NEWS & PRESS
These are the efforts we have made over the years.
These are the efforts we have made over the years.
WE KEEP
2016 January
In January 2016, experience sleeping rough at the Islamic Bradford Car Park (1 City Rd, Bradford BD8 8ER). A £10 registration fee is required. Students must raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship, while non-students must raise a minimum of £100. Those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
2016 February
There is not a speck of dust on the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, that is not recorded in a clear book.’ [Surah Al-An'am 6:59] On Saturday, 27 February 2016, from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, a family gathering held at the Kili Central Hall raised £1,400.36 in donations through the will of Allah. Special thanks to Mera and Zainab for planning and organising this event to raise funds in support of the Bradford branch. Special thanks to Tariq Razak for all the support, time, and advice provided. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
2015 January
In January 2015, the InTouch Foundation launched several initiatives: On 30 January, the first phase of the Pakistan Overseas Project was completed, distributing over 250 meals. The initiative received support from multiple organisations, individuals, and charitable institutions. The founder continued to support the project while participating in family activities in Pakistan; on 28 January, an inspiring workshop was held at Keele University College; on 26 January, a volunteer soup kitchen event took place from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Bradford Simlas, with some photos provided by Kamran Yunis. On 16 January, the fundraising report for December 2014, ‘Is Anyone There?’ fundraising campaign report, which raised funds for the Yasin brothers' family (£1,256.23 donated to the Carleton Borin College Charitable Trust to cover medical expenses) and the InTouch Foundation (£3,192.61, including startup kits, food bank items, and mobile kitchen meal sponsorship costs). A total of £2,667.99 has been received, and we thank all regular donors. The foundation operates a 100% donation policy. On 1 January, a New Year's resolution was announced, stating that 2015 would see greater efforts to assist those in need, and encouraging others to join the #InTouchFamily.
February 2016
On 22 February, the ‘Run for the Poor’ event was held at the Prentfract Carding Track. from 10:00 PM to 5:00 PM, with 15 volunteers participating to raise £130 for those in need. We would like to thank the drivers Sam, Kamran, Shabbir Bhai, and all participants. The top three winners from Groups A and B were announced, and we extend our gratitude to Saba - SKOPE Digital Media; On 15 February, a Walima meal event was held at InTouch Mobile Kitchen (Bradford), from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, with one volunteer sponsoring additional meals as part of a wedding banquet; On 3 February, the InTouch Overseas Pakistan Project raised £133 for those in need at the University of Bradford Students' Union (UBU), with thanks to donors; In February, the final distribution of supplies was completed in Jhang, Pakistan, In collaboration with the InTouch Foundation, the Humanitarian Relief Foundation, and the Muslim Aid Organisation, over 200 women and children (including widows, families, and orphans) were provided with hot meals after an 11-hour drive, and 60 two-week food parcels were distributed. Osman Gonda expressed that the event was worthwhile.
2015 March
In March 2015, the InTouch Foundation organised several activities: On 1 March, a food bank fundraising event was held at the Leeds Grand Mosque; on 2 March, UBU visited the InTouch Bradford Mobile Kitchen (6:30 PM – 8:00 PM) to launch Volunteer Week, with Osman Gonda and Faisal Tariq delivering a speech to the Scouts at the Leeds Grand Mosque; Scouts collected items for the food bank and donated £153.53; on 8 March, International Women's Day, the foundation thanked female volunteers; on 21 March, the foundation was invited by Arakan Creative to attend a private screening of the film ‘Freesia’, where it showcased its work addressing Islamophobia and building community bridges; on 23 March, Raj Parmar from Sunrise Radio was announced as the official community champion, and he will lead the media team, with all parties expressing approval of his appointment; on 25 March, Bradford University visited the InTouch Bradford Mobile Kitchen site and recorded a video, sharing why volunteers joined #teamgreen; On 26 March, Alyas Karmani delivered an inspiring speech highlighting volunteers as the core strength of the foundation's success; On 27 March, NHS Yorkshire and Humber support staff volunteered at the InTouch Leeds mobile kitchen site (6:30 PM - 8:00 PM); On 28 March, Desbury Town Hall (7:00 PM - 9: 00) hosted the ‘Rising Stars - KBW Event,’ with the InTouch team participating. On the same day, Ambassador Adil Anwar won the International Master's Bronze Medal in the welterweight category, highlighting the values of effort and humility.
2015 April
In April 2015, the InTouch Foundation organised several activities: On 1 April, Enterprise Car Rental donated £1,000 to the foundation, with the event taking place throughout the day at Snowdonia Mountain in Wales; On 5 April, the second Snowdon Challenge took place at Snowdon Mountain in Snowdonia, Wales, featuring a full-day hiking event with volunteers participating (including the youngest volunteer, Safa), sponsored by Azeems Accessories, KBW Gym, and Regals; on 6 April, the Bradford InTouch Mobile Kitchen conducted activities related to the Snowdon Challenge from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM; on 9 April, volunteer Nadim sponsored meals for the Leeds Mobile Kitchen at a wedding ceremony and distributed them on-site, while the Nazia sisters donated fried dumplings and samosas; 75 main meals and 15 side dishes were distributed that evening, with support from the Chicano team; On 11 April, the InTouch Facebook page surpassed 3,000 likes, thank you to all supporters; On 13 April, during ‘Premium Week,’ Regal Food Company donated cakes, biscuits, and drinks, which the foundation distributed to all service points.
