2019 - Helen Bingley OBE DL
Abaseen Foundation UK Chief Executive Helen Bingley was awarded the OBE in the 2019 Queen’s New Years honours list for her work with the charity. The investiture ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace and she received the award from HRH Princess Anne. Later that year she was also appointed as a Deputy Lord High Lieutenant for Lancashire, a role which requires her to act as the Queen’s representative at official royal ceremonies.
2018 - The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service - the MBE for Organisations
In 2018 the Abaseen Foundation received the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, the equivalent of an MBE, in recognition of its excellence in the field of voluntary service. The work of the organisation was highly commended by the independent assessment committee chaired by Sir Martyn Lewis CBE. Abaseen CEO Helen Bingley and Co-chair Nicola Lowe were honoured to be invited to share tea at Buckingham Palace with the Queen, and the award was officially presented to the organisation by Lord Shuttleworth, Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, at a ceremony at Preston Town Hall. Helen Bingley said “We are deeply honoured to receive this award in recognition of our efforts over the last 20 years. I have always been deeply impressed and moved by the motivation of the voluntary efforts of all the people who support our cause, and I am sure that this recognition will take their motivation to another level”.
2018 - BT Chairman’s Award - Fundraiser of the Year
In 2018 the Abaseen Foundation won the BT Chairman’s Award for Fundraiser of the Year and the Outstanding Contribution Award (a category created specially in recognition of Mark’s work for the Foundation). As a result of these awards BT donated £3,000 to the charity.
In 2011, Mark was appointed a trustee responsible for fundraising and business development at the foundation. His strategy is to make fundraising part of their supporters’ daily lives and develop channels to achieve this. As a result, Mark helped the charity implement the use of BT MyDonate as the preferred donation platform.
Mark commented “Our multichannel approach has been successful, our support base and income has increased. Last year I worked on multiple grant applications. We were delighted to win the DFiD grant enabling us to provide basic health services to some of the world’s poorest people. Funding for the projects helps us to reduce maternal and under five mortality rates, by providing emergency obstetrics, neo-natal and primary healthcare”.
2011 - Fusion Awards - Community Group of the Year
Ten years after it was founded, in 2011 the work of the Abaseen Foundation caught the eye of judges on the Fusion Awards, which recognise and reward people and organisations that make a difference to communities.
One of our founders, Mr William Bingley said: “It was a great honour and a thrill to win the award. We are supported brilliantly by volunteers from across Lancashire and beyond, people from every type of community, which is fantastic. It just makes us more determined to keep on making a difference.”
2010 - Times Higher Education Award
In 2010, Dr Nicola Lowe and her research team won The Times Higher Education’s International Collaboration of the Year award for their work to improve the nutrition and health status of communities in Pakistan and around the area of Blackburn, UK.
Nicola Lowe is Professor of Nutritional Sciences and Co-Director of the International Institute of Nutritional Science and Food Safety Studies at the University of Central Lancashire. Nicola’s primary research interest is trace mineral metabolism. At the time of the award she was Chair of Zinc-Net, a network of international scientists brought together through funding from the European Commission (COST Action), to address issues relating to the role of zinc in human health.
Nicola is also the research director and a trustee for the Abaseen Foundation. The Lancashire based charity is working alongside community members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in north west Pakistan, to improve education and health care provision.