Badminton night nets thousands for the homeless

Serial Oldham fundraiser Amin Babor Chowdhury held court at a badminton event to wave farewell to an outgoing mayor and welcome back to another.

And most importantly, all three did their bit to bid good riddance to the problem of rough sleeping.

Joined by many familiar faces to the charitable circuit – including Muzahid Khan DL from social enterprise Upturn – Amin hosted a badminton competition and a climbing tournament to halt a hike in homelessness since the cost-of-living crisis.

Recent research by charity Crisis showed an alarming one million households feared losing their homes due to soaring bills.

And both Councillor Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE (Oldham) and Councillor Tafheen Sharif chose charities to help alleviate homelessness, during their time of office.

“When you hear that the average life expectancy of a rough sleeper is just 45-years-of-age it truly focuses your mind and makes you reach out and help” said Amin, whose past walking exploits pounding the streets of Oldham have garnered thousands for good causes.

“That is exactly what our mayors have done and what we were aiming for when we ran the tournaments.”

Recently retained Mayor Chauhan of course, held the first COVID vaccination clinic for rough sleepers in the world, prior to his engagement as Oldham’s first citizen.

Monies raised during his year were donated to charities concerned with homeless health.

Councillor Sharif supported Home Start, which provides volunteers and expert support for over 43,000 families per year nationally, to navigate them through troubled times.

“What both mayors did was realise that homelessness is not just about living on the streets” continued Amin, “they both see that living on the cusp of homelessness in often squalid temporary accommodation is also a major concern."

He added: “They and our fundraisers see first and foremost that our homeless population are real people, with real needs, families to support and poor health to negotiate.”

Amin’s activities also bring another boon to the borough – they get people exercising!

Past challenges to walk 100 miles during Ramadan, volunteer at the Commonwealth Games and arrange cricket tournaments have bowled people over and had the best of sport and charity at heart.

Amin, who organises the British Education Awards to honour students’ academic achievement nationally, has received plenty of recognition for his efforts – even being among the first subjects to meet King Charles following his coronation.

His badminton and hiking tournament scaled new heights – raising £3,000 in just one night.

“I feel so massively supported in these endeavours by my community and the wider population of Greater Manchester” he concluded.

"It is as much about raising awareness as it is about the money and on behalf of our boroughs,

"I thank both of our mayors for highlighting homelessness.

"They have truly helped Britain's most vulnerable people.”

---

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.