Community Independence Day – Himmah Social Justice Awards, Nottingham

On Saturday 4^th July, The good and the great of the Midlands, East and West, were on hand to pay homage to Notts Community Groups, honoured through the local Social Justice Awards for 2026, hosted by community food activists Himmah. The occasion also marked Himmah’s 15 years of growth and development.

It was 15 years ago that Sajid Muhammad witnessed firsthand a scene of a man scouring rubbish bins in Nottingham to get something to eat. He was deeply troubled by what he saw. As a determined individual, he gathered up a group of friends to do something about it. They set up their own community food distribution project Himmah without any prior experience.

In that very first delivery drop they served 5 grateful families. 15 years on, they are circulating over 16,000 meals a year. Himmah today runs Nottingham’s largest independent food bank, supporting individuals and families who are facing food insecurity.

‘We provide a full week’s supply of food to anyone who needs help, with no restrictions on how often people can return.’ I’m informed.

Led by charismatic CEO and Founder Sajid Mohammed, their mission is grounded and clear. They exist to dismantle structural poverty and racism by building community power, cultural infrastructure, and collective ownership in Nottingham and beyond.

‘Rooted in solidarity rather than charity, we organise with communities to transform sites of crisis into spaces of leadership, connection, and change using food, culture, as entry points.

Today the organisation has developed itself way beyond its food distribution supporting programmes, taking in an ever-increasing range of community services and programmes to improve the city. Youth knife -crime, environment improvement and wider cultural and arts projects are just a few of the areas they have moved into.

On the night of the celebration, I got to meet some of the impressive groups and individuals being applauded for their good work and leadership, at this now, annual award event. They were a truly inspiring bunch from all ages, ethnic and professional backgrounds.

As a keen historian and student of heritage, I was genuinely impressed to learn about the Muslim Memory Project. It honours Muslim soldiers from South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East who served in the First and Second World Wars. Their contributions had been written out of history, and the project seeks to restore them to their rightful place.

There were speeches from Professor Veronica Pickering, Lord-Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, and Claire Ward, Mayor of the East Midlands. The evening closed with a set from comedian Imran Yusuf and a rallying motivation from CEO Sajid himself.

Also on hand was Reverend Clive Foster, the newly appointed Windrush Commissioner. It was also a pleasure to reconnect with two former Voice4Change England colleagues, former Director Vandna Gohil and former Trustee Kirit Mystry, who were present at the event.

I’d like to thank Sajid, Bilal Hussain, Uzair Hashmi and James Murphy for the invitation and all the hard work they have put in over the years. It was a great occasion, and a fantastic example of what communities can achieve when they come together. We’ll see you next year!

Kunle Olulode

Director at Voice4Change England

July 19 2026