A FORMER maths teacher from Oldham who has been royally recognised after raising £500,000 for charity has vowed to carry on helping those in need.
Afruz Miah emigrated to the town with his family from Bangladesh aged five, living in Coldhurst before later moving to Coppice.
After forging a teaching career, he experienced health issues due to being overweight and he also needed a cataract operation in his left eye.
His doctor told him it was due to hypertension and Afruz needed to change his lifestyle otherwise he could have a heart attack within six months.
This prompted him to go on a health kick and he joined a gym, but it closed due to the pandemic.
Undeterred, he began running and started a campaign to run £50,000 to raise £500, which turned into 200km for £12,000.
Afruz amassed funds for a number of causes including a girl's school struggling due to the pandemic and founded a community organisation, Just Breathe, to improve people's physical and mental health through fitness
And within two years, Afruz, known as "Running Man", he has gone on to help raise a staggering £500,000 for people in the borough as well as national and international causes.
He has run from Oldham to London while fasting for Ramadan and done skydives, bungee jumps, bake offs, marathons, mountain climbs, food challenges and mocktails for charity.
As well as completing the London marathon, he ran eight half marathons in eight cities in the UK within a month.
One of the causes he has backed is Global Relief Trust (GRT), a Muslim UK-based charity, whose teams have vast experience and expertise working in conflict and disaster-hit zones across the world.
His humanitarian work with GRT has led him to travel to Burundi, Bangladesh, Turkey and Lebanon.
Now 48, he has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen's New Year's honours list for services to charitable fundraising and to the Oldham community during the pandemic.
As well as fundraising, Afruz is committed to helping people live healthier.
He added: "I want to encourage others to take responsibility for their health and try to make a difference for themselves as well as vulnerable people around the world."
Afruz has also involved heavily in work within the Bangladeshi community.
He has inspired other to get involved with humanitarian work and raise funds for those who need help.
After witnessing the effects of poverty, natural disasters and war, Afruz wants to do more for people in need.
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