AN inspirational teenager has achieved his mission of raising £1,818 for two Oldham charities to celebrate his 18th birthday.
Ibrahim Yousaf, more commonly known as Ibby, has been fundraising to support his local community since the age of 12, despite battling with his own health.
Since then, he has gone without pocket money and gifts for his birthday and other occasions, instead giving them generously to local charities.
Ibby’s wish for his special birthday was to receive no presents or party, but for family, friends and well-wishers to donate £18 to go towards his fitting target.
Two charities based at The Royal Oldham Hospital both received £1,818 each – Maggie’s, which supports people living with cancer, and Spoon’s, which helps families with babies in neonatal care.
When he was just 13 years old, Ibby received a British Empire Medal (BEM) from the late Queen Elizabeth II for services to charity and he has since been further recognised with several more honours, including Oldham’s Civic Appreciation Award last year.
Over the years, Ibby has fundraised for 18 local charities and, as well as supporting individual events, he has held his own ‘Team Ibby’ fundraisers which have raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes.
Now an adult and in his sixth year of fundraising, Ibby is still determined to help his hometown in any way he can.
One of his hopes is to raise funds to thank the Oldham paediatric services in A&E who have cared so much for him.
He has already set about doing so by flogging slices of his own Manchester City themed birthday cake, gifted to him by his brother, to raise £106 for them.
Ibby says he has been moved by all the support he has received and cannot thank everyone enough for making his birthday wish come true.
