When Bradford Hospitals Charity announced its first-ever official ambassador this week, the choice felt less like a new appointment and more like the formal recognition of a relationship years in the making.
Ishfaq Farooq, a Bradford-born entrepreneur and director of MyLahore and dessert brand Wunder Crumble, has been quietly supporting local hospitals for more than a decade – providing meals for staff, funding furniture for wards and backing patient care projects long before any title existed.
Now, as the charity enters a new phase of growth, Farooq will act as its public champion, embedding fundraising and awareness into the large-scale community events delivered by the MyLahore group.
Recent examples include Wunder Winterland, a festive attraction that drew many thousands of visitors and raised £1,500 for the charity. Future events will place Bradford Hospitals Charity at their core, turning popular gatherings into platforms for sustained community giving.
Initial fundraising will focus on the charity’s “Home from Home” appeal, which aims to build a kitchen and dining space for families whose premature or seriously ill babies are being treated at Bradford Royal Infirmary’s neonatal unit – a place to rest, eat and regain a sense of normality during long hospital stays.
“These events show how community-led initiatives can do more than entertain,” Farooq said. “They can create safe, inclusive spaces while supporting causes that matter.
“Bradford is my home. Our family has used these hospitals for generations. Bradford Teaching Hospitals isn’t just a service to us – it’s like family.”
Laura Riach, director of Bradford Hospitals Charity, said the appointment reflected years of commitment. “I couldn’t think of anyone better as our first ambassador. Ishfaq has been unbelievably generous for more than 10 years,” she said.
“We’re excited to work with him as we grow the charity and launch the Home from Home appeal, which will provide free accommodation and better facilities for families of babies in intensive care. It’s a cause very close to his heart.”
Bradford Hospitals Charity works alongside more than 8,000 NHS staff, funding equipment, research, services and spaces that fall outside NHS budgets but make a profound difference to patients and their families.
