A mum who has dedicated herself to tackling food waste and helping local residents access food has been recognised with a Pride of Britain Award. Raihaanah Ahmed is the founder of St Albans Community Pantry, an innovative volunteer-led initiative established in 2020 to help people in her community access nutritious, good-quality food in a dignified way. The charity now supports around 600 people every week, with volunteers playing a vital role in collecting, sorting and redistributing food to local residents. The initiative goes beyond food distribution, offering community meals to tackle social isolation, doorstep deliveries for the most vulnerable and community fridge sessions to reduce food waste. Raihaanah was surprised with the Pride of Britain Award in recognition of her work and the difference the pantry has made to the local community. She was quick to make clear that the achievement belonged to the entire team. "I couldn't do it alone because it's impossible to impact 600 people a week on my own. That's just physically impossible," Raihaanah said. "It is 100% a team effort and this award is shared." Speaking about what inspired her work, Raihaanah explained how her Islamic faith emphasises the importance of caring for the environment and serving others. "As Muslims we know our environment is an Amanah (trust), when I learnt of the daily food waste I saw an opportunity to take an easy action to safeguard the planet for further generations and to serve our community’s current needs. "In facilitating food aid, I am doing what every Muslim does daily - our religion guides us to be intuitively hospitable and think of others with every step we take." Raihaanah’s award highlights the impact of community-led initiatives and how people working together can make a meaningful difference to their communities while reducing food waste. May Allah reward Raihaanah and all the volunteers for their efforts in serving others and caring for our environment. Ameen.

The 27-year-old man who saved 18 children by jumping onto a moving school bus and bringing it safely to a stop after the driver suffered a medical emergency has revealed that a verse from the Qur’an inspired his heroic actions. Ebro Ahmed told The Guardian that the verse, “Whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity,” came to mind when he decided to intervene on Monday. He added: “I didn’t do it for me. It was selflessness in the name of God.” May Allah bless him!