A Word from our Chair:

We are delighted that Jehangir Malik has accepted our invitation to become patron for The Feast. Jehangir has many years’ experience of youth work and interfaith engagement and brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and so we are really excited that he is joining our other patrons in supporting the work of The Feast. At a time when we are kept apart physically we look forward to working with Jehangir as we explore new ways of connecting with young people and plan for future events and activities.

~ Canon Dr Andrew Smith

Our Newest Patron: Jehangir Malik OBE

Jehangir Malik is the Chief Executive of Muslim Aid.

He began his humanitarian career as a student collecting donations for victims of the Bosnian conflict in the 1990s, and subsequently moved from a law degree to a role at Islamic Relief UK (IR).He participated in relief and development efforts around the world for over 23 years at IR, with leadership roles covering the USA, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. He was later made the organisation’s UK director.

Jehangir was also chief executive of Olympic legacy charity International Inspiration, and in 2010 was awarded an OBE in recognition of his contribution to the humanitarian cause. He sits on the board of trustees at ACEVO (Association of Chef Executives for Voluntary Organisations, the Muslim Charities Forum and the NET (National Emergency Trust) and sat as a Commissioner on the Birmingham Children’s Commission into poverty.

In 2016, Jehangir came to Muslim Aid, overseeing a period of transition for the organisation. In addition to presiding over Muslim Aid’s existing work in dozens of countries he has overseen the response to a range of developing crisis, including the Yemen conflict, the 2018 Indonesian earthquake, and the civil society relief effort following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.

Recently, Jehangir was a judge at the 2019 Civil Society Media Charity Awards.

“I am honoured to support The Feast Project, born out of my hometown Birmingham. The Feast is an amazing initiative bringing together young people from different faith backgrounds to learn, grow and develop into confident and active citizens within their respective increasingly complex environments. The notion of exploring one’s identity through a faith lens, building relationships and changing lives is a very personal experience for myself and I do very much believe that the Feast will be a key catalyst in the exploration of oneself with the social interaction of fellow citizens in Birmingham and beyond. Proud to support The Feast.”

~ Jehangir Malik, OBE