Photo by N Jamal Design

Mosaic is delighted to announce Wakkas Khan as the new chairman of our North West Regional Leadership Group. Mosaic’s operations in each region are overseen by a Regional Leadership Group (RLG), comprising senior figures from that region who support Mosaic’s work and volunteer their time in support of our programmes. Wakkas was previously a member of the RLG, having first gotten involved with Mosaic as a mentor on the ex-offender mentoring programme.

Wakkas Khan is a multi-award winning social entrepreneur, philanthropist and dental surgeon specialising in community development and public service. His professional career has covered the fields of healthcare, international diplomacy, education, community cohesion and advising various government departments.  He qualified from the University of Manchester in dentistry in 2004 and is currently a general dental practitioner based in Cheshire. Wakkas’ passion is to make a positive contribution to people’s lives. He has dedicated much of his life to working to try to bridge gaps in understanding and encourage dialogue, interaction and mutual appreciation.

Wakkas is currently a member of the Board of Governors (Association) of Oxfam Great Britain, a member of the Nominations Committee of Manchester University and a trustee of the Manchester Youth Foundation. He has held senior board level positions at the General Dental Council, The Christie Hospital and St Chrysostom’s Primary School, where he recently facilitated a mentoring relationship with Mosaic. Earlier in his career he worked with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Engaging With The Islamic World Group, was an elected official at both the National Union of Students and Manchester University Students Union, a director of the Radical Middle Way Project and took a sabbatical to work in the House of Commons. He has also been an associate of the Pakistan Recovery Fund and a member of the Faith Advisory Panel of Experts to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Home Office Preventing Extremism Together Task Forces.

On his appointment as chair, Wakkas said: “I am honoured to lead Mosaic’s work in the North West. As a local lad who was given the opportunity to get to where I am today, I know first-hand the challenges our young people have to go through. Mosaic’s greatest success is its ability to empower young people to aspire, to dream and to believe that the world is theirs too. I look forward to being a part of that success”.