A Batley resident is celebrating after being honoured in the King’s New Year Honour’s List.
Family man Mubarak Mahmed was awarded with a British Empire Medal (BEM) in recognition for his services to mental health.
Mubarak, who works as a wellbeing and engagement co-ordinator for regional transport operator First Bus North and West Yorkshire was so shocked by the prestigious accolade that he had to call the Cabinet Office to check!
Celebrating the award, he said: “It was a shock, and the letter did take some repeated reading,” he said. “Then I found myself on the phone to the Cabinet Office, because I had to confirm it was for me.
“It’s overwhelming. It gets to a point where I get a bit emotional, in a good way.
“Work like this is never just one guy, it’s a collective achievement for everybody with First Bus and many people on this journey.”
Heading up a network of Mental Health First Aiders, he saw people struggling in the pandemic and helped set up a support network. He has since published over 30 wellbeing newsletters with advice, strategies, and resources. To be recognised, he said, shows how important the work is that First Bus is doing to protect its workers’ wellbeing and their welfare.
He added: “I started out as a bus driver with First Bus in 2015, so I know how important it was to support the wellbeing of our key workers at the height of the pandemic.
“This is a heavily male-dominant environment and there is stigma about mental health. I helped the company develop a people-centric approach that First Bus has truly embraced.”
“It was important for us to encourage colleagues to look after their emotional wellbeing. It further cements that the work we are doing is important.”
Andy Cullen, the company’s managing director, praised Mubarak – affectionately known as Mubs by his colleagues.
He said: “We’re hugely proud of Mubs and the recognition he’s received for his outstanding contribution to watching over the mental health and wellbeing of our colleagues during a critical time.
“Mubs not only helped our drivers and others to cope with the pressures of the pandemic, but his ideas have shaped a new way we approach support for mental health. He’s a champion of workplace wellbeing at First Bus.”
