Muslim Aid commemorated its 40th Anniversary last week with a Gala Event to ‘honour the past, influence the present, and shape the future’ at the Grosvenor House in London, bringing together distinguished guests, community leaders, and long-standing supporters to honour four decades of humanitarian service.

The event marked a major milestone for one of the UK’s longest-established international Muslim charities. Guests reflected on Muslim Aid’s journey from its founding in 1985, when leading British Muslim organisations united to respond to major humanitarian crises in Africa, to its development into a global NGO operating across more than 70 countries.

The evening featured keynote addresses from CEO Khalid Javid, Co-founder Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), and Sheikh Dr Abdal Hakim Murad, who shared personal reflections on faith, compassion, and community responsibility in addressing global challenges. 

Speakers honoured the organisation’s founders and early vision while emphasising the urgency of Muslim Aid’s work in conflict, displacement, and poverty. 

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi also announced the launch of Project2040, which aims to nurture a generation of ethical, socially responsible leaders by 2040 through grassroots, community-led, interfaith action grounded in shared values and the rights of neighbours, a vision inspired by the Prophet Muhammad, who taught us to uphold the rights of neighbours in forty houses in each direction.

Over the past four decades, Muslim Aid has delivered life-saving emergency relief and long-term development programmes in regions including Palestine, Sudan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In 2024 alone, the charity delivered 134 projects in 19 countries, investing £12.3 million to support 4.1 million people.

These efforts span emergency response, housing, health, education, livelihood creation, food security, water and sanitation, and domestic support initiatives across the UK.

Marking 40 years of service, Muslim Aid reiterated its commitment to sustainable, future-focused development which puts communities first, centring the voices of those they serve. This includes the charity’s recently launched Waqf (endowment) initiative, designed to provide long-term support for vulnerable communities both globally and within the UK.

Throughout the evening, Muslim Aid shared its strategic priorities for the decades ahead:

• Strengthening emergency preparedness and response capacity to meet rising global humanitarian needs.
• Expanding domestic programmes across the UK, particularly in response to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
• Investing in long-term sustainability, with a focus on education, livelihoods, and climate-resilient development.
• Deepening youth, interfaith, and community engagement to foster widespread civic and social participation.
• Building financial resilience through the new Waqf initiative and diversified community giving.

In a speech to the room, Khalid Javid, CEO of Muslim Aid, said, “People say, ‘What is your aim’? Some people may not like this, but I’ll say it how it is: My aim is for every single NGO in the world to be closed down – because I don’t think there is a need for any of us. 

There is enough money, enough of everything, to support all people. People are dying from a lack of food and water. It really shouldn’t be happening now, in the 21st century. Until that happens, you have Muslim Aid. And we won’t stop, I won’t stop, until everyone has enough food, and no one is going thirsty.”

Following the event, Khalid Javid, CEO of Muslim Aid, commented, “This gala honoured everyone who has carried Muslim Aid forward for 40 years, our supporters, partners, volunteers, and communities worldwide. 

What began as a small initiative rooted in compassion and faith has become a global force for good. As we look to the future, our mission remains constant: to alleviate suffering wherever it is found and to build pathways to dignity, stability, and opportunity.”

Muslim Aid’s 40th anniversary year will feature a range of events and programmes across the UK, including financial literacy seminars, youth mentoring initiatives, interfaith collaborations, and climate advocacy efforts. 

The year-long anniversary programme honours the organisation’s legacy while expanding its reach and deepening its impact.