A badminton event organised by a prolific fundraiser in Oldham raised thousands for the homeless.

Amin Barbor Chowdhury organised the court session alongside two councillors, the mayor Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE and Cllr Tafheen Sharif.

Amin hosted the badminton competition and a successful climbing tournament, both of which raised £3,000 in one night in a bid to raise funds for rough sleepers amid the cost-of-living crisis.

The current and former mayor had also supported homeless charities during their time in office.

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The trio were joined by many familiar faces, including Muzahid Khan DL from the social enterprise, Upturn.

Amin, whose previous walking exploits through the streets of Oldham has raised thousands for good causes, said: “When you hear that the average life expectancy of a rough sleeper is just 45 years of age it truly focuses your mind and makes you reach out and help.

“That is exactly what our mayors have done and what we were aiming for when we ran the tournaments.”

Recently retained Mayor Chauhan held the first COVID vaccination clinic for rough sleepers in the world prior to his engagement as Oldham’s first citizen.

Money raised during his year was donated to charities concerned with homeless health.

Meanwhile, Cllr Sharif supported Home Start, which provides volunteers and expert support for over 43,000 families per year nationally, to navigate them through troubled times.

Amin continued: “What both mayors did was realise that homelessness is not just about living on the streets.

“They both see that living on the cusp of homelessness in often squalid temporary accommodation is also a major concern.

“They and our fundraisers see first and foremost that our homeless population are real people, with real needs, families to support and poor health to negotiate.”

Amin’s activities also get people exercising, with past challenges including a 100-milk walk during Ramadan, cricket tournaments and volunteer work at the Commonwealth Games.

Amin, who organises the British Education Awards to honour students’ academic achievement nationally, has received plenty of recognition for his efforts – even being among the first subjects to meet King Charles following his coronation.

He added: “I feel so massively supported in these endeavours by my community and the wider population of Greater Manchester.

"It is as much about raising awareness as it is about the money and on behalf of our boroughs, I thank both of our mayors for highlighting homelessness.

"They have truly helped Britain's most vulnerable people.”

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