Commonwealth Points of Light Award: Queen congratulates Pakistani volunteers

LONDON: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has honoured two outstanding volunteers with a Commonwealth Points of Light Award during a phone call hosted by British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner CMG, says a press release.

The award to Huzaifa Ahmad (Co-founder and CEO Rizq) and Syed Hassaan Irfan (Executive Director, Rizq), recognised their work providing food security to local communities, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

The call with the Queen also marked National Volunteering Week in the UK, an annual celebration of the power and contribution of volunteering.

Huzaifa and Hassaan run social enterprise Rizq, which started as a university project in 2015 aimed at ensuring a hunger free Pakistan by distributing excess food to the most vulnerable.

During the coronavirus pandemic and in the holy month of Ramazan, Huzaifa and Hassaan mobilised a network of over 3,000 volunteers to distribute over 2.2 million meals to across 23 cities.

The British High Commissioner, Dr Christian Turner CMG, said: “It was an honour to hear Her Majesty recognise Rizq’s remarkable work to tackle food insecurity.”