2015 May
In May 2015, the InTouch Foundation organised several events: On Saturday, 9 May, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a charity badminton tournament was held at Bradford College, sponsored by Sunrise Radio and The Asian Express (Bradford). Participants were enthusiastic and competitive, raising a significant amount of funds for those in need; On Monday, 25 May, the foundation's founder visited Al Hadiyah Primary School in Liverpool to introduce the foundation's work to over 100 young people, aiming to inspire future leaders; on 28 May (Thursday), Kili News published an article on ‘Shocking Data on Child Poverty in Kili.’
2015 June
In June 2015, the InTouch Foundation organised two events: On Sunday, 3 June, a community ‘lunch and dinner’ celebration was held at the Bradford Carlton Bowling Academy. As a partner, the Foundation presented a cheque for £502.68 to the Ye Xin family, who were affected by a traffic accident in Bangladesh (for the mother's medical treatment), and presented the ‘Community Champion Award’ to Janet Dunn, the school's assistant headteacher, in recognition of her community work for the family; On Saturday, 27 June, and Sunday, 28 June, from 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM, the ‘Mentoring Night’ event was held at the Victoria Hotel and Willowfield Centre.
2015 July
In July 2015, the InTouch Foundation organised several activities: On Saturday, 11 July, children aged 4 to teenagers from the Al-Hadiya Islamic School in Leeds raised £3,000 for the foundation to assist homeless individuals and those in need; on 12 July, members of the Islamic Church in Desbury raised £435; on 16 July, Year 11 students from Keighley University College, led by Mr. Dering and Miss Kazi, raised over £200 to purchase food for the foundation's food bank; on the same day, volunteer Bilal Shah, upon learning about the situation of autistic child Matthew, collaborated with the foundation to launch a ‘Birthday Card Fundraiser’ to ensure Matthew's fourth birthday was not spent alone; during the last two weeks of July, on Fridays, Saturdays, , from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, a Ramadan donation drive was held in Simlas (Bradford) to collect food for the food bank. The fundraising team raised over £1,500 for those in need within six days, with volunteers continuing their outdoor fundraising efforts during the fasting period.
2015 August
In August 2015, the InTouch Foundation organised two events: On Saturday, 1 August, a volunteer dinner was held at Shimlas (Bradford), attended by volunteers from three sites and various projects. The event was relaxed and enjoyable. We extend our gratitude to Shimlas Restaurant for providing the venue and to Benny for his ongoing support; On 4 August (Tuesday), the appointment of Boula Alias Karmany as the official ambassador was announced at Shimlas (Bradford). The foundation expresses its deepest appreciation for her exceptional support from the very beginning and is honoured to have her as a sincere partner in driving development forward.
2015 September
On Sunday, 27 September 2015, the InTouch Foundation conducted a full-day event at the Islamic Bradford Centre (Bradford) in collaboration with the Islamic Bradford team, distributing over 850 portions of Eid al-Adha meat to over 850 people from diverse backgrounds, including Syria, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Sudan, and Pakistan. Volunteers excelled in organising and distributing the meat. The foundation's founder, Osman Gonda, and Masood Chaudhry from Islamic Bradford delivered blessings, and the collaboration between the two parties revived the noble tradition.
2015 October
In October 2015, the InTouch Foundation carried out two major initiatives: From 1st to 4th October (Thursday to Sunday), the Foundation collaborated with the Al Hikmah team to travel to Calais, France, to provide assistance to those in need. A 14-member team distributed over 2,000 food aid packages (containing canned chickpeas, rice, tuna, etc.), 200 camping mats, 200 sleeping bags, 200 women's aid kits, 400 flashlights, 100 double tents, hundreds of pairs of gloves and hats, and 500 prayer mats. The first distribution of over 400 aid packages was completed in less than 40 minutes; On Friday, 9 October, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM, the Leeds team held its first ‘Family Fun Night’ fundraising event at the Leeds Cardigan Centre, raising over £1,200. We extend our gratitude to Leeds site coordinator Fazia and her team for their hard work, as well as volunteer Hussein Nadim for his photography support.
2015 November
In November 2015, the InTouch Foundation organised several activities: From Friday, 6 November to Sunday, 8 November, the foundation's founder, Osman Gonda, and Wajee travelled to Calais, France, to carry out the ‘Bradford to Calais - Second Round’ aid mission, focusing on vulnerable groups such as children in the Calais Grand Camp; on Wednesday, 18 November, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the Business Studies Department of Kili University College and the UAK Student Organisation hosted an annual charity dinner titled ‘Join Us for Dinner at UAK,’ aimed at raising funds for the Foundation's mobile kitchen project and increasing public awareness; on Saturday, 21 November, the Foundation appeared on Sky News Channel, Founder Osman Gonda will introduce the mobile kitchen project's impact and the foundation's work through short videos broadcast throughout the day; On the same day, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, the foundation will participate in the ‘Cultural Community Market’ event at Bradford Carleton Bowling Academy. Volunteers Zain Abu, Humaira, Haider, and Sam will manage the booth throughout the event to enhance public awareness of the foundation's work.