What is the Naz Legacy Foundation?

The Naz Legacy Foundation is a registered charity which seeks to promote excellence in education, bring communities together and raise the aspirations of young people from ethnic and minority backgrounds in the UK by providing educational, cultural, and inspirational experiences to encourage and inspire positive action and integration.

Why was the Naz Legacy Foundation established?

The Naz Legacy Foundation was established to continue the legacy of the late Naz Bokhari OBE. Naz Bokhari was the first Muslim headteacher of a secondary school in the UK, the first Muslim to be a senior judge at the Teaching Awards, and the first Muslim council member of the College of Teachers. He was awarded an OBE for services for education which he received from HRH The Prince of Wales. The Foundation exists to continue promoting Naz’s values and to live out his legacy by making a positive difference to the lives of young people.

What does the Naz Legacy Foundation do?

We run a number of programmes and activities that promote excellence in education, bring together communities and provide young people with enrichment and empowerment opportunities. Our core programmes and activities are:

  • The Foundation has a Diversity Programme, which was launched in 2014 by the then Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Honourable Nick Clegg. The Programme encourages young people from minority communities to visit cultural institutions and provides them with a series of unique enrichment opportunities, including learning about the rich heritage of diverse role models in Britain. The Foundation has also partnered with Rising Girl to run a series of TED style webinars called ‘Break the Glass’ for young people out of school during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  • The Foundation organises high-profile community integration events, such as our annual Interfaith Iftars which bring together communities, leaders and young people from all faiths and none.
  • The Foundation mobilises educationalists and professionals to volunteer their time to help promote excellence in education. One way it does this is through the Naz Bokhari Fellowship, an annual programme which supports a student who has faced adversity to gain a university place, providing mentoring, a financial award, and continued support through an alumni network. The Fellowship recognises resilience and perseverance, qualities that Naz modelled and promoted.
  • The Foundation organises an Annual Reception, which brings together educationalists, philanthropists, politicians and youth leaders to inspire them to continue the legacy of the late Naz Bokhari OBE. These events develop new networks and working relationships to improve education for all our communities.
  • Each year the Foundation gives an Honorary Education Award someone who has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the field of education. The most recent winner was Yvonne Conolly CBE, the UK’s first black headteacher and a pioneer of the Windrush generation.

Who does the Naz Legacy Foundation work with?

The Foundation works primarily with students in secondary school and sixth form, as well as other young people, community groups, faith leaders, local Councils, and educationalists.

Do you work with any other organisations or groups?

Yes, we believe in partnerships and have partnered and collaborated with a wide range of organisations, such as Rising Girl, the Jo Cox Foundation and the Patchwork Foundation. To see a full list of our partners please see the Supporters and Partners page.

Who funds the Naz Legacy Foundation?

The costs of running the programmes and events are provided for in kind or paid for by generous supporters of the Naz Legacy Foundation. Our supporters are a combination of grant-giving charities, corporate sponsorships and individual donors. Recent supporters have included the Pears Foundation, the COSARAF Foundation and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). To see a full list of our supporters and donors please see the Supporters and Partners page.

Why should people support you?

The Naz Legacy Foundation is a small charity passionate about the education and empowerment of young people. Our work yields positive results and has a great impact on the lives of the young people who participate in our programmes.

What can people do to support you?

The generous support of others enables us to continue and expand our work empowering young people and bringing communities together. You can support us by making a donation, sponsoring one of our programmes, or getting in touch to suggest a partnership or collaboration. We would love to hear from you! Please email [email protected]. Thank you.

Do you film and take photographs at your events?

Yes. Registering to attend a Naz Legacy Foundation event means you have acknowledged that the event may be filmed and photographed, and that you have given permission for these images to be used by the Naz Legacy Foundation in publicity material.