Poverty reduction on the menu for award winning restaurateur
Monday, 25 February 2008
One of London's most celebrated restaurateurs is to become the first patron of Concern Worldwide UK.
Founder of the award-winning restaurant The Cinnamon Club, and the critically acclaimed Roast, Iqbal Wahhab is one of London’s most exciting and innovative entrepreneurs.
The Bangladeshi-born businessman, who was introduced to Concern last year, is excited at the prospect of becoming patron of a charity working with some of the world’s poorest people: “Concern looks for practical and innovative solutions to combat poverty. Working in some of the world’s poorest countries – including my country of origin, Bangladesh, their work has lasting impact, helping people to make simple and life-changing improvements. I’m delighted to be supporting an organisation that does such important work with the very poorest people in developing countries.”
Concern Worldwide’s UK Chief Executive, Lyndall Stein, is thrilled to welcome Mr Wahhab as a patron and is looking forward to working with him as the charity seeks to increase its impact: “It’s fantastic that Iqbal has agreed to join Concern as a patron and give us the benefit of his experience. It’s really important for us to be connecting with dynamic and influential people in the UK as we work toward doubling the number of poor people we reach to 26 million by 2010.”
Mr Wahhab is a graduate of the London School of Economics and is chair of the government’s Ethnic Minority Advisory Group. He is also Skills Ambassador of the 2012 Olympic Games and recently received an honorary Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of East London. He plans to visit Concern’s work in Africa during 2008.
