Wakefield business talent wins national award in Parliament

A talented entrepreneur from Thornes won a national award for his business achievements in Parliament on 8 June. Adeem Younis was nominated for an Association of Colleges (AoC) Gold Award by Wakefield College. AoC Gold Award winners, who are nominated by further education Colleges, are people who have attended that College and who have since gone on to achieve excellence in his or her chosen field.

Adeem runs a massively successful online business – www.Singlemuslim.com – from his office in Wakefield. On 1st August 2000, aged just 19, Adeem launched the website from his small office, above a Wakefield fast food shop. Friends and contacts in the local community helped the venture to get off the ground, offering support with website development, photography, and other essentials.

www.SingleMuslim.com celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and to date has helped bring together over 10,000 couples, looking for their ideal marriage partners online. The company has grown from just two original members of staff to eight and expects to have to keep expanding as the site continues to grow internationally.

Adeem said: “Wakefield College and my tutors, mainly Tony and Ron played a huge part in my development, not just as a designer but as a person. Collectively they gave me the knowledge, belief, confidence and experience to go out there and succeed in my chosen field, and for that, I am hugely grateful.

"It was a great honour to be invited to the Houses of Parliament to be presented with an Association of Colleges, 2011, Gold Award.

"I'd like to thank the Association of Colleges and Lord Willis for being recognised in this way, I guess I wouldn't be standing here without the help of Wakefield College."

Welcoming Adeem to parliament, Wakefield MP Mary Creagh said “It was a pleasure to meet Adeem who is an exceptionally talented businessman. He thoroughly deserves this award. His achievements are a great advertisement for Wakefield College and for the young business talent we have in our city. It was wonderful to welcome Adeem, his wife Dr Shama Firdous, and the college to Parliament to celebrate their success.”

Sam Wright, Principal of Wakefield College, said “We are delighted that Adeem has won the AoC Gold Award through his learning and development at Wakefield College. Adeem has shown the determination to succeed in his many ventures. He is a shining example of the accomplishments that our learners demonstrate in their working lives and highlights the benefits that further education has on individuals for years to come."