Shamsul Abdin has helped raise over £2m for charitable organisations that support women, children and communities throughout the Middle East and Africa. An HSBC Analyst by day and part of H&K Cycle Club, Shamsul has been raising money for charities for 10 years through the popular cycling club originally launched as a support network and social outlet for Muslim men in East London. With over 200 members, the club has pushed itself to raise millions to help those suffering in the Middle East and Africa.
Part of the former Hijrah Ride, Shamsul recently organised and rode with 32 club cyclists from Mecca to Medina in February this year after becoming the first cycling club in the world to complete this challenging journey earlier in 2022. Not only did they have to withstand extremely challenging desert conditions, but they also endured many other difficulties such as strong headwinds and temperatures hitting 40C.
This project which was led by Muntada Aid to help people with congenital heart defects from underprivileged backgrounds is just one of many campaigns Shamsul and the club have taken part in over the last decade.
Shamsul and his team have cycled from London to the South Coast and they also take on the ‘Three Cities’ challenge every year which involves cycling to 3 cities in Europe. It’s been 9 years since this challenge has been ongoing and each year they start from the city they finished in the previous year. The team have now cycled to 27 cities and in this 10th year of the ride, they are all hoping to complete their ride in Istanbul to mark the end of this epic European tour in a monumental city that is the gateway between Europe and Asia.
Shamsul does not just have intentions to offer a social and exercise outlet for hundreds of men in his community. His club has also supported and helped members with mental and physical health problems and has also united hundreds of families by focusing on assisting underprivileged women and children from the Middle East and Africa.
The money raised by the club has so far helped in building a maternity clinic and 52 homes for refugees in Syria, solar-powered water stations in Africa giving 20,000 people fresh and safe water, Schools in Ethiopia and Mali and a deaf and blind school in Somalia. It has also funded 300 heart operations for children with serious heart defects and over 1000 cataract operations.
Growing up on a council estate in Bethnal Green, East London, Shamsul worked hard to offer his wife and children a better life. Having started his career in a variety of jobs including fast food chains and call centres, he eventually managed to secure a junior role as a stockbroker and his hard work and commitment helped him move quickly up the ranks to his current role as an analyst at HSBC’s Investment bank.
Thanks to a colleague at HSBC, Shamsul began developing a passion for cycling after he started using his bike to commute to the office. He fast began to realise the many physical and mental and it was from this moment onwards that he began convincing some friends to cycle with him over the weekends. This eventually led to the launch of the H&K cycling club in 2013.
Commenting on his achievements and the club, Shamsul said, “I am so proud of everything the club has achieved over the last 10 years. Seeing the results of the hard work put in to manage the club and all the miles cycled makes it all worthwhile. We will continue to work together as a community to support charitable campaigns throughout the Middle East and Africa and hopefully help many more people.”
He also added, “I would like to thank everyone at the club for all their hard work which makes all of these events possible, the cyclists for all the hours of training and time they offer to these causes, our charity partners and of course my wife and family for all their support that allows me to run the club.”
Juber Ahmed is our Digital Editor and travel enthusiast with a keen interest in Islamic history and heritage. He travels with his wife to various places around the world and writes about his experiences.
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"The World Is a Book and Those Who Do Not Travel Read Only One Page" [Saint Augustine]
