Croydon Mayor chooses charities at inaugural dinner

LAST SUNDAY, 9th June, Councillor Humayun Kabir marked his election as Mayor of the London Borough of Croydon at his Inaugural Dinner at The Hilton Hotel, Purley Way.

The Mayor was joined by many distinguished guests, including the Rt Hon. Emily Thornberry, Shadow Foreign Secretary, who spoke about her visit to Dhaka 20 years ago, with Councillor Humayun Kabir, to seek justice for Suroth Miah (Shiraz Miah).

They were also joined by Steve Reed MP and Sarah Jones MP, both of whom represent seats in the Croydon Borough and who both spoke to the guests about their experience of working with the newly elected Mayor. The evening was full of entertainment and the Leader of the Council, Tony Newman, finished off the evening with a speech of praise for the new Mayor.

There were a number of Bangladeshi Community leaders in attendance, such as Mahmud Hasan MBE; Nesar Ali Lilu, President of the Bangladesh British Society of Croydon; journalist Rahmot Ali; Aziz Chowdhury; Shomuj Ali Chowdhury; Abdul Khalique Talukdar; Dr Sina Aktar; Dr Mohammed Bari; Emdad Rahman MBE; Cllr Sherwan Chowdhury; and Cllr Shafi Khan.

Councillor Humayun Kabir, who represents Bensham Manor Ward, has lived in the borough for more than 40 years and been a councillor since 2010.  He has served as Deputy Cabinet Member for economy and jobs, and Finance and Treasury, as well as being Vice Chair of the Planning Committee for several years.

Councillor Kabir came to England in 1972 and moved to Croydon, where he opened his first catering business in 1977. After studying for a Bachelor of Education degree, he later began a new career at Tower Hamlets Council, as a parent advocate and family support services manager.

He has been president of Croydon Bangladesh Welfare Association for two terms. He was also a founding member of the Asian Resource Centre, helped to establish the Queens Community Hall through Bensham Manor Community Association and was part of the steering committee that helped to develop Shahjalal Mosque.

The father of three will be supported by his wife of 37 years, Rahena, who will be his consort. Mayor of Croydon, Cllor Kabir, said, “I am delighted and honoured to serve as Mayor for our wonderful community in Croydon. As Mayor, I plan to celebrate Croydon’s rich cultural diversity, and I look forward to working with as many different groups as possible to do this.”

During his year in office he will champion local fundraising efforts for five good causes, which reflect the borough’s diverse needs. He will also be launching a new Mayor’s Ambassador scheme, to encourage civic pride and harness the talents of the local community in fundraising. His charities include:

•Mind in Croydon, which promotes good mental health and seeks to empower people to lead a full life
www.mindincroydon.org.uk

•Croydon Vision, which helps those who are blind or visually impaired and their families
croydonvision.org.uk

•Apasen International (Croydon), which is a social care provider helping to meeting the needs of vulnerable people
www.apasen.org.uk

•Ashdon Jazz Academy, which provides support to vulnerable young women and girls
http://ashdonjazzacademy.org

•Croydon Refugee Day Centre, which offers practical advice and support to all asylum seekers and refugees
www.croydonrefugeedaycentre.co.uk

•To volunteer as an ambassador, email:
the.mayor@croydon.gov.uk

•Read more about it:
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