Human appeal celebrates top UK volunteers at third annual Purple Legacy Awards

Humanitarian charity Human Appeal brought together 150 volunteers, staff and guests from London, the Midlands, the North and Scotland in Manchester this year for its third annual Purple Legacy Awards, celebrating the dedication and achievements of its volunteer community over the past year.

Every year, the Purple Legacy Awards celebrate Human Appeal's top volunteers. Past winners have raised thousands, led dozens of events, and inspired entire communities.

In 2026 so far, 4,142 volunteers have donated a total of 15,205 hours - equivalent to more than £85,761.80 worth of work - including 1,788 new volunteers who joined the UK team this year.

The ceremony saw 20 awards and five Ramadan prizes presented across categories recognising fundraising, leadership, community impact and long-term commitment, with a keynote speech by Human Appeal’s global volunteers manager Samantha Barlow.

The night's top honour, the CEO lifetime achievement award, went to Ali Khalid in recognition of his sustained commitment and impact in his local community. London and South was named top region, reflecting its strength across fundraising, volunteer activity and growth throughout the year.

Other standout winners included Yusra Zahra (top intern), Sulayman Farooqi (top UK team leader), and Sofia Ali and Sabrine Mussa, who took best volunteer led event for organising a fundraiser that raised more than any other event nationally.

A new dedication award, introduced this year, was awarded to Hadi Asif for his consistent, reliable support to the charity. Aaishah Vance (community changemaker) was awarded for their efforts with vulnerable communities. Alishba Ahmed took the best newcomer award for their dedication since signing up earlier this year.

The volunteer choice award was presented to Zainab Mohammed for their recognition amongst other volunteers. Sameer Syed (best staff volunteer) had dedicated countless hours volunteering at events alongside their role as a fundraising officer.

For our national campaign, Wrap Up, Muhammad Hamza took the award for their dedication to the programme. Finally, the creative impact award was presented to Moiz Syed for their efforts on creating content as a volunteer with significant impacts.

Regional winners were also recognised for the highest combined hours and fundraising across the year, including Sofia Ali (London and South), Leena Tantawy (Midlands & Wales), Dipto Obyadur (North) and Hussain El-Ajamy (Scotland).

Regional top fundraisers were recognised for their efforts in raising money for Human Appeal’s projects, including Saffiya Majid (London and South), Sumayah Jilani (Midlands and Wales), Usman Saeed (North) and Sulayman Farooqi (Scotland).

This article is produced by SWNS based on content distributed by GlobeNewswire.