Charity raises over £2.7m to help orphans across the world as it celebrates its 20th anniversary

Charity Week, Islamic Relief’s volunteer-led fundraising initiative, recently marked its 20^th anniversary with a dinner in London, so it could celebrate the hard work and innovation of its amazing volunteers.

The London Annual Dinner took place at the Hilton Bankside, with guests from all over the UK as well as internationally, from Germany to South Africa. This year, Charity Week hit its highest-ever yearly total, a phenomenal £2,717,982.78 raised worldwide.

The total amount of money raised in the UK came to over £1 million pounds, as 2023 saw the greatest number of institutions taking part, including the first ever masjid – Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool. Scout groups, schools, corporate groups, communities and university societies all came together to raise money for children in need and orphans.

Since Charity Week’s inception twenty years ago, the programme has managed to raise a monumental amount over £17m. With what started as a single student with a shoebox outside of St George’s medical school in 2003, Charity Week is now a large multinational fundraising initiative led by volunteers in nine countries worldwide, including for the first time this year, in Pakistan.

The money Charity Week has raised has helped vulnerable children across the world, including in Palestine, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Syria, Yemen, Sudan and more. The work has funded schools, provide healthcare, helped victims of landmines, and has even won awards.

Volunteers came up with effective and sometimes unusual fundraising tactics to help reach the record total. For example, the Islamic Society at the University of Exeter auctioned off a single flip flop for £1500. Other methods included, bake sales, charity dinners, corporate partnerships and even more auctions.

Zia Salik, head of fundraising and deputy director, Islamic Relief UK said:

“Without Charity Week, there would be many vital programmes that help so many vulnerable orphans and children around the world that wouldn’t exist, so I hope that everyone in the community who has been a part of Charity Week in any way takes great pride in what they’ve helped to achieve.”

Dr Wajid Akhter, Charity Week’s founder, adds: