Islamic Relief Worldwide appoints Tufail Hussain as its new Director of Islamic Relief UK

International aid and development charity, Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) has appointed Tufail Hussain, as the new Director of Islamic Relief UK.

Tufail has been the charity’s interim UK Director for the last six months and before that, was the Deputy Director and Head of Fundraising of the Charity. He is also a Trustee at the Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) and on the Board of TIC International Ltd, IRW’s textile recycling operation.

He has over 14 years’ experience in the humanitarian sector coupled with extensive experience in marketing and campaign management. He has travelled extensively around the world raising awareness of major emergencies such as the Syrian crisis and the floods in Pakistan.

Under his leadership as interim Director, Islamic Relief experienced significant growth in UK income and developed successful community partnerships.

Before Islamic Relief UK, Tufail was Chief Executive Officer at a leading charity specialising in helping vulnerable children. The charity, which supports thousands of children around the world, saw its income grow from £2 million to over £9 million in three years under his leadership.

Naser Haghamed, CEO of Islamic Relief Worldwide, said:

“Many congratulations to Tufail on his appointment to this strategically important role and to the senior management team of Islamic Relief Worldwide. He brings great energy and a wealth of community contacts and sector experience to this role. He can be assured of my personal support and backing to further increase the impact and effectiveness of our work in the UK and our fundraising for the global Islamic Relief family.

“The Islamic Relief story began in the UK, with a donation of 20p in response to the famine in Ethiopia in 1984. Our global family now has a presence in over 40 countries and we have assisted more than 117 million people, but our international office is still in the UK, and the majority of our income still comes from the UK.

“I look forward to working with Tufail to further build our community profile and strengthen our relationships with key partners such as the Department for International Development and the Disasters Emergency Committee.”

Tufail Hussain, Director of Islamic Relief UK, said:

“I am delighted to be leading the largest Muslim charity in the UK. In its 35-year history, Islamic Relief has helped more than 117 million people across the world, and I am proud to help continue this legacy.

“We are determined to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and diseases worldwide and provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. We also want to reach out to wider communities for their support.

“This Ramadan, Islamic Relief delivered food to around one million people across the world, thanks to generous supporters. We will continue to channel this generosity to some of the most remote areas in the world in places such as Syria and Yemen.”

ENDS

For more information, please contact Jonaid Jilani, Press and PR Manager at Islamic Relief UK, on 0207 593 3244, or email [email protected]

Notes for Editors

• Islamic Relief is an independent humanitarian and development organisation, which has been transforming and saving lives across the globe since 1984. We are one of the world’s largest faith-inspired charities, with more than 100 offices delivering programmes to benefit vulnerable people in over 40 countries worldwide. As well as responding to global disasters and emergencies, we also carry out long-term development work with people and communities, regardless of their race, religion or gender.
• Ramadan is the most important time of the year for Islamic Relief’s fundraising. The Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) estimates that each year in Britain during Ramadan, Muslims give an estimated £100 million to charities. Islamic Relief UK alone raised £11 million last year. According to the online fundraising platform, JustGiving, during Ramadan 2017, donations to Islamic charities rose by a massive 487% compared to the previous month.