Muslim Youth Helpline is a national award-winning charityhelpline that provides free and confidential faith and culturally sensitive support services targeted at vulnerable young people in the United Kingdom. Muslim Youth Helpline has stated that it does not propagate any religious or political beliefs and seeks only to provide relief to and improve the social condition of vulnerable young people in the UK.
History
2001-2003: Foundation
MYH was founded in August 2001 by Mohammed Sadiq Mamdani, who at the time was 18, in response to the social problems endured by Muslim youth in the UK. It was at college that Mohammed first realised the extent of isolation that today's young Muslims experience; while problems such as drug misuse, depression and sexuality are issues common among many young people, he believed that young Muslims often need advice that takes into account broader religious and social contexts.
2004-2008: Recognition and expansion
By 2004, MYH has expanded nationwide and is the only telephone helpline of its kind in the UK; it now also runs a befriending scheme through which volunteers meet up with young Muslims on a social basis or provide practical help such as accompanying them to job centres, or helping fill in application forms whenever friendly guidance is needed.
2005-2012: Campaigns and Advocacy
In 2004, MYH released a Prison Campaign on muslimyouth.net and was called ‘Behind Bars’. After the huge success of the initial campaign it was adopted by MYH as an annual campaign. In 2005 they launched its ‘Doing a Runner’ campaign to raise awareness within the community of the many young Muslims who run away from home, and may at various times in their life find themselves vulnerable, alone and homeless. The campaign concluded with ‘2 Dayz of Street Life’, an event involving members of the public who stayed in shelters and on the streets for two days to experience what a homeless person may go through. In February 2006 MYH was awarded with the CSV Award for the ‘Most Heart Warming Project’ of its kind.
2013-present
Mamdani had also founded the organisation with an annual dinner, which takes place once a year in May. In May 2014, special guests included Jemima Khan, Asad Ahmed, Mishal Husain amongst others.
