Talk about starting 2023 on a high note! We’re only one month into the year and we already have some exciting news to share.
We’re thrilled to announce Haroon Mota as a brand ambassador for Charity Right!
Haroon, known famously among friends and family as the ‘Marathon Man’, is an expert fundraiser, marathon runner and mountaineer.
In addition to his love of the outdoors, Haroon is also deeply committed to social justice and inclusion. He saw that many marginalised and underrepresented communities in the UK were not given the same opportunities to be active and engaged as others, and he wanted to change that.
This led him to found the Active Inclusion Network, a non-profit organisation that works to provide opportunities for these communities to participate in outdoor and nature-based activities, as well as an umbrella for grass-roots initiatives including Muslim Hikers, Muslim Cyclists and Muslim Runners, Haroon brings together hundreds of Muslims each month in a safe and diverse space.
Haroon’s passion for the outdoors, social change and diversity have led him to pursue many incredible challenges and adventures, fundraising millions of pounds for charity.
Needless to say, we’re delighted to have Haroon on board! Let’s give a warm welcome to the Marathon Man himself and read his story:
Charity work and Sadaqah have been fundamental parts of my life for the last 15 years. This is thanks to my father, my guiding light, who always encouraged me to get involved in charitable endeavours.
It wasn’t me who chose fundraising as a career; instead, fundraising that chose me. And so, I made charity my life and passion, thriving in it for six years and keeping my father’s legacy alive.
I left the charity sector one year ago to pursue other things. I’ve grown both as a human and as a brand and have expanded the amazing Active Inclusion Network.
But when I first told my family I was stepping down from fundraising, my then 6-year-old daughter said, "Well, who is going to feed the children now?"
This question stayed with me.
The simplicity of a child’s world view showed me how important this work is and how it had been such a major part of my life. Charity work and fundraising is in my DNA, and I want to do impactful work to set an example for my children.
That’s why, with heartfelt enthusiasm, I’m overjoyed to announce an exciting new brand ambassadorship with Charity Right.
As a freelancer who provides for his family, I often think about what life would be like as a parent who cannot feed their child… it’s for this reason that Charity Right’s work stood out to me. Although they focus solely on providing school meals, it’s so much more than just that – it's about community and education.
As an ambassador for Science in Sport, the largest sports nutrition brand in the world, I realise that the physical endurance required in fitness has many parallels with the endurance needed to survive without food. This makes them two extremes of the same spectrum, if you will, two sides of the same coin.
This ambassadorship wasn’t planned; it organically presented itself and feels right. Besides, this may be a small charity with a small staff, but they all have very big hearts!
I might not be jumping back into the charity sector with both feet, but I want to help grow Charity Right, sharing my resources, knowledge, experience, and Active Inclusion Network. I want to use my resources and community to direct people to do good work and encourage others to get involved.
Together, we can make a real impact on the lives of children in need.
