Idris Patel, CEO of Supporting Humanity, a charity that delivered in excess of 82,000 hot meals to vulnerable people and frontline NHS staff at more than 18 hospitals, has been awarded a British Empire Medal for his efforts.
During the height of the pandemic, Supporting Humanity teamed up with Essex Cricket to cook and deliver meals to hospitals in Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Basildon and Southend. Supporting Humanity also delivered meals to 18 other hospitals, care homes and vulnerable people over the age of 65.
Essex Captains Simon Harmer, Tom Westley and Kelly Castle amongst several players from the First Team and Women’s squads made the trip to Saffron Kitchen, where the charity is based, to help in the kitchen. They were joined by Essex County Cricket Club Ambassador, Graham Gooch OBE, who personally delivered the meals to grateful NHS staff.
Supporting Humanity and Essex Cricket received fantastic support from Club Partners, Cloudfm, Woodland Group and Allen Ford, who provided vehicles for the hot meals to be delivered to the hospitals in Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow, Basildon and Southend.
Essex Cricket also launched a Just Giving page dedicated to raising funds for Supporting Humanity and the Essex Community Foundation which supports local charities and voluntary groups. The campaign raised over £3,500 and the Club would like to thank everyone who provided support throughout the project.
Idris Patel said: “More than myself I am proud for the charity, I feel like it’s not me but the charity that’s received the award. Without the people I work with I genuinely wouldn’t have been able to do what I’ve done.
Every single person in my charity is like a family member. We’re not expecting the world to thank us, we are doing things because we want to do it for the world.”
A lot of these things that I’m doing with the charity are because of the way my mother has raised me” he continued. “She has always said to me don’t worry about what the world can do for you, you worry about what you can do for the world.”
Arfan Akram, Essex Cricket’s East London Cricket Operations Manager said: “The work done by Idris and everyone at Supporting Humanity during the pandemic has been truly sensational. It’s a prime example of the selfless work done in the community to support vulnerable people and heroic NHS staff.
Cricket and community life go hand in hand, and for Essex County Cricket Club to lend their help was yet another example of the great work done by cricket clubs to strengthen bonds with their local communities.”
The Club would like to congratulate Idris on this fully deserved award.
