Prime Minister's Points of Light award joy for Oldhamer Syed

Syed Ahmed

A young man from Oldham, who set up a project that has provided over 8,000 portable Quran devices to over 300 hospitals, has received Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s daily Points of Light award.

After Syed Ahmed’s father was admitted to hospital during COVID-19, Syed provided him with a small, rechargeable “Quran speaker” that could be placed by his bedside, allowing easy access to Quranic recitations without relying on internet connection or YouTube, which many patients struggle to access.

Initially aiming to supply Quran speakers to hospitals in Greater Manchester and Bradford, demand for the speakers across the country grew as patients and families found comfort and solace through the devices amidst visiting restrictions imposed due to the pandemic.

Inspired by this, Syed established ‘The Quran for Hospitals Project’ to distribute more devices in 2020. 

With fundraising and support from the Muslim community, Syed raised over £80,000 to fulfil the demand and provide over 8,000 Quran speakers to over 300 hospital chaplaincy departments across the NHS and hospitals worldwide, to support them to deliver spiritual care to patients.

Alongside the Quran speakers, Syed has also distributed over 81,000 speakers and 7,000 free Quran CDs. 

Syed said: “It is with great honour that I accept this award, I am deeply grateful for the chance to impact lives positively.

"This recognition inspires me to further the mission, extending the reach of Quran speakers to more hospitals across the UK and globally.”

Syed is the 2,318th recipient of the Points of Light award, which was first launched in April 2014 to recognise outstanding individuals making a positive change within their community and inspiring others.

Each weekday, someone, somewhere in the country is selected to receive the award to celebrate their remarkable achievements.

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