"It is to help make seeking support normal"
The British Asian Trust, which was established by King Charles III, has partnered with Tariq Halal Meats to raise mental health awareness and improve access to care across Pakistan.
The collaboration was formally announced at the offices of Asif Rangoonwala CBE, Vice-Chair of the British Asian Trust.
Rangoonwala and Tariq Sheikh, founder and chairman of Tariq Halal Meats, marked the partnership alongside senior representatives from the Trust and the meat supplier. Sheikh’s daughter, Thaira Sheikh, also attended.
King Charles III founded the British Asian Trust in 2007 with a group of prominent British Asian business leaders. The organisation has worked to improve mental health awareness and services in Pakistan for more than a decade.
Mr Sheikh said: “We provided this quietly and without publicity, but we have now decided to join King Charles’ charity to do good for Pakistan and also to encourage others to help Pakistan.”
The partnership comes as the British Asian Trust continues to highlight the scale of mental health needs in Pakistan.
It is estimated that 50 million people experience mental health issues, equivalent to around one in four people, while 90% of those needing treatment cannot access support.
The Trust identifies stigma, limited awareness and a shortage of mental health services as key barriers to people seeking and receiving care.
It has been working to address these issues through awareness campaigns, community programmes and efforts to expand access to mental health services.
The new partnership will use Tariq Halal Meats’ network of more than 40 retail branches, digital channels and relationships with customers, suppliers and British Asian communities to encourage conversations about mental health and support fundraising for the Trust’s programmes in Pakistan.
Mr Rangoonwala said: “Some of the most difficult problems are not the ones we cannot see solutions to, but the ones people are still afraid to talk about.
“This partnership is powerful because Tariq Halal Meats has something charities spend years trying to build: trust, familiarity and daily contact with communities.
“Our ambition is not simply to raise money. It is to help make seeking support normal, accessible and free from shame.”
Sheikh also linked the partnership to his family’s longstanding approach to philanthropy and its belief in supporting others:
“My family and I have always believed that if you are in a position to help someone, you should.
“Mental health, however, cannot be helped through silence.
“Too many people are struggling without access to care or are afraid to ask for help because of stigma.”
He said the company’s reach across Britain could now be used to support the initiative and encourage greater openness around mental health, adding:
“Through this partnership, we want to use that reach to start conversations, raise meaningful funds and help more people receive support with dignity.”
Hitan Mehta OBE, Chief Executive of the British Asian Trust, also welcomed the collaboration and its potential to reach British Asian communities:
“Tariq Halal Meats has built a trusted relationship with British Asian communities, and together we have an important opportunity to bring mental health into everyday conversations, inspire meaningful support and help more people access the care they need.”
Tariq Halal Meats, which was established by Mr Sheikh and his father in 1965, currently operates more than 40 stores across the UK and supplies halal products through major retailers.
The partnership will therefore combine the Trust’s existing mental health work in Pakistan with Tariq Halal Meats’ established links to British Asian communities.
