We are delighted to announce that Mosaic’s Hero of the Month for August is Anouar Kassim.

Anouar is the founder and chairman of the Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture Organisation (MK IACO), an award-winning organisation. MK IACO is our delivery partner in the South East of England, helping us identify and mentor secondary school students in Milton Keynes who need inspiration and encouragement. MK IACO also help us run the Enterprise Challenge competition for students in Milton Keynes Academy.

Anouar was nominated by Mosaic’s staff in the South East region because of his tireless devotion to our mentoring programme and the Enterprise Challenge. Colleagues said: “Anouar has voluntarily committed his time and resources to ensuring that the programme runs successfully, using his close links with the school to initiate the project and his expert local knowledge to recruit good quality mentors. He is very well respected in his community and sits on a number of local boards.

The impact of the programme is demonstrated by students’ feedback, indicating consistent increases in their confidence and self-efficacy levels. Anouar’s hard work, enthusiasm and dedication to raising the students’ motivation and aspirations, deserves to be recognised.”

Our thanks and congratulations go to Anouar!

Find out more about our work with disadvantaged children and young people across the South East of England

Interested in our mentoring programmes? Read more about our partners and volunteers

Anouar’s organisation, the Milton Keynes Islamic Arts and Culture Organisation, aims to promote Islamic arts, heritage and culture through education. The organisation works with local schools, colleges, prisons and universities to deliver quality arts workshops, exhibitions and education services to promote integration and community cohesion. In 2012 they won an Epic Voluntary Arts Partnership Award for their work with Milton Keynes College – read all about it here