PhD student Mohammed Akhlak Rauf recognised in Queen's Birthday Honours list

The award is for Services to People with Dementia and their Carers, in his work as a manager with the Bradford-based Meri Yaadain project. Meri Yaadain - meaning My Memories - is a Social Services (Adult & Community Services) initiative set up ten years ago. It began as a two-year project but the project gained national recognition and became part of mainstream provision by Bradford Council.

The team works to raise awareness of dementia amongst the Black and Minority Ethnic communities as well as informally support similar initiatives in other cities.

Mohammed is also a PhD student at our Doctoral Training Centre, researching the transitions relating to distress amongst South Asian families where there is someone living with dementia.

He said: “I am truly humbled by this recognition for the work I and my colleagues have been doing over the last 10 years - striving to make a difference. I thoroughly enjoy working with people with dementia and their families as Meri Yaadain has worked to break down cultural taboos and associated stigma.

“This led me to wanting to make a difference from an academic perspective too, connecting research with policy and policy to practice. Hence I joined the Dementia Doctoral Training Centre at the University last year to study towards a PhD.

“The work of Meri Yaadain has raised awareness and pushed boundaries, tackling inequalities in accessing information and appropriate services. I hope the PhD will enable me to make a similar impact in supporting South Asian carers of people with dementia."