West Bromwich charity's chief executive wins business award

Monica Shafaq, from the Kaleidoscope Plus Group, received the Corporate Achievement of the Year award at the British Muslim Awards.

A total of 300 men, women and businesses were shortlisted in the awards, which recognise the wide achievements of British people of Islamic faith, in fields including business, charity, law, and education.

The awards highlight the contribution to British society these people have made in the past 12 months, and the winners in each category of the awards were revealed at a ceremony on Thursday at the British Muslim Heritage Centre in Manchester.

Mrs Shafaq, who heads up the West Bromwich-based charity, said: “I really was not expecting to win this award at all so I’d like to say a big thank you to everybody who voted for me. I am really honoured and humbled to have been nominated and invited to the award ceremony sitting alongside such esteemed people.

It’s a real honour for both myself and The Kaleidoscope Plus Group as it highlights the important work that both me and my team have been doing to help people struggling with their mental health.

“I would like to dedicate my award to my mum and my daughters who always support and inspire me.”

Mrs Shafaq has been the CEO of the Kaleidoscope Plus Group since 2010. It is under her leadership that the charity re-branded, changing from Sandwell Mind, and has also been awarded a place on the ‘Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work For’ every year since 2015.

She has chaired the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisation's national Black and Asian Leadership Interest Group – and sits on the boards of Birmingham County Football Association, Citizen Housing and Kidderminster Harriers.

And in February last year Mrs Shafaq was appointed as one of the first women, and first woman of colour, to the Professional Footballer’s Association Charity.