate this award with the other medalists who have done so much for their communities as well.”

Pat Egan, Group Executive Director of Affordable Homes at Places for People, said: “The British Citizen Awards offers us a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate the UK’s unsung heroes who are making such a positive contribution. Mohammed’s dedication and commitment to charity is inspirational and I was delighted to present him with this award- he’s a truly deserving winner.”

Mohammed has been involved in his community ever since he was a young boy. At the age of 22 he was appointed commissioner for The Commission for Racial Equality, making him the youngest person to ever hold the position. Growing up in inner city Bradford, Mohammed was exposed to high levels of unemployment, poverty and crime.

During the Bradford disturbances in 1995 and 2001, where rioting turned into an ethnic-related disturbance, Mohammed was on the front line of the conflict resolution efforts and actively encouraged young people to have open and honest dialogue with the West Yorkshire Police Service.

He set up the Young People’s Forum in a bid to create allow young community members to meet up and discuss any issues in the area and create project ideas for fundraising. The initiative empowered youngsters who had lacked confidence in the authorities and were reluctant to come forward.

Among the many charities that Mohammed supports, he is also one of the founders of the Bradford Youth Development Partnership (BYDP) which serves to keep young people out of trouble and prepare them to become professionals.
Mohammed has fundraised for The Prince’s Trust, Macmillan Cancer Relief, Yorkshire Air Ambulance, to name a few, single-handedly raising more than £500,000 in total.