Humdum Community Interest Company is made up of a group of volunteers based in Barking & Dagenham.
The team came together through the vision of its founder and current chair Kishwar Bhola, who wanted to combine her love of cooking, feeding and engaging with people.
She introduced a concept whereby local women were encouraged to get active through volunteering in order to support others who are facing hardship.
A team of dedicated community volunteers at Humdum prepare fresh, nutritious, hot meals several times a week for local people who are facing hardship.
The team also work closely with local grassroots initiatives to extend support to the wider community, including local homeless hostels, care homes, individuals referred by the NHS and Bookbike London.
Humdum have recently launched a new restaurant in Barking Town Centre to sell food as part of the team plan to become more self sufficient in the long term.
Visitors to Humdum can also eat a homemade hot meal at the centre and take a fresh food parcel home with them.
Food bank service is every Saturday from 1 pm to 2 pm at
The Ripple Centre, 121 Ripple Road,
Barking IG11 7FN.
Our Team
Kishwar Bhola
Chairperson and Founder
Kishwar Bhola is the Founder and Chairman of Humdum UK and has been involved in humanitarian work for over 30 years. Kishwar recognised the needs of those suffering in silence, in particular, her main concern of ‘ human hunger’ was ignited after realising, despite being in the 21st century in Britain, there are still a vast number of people suffering from starvation in the area. Living in modern
Britain today, where we have so many resources, Kishwar believes UK hunger should not be an issue.
Kishwar loves cooking traditional home food for her beloved grandchildren in her free time and strongly believes ‘ happiness is great food and great company ‘.
Nighat Bhola
Operations Director
Nighat’s motto in life is ‘ One person can make a difference’. She believes that this motto significantly drives her passion for helping others and aims to inspire and encourage others to do the same.
After traveling to Pakistan, Nighat realised that there were several issues caused by financial difficulty, which is not only limited to hunger – ever since she has launched several projects with Humdum.
As the Vice-Chairman and Head of Operations at Humdum, Nighat is the driving force of Humdum to ensure the day to day operations are managed effectively and smoothly.
Sarwar Chowdhury
Finance Director
Sam's work as a Director of Finance & Commercial in Central Government department, overseeing significant budgets and commercial contracts supporting the wider operations. His background has been working in public sector for 20 years in Senior roles with also Police and NHS with added 15 years of private sector experience in corporate banking including mentoring and coaching people in their development.
He has been involved in charity work for 20 years, primarily helping vulnerable and less fortunate people in Bangladesh from providing monthly food packs, medical, housing, education assistance and more...
He is so humbled to have joined Humdum CIC as Director from the pandemic times to give back to those less fortunate closer to home. This is showing how important a service that we are providing in these difficult and challenging times.
Alttaf Hussain
Director of Marketing
Alttaf Hussain, a dynamic food enthusiast and tech professional, currently serves as the Marketing Director of Humdum, which is committed to fighting hunger and promoting sustainable food practices. Previously co-managing Riba’s Catering and Events with two friends, Alttaf's passion for culinary excellence flourished, leading him to establish the popular food blog, Halal Hangouts. Here, he explores a variety of cuisines and shares his gastronomic exploits, with a focus on halal options. His transition from catering to technology hasn't diminished his culinary spirit; rather, it has expanded his scope as an entrepreneur, where he adeptly combines his tech expertise with his passion for food. At Humdum, Alttaf utilises his extensive network and culinary knowledge to drive community initiatives and support food-related charitable endeavours, significantly impacting the lives he touches.
Sehar Zaman
Sehar has been actively involved in humanitarian work ever since 2012 following the death of a loved one due to Cancer. She has spoken to a wide range of communities ranging from local primary schools, care homes, and business networks spreading awareness of how people can help those who have Cancer. Sehar has also traveled to developing countries such as Tanzania and rural parts of Thailand, where she volunteered to aid those in poverty. Sehar’s primary focus is to raise awareness of Humdum UK by monitoring its marketing and strategy, ensuring Humdums mission is well reached to the public.
Jas Kaur
‘Listening is often the only thing needed to help someone’. As a qualified counsellor, Jas has been providing emotional support over the last two years to women refugees who are experiencing domestic abuse in silence. As a counsellor, her USP is in providing emotional support in 2 other languages (Punjabi & Hindi). It is a very sensitive issue to talk about, which is why Jas is here to join you on your journey by providing a safe, non-judgmental space where she explores ways in bringing balance to the emotional self. Jas currently works in partnership with Solace women’s aid and is also a member of the BACP. In her spare time, Jas loves to read about how the human mind works and visualises going to the gym when tomorrow comes.
Tarun Sharma
Tarun is an established senior leader in the financial industry. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and network from the industry. Tarun has been associated with Humdum since 2017. He and his 7-year-old son Raghav started volunteering and started a junior volunteer group. Tarun and his family are regulars at our centre and they passionately care about the cause. Nighat and Tarun share the vision of supporting Humdum by running fundraising events. In his spare time, Tarun likes walking, playing cricket and spend time with his son. Tarun has completed a 100 km trailwalker in 24 hours challenge, in 2018 and 2019. He plans to keep it going.
Gunjan Sharma
Gunjan is an experienced risk professional in the asset management industry. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and passion for creative marketing. Gunjan and Nighat align with the ethos of ‘Helping Humanity’. She regularly volunteers and supports marketing on social media as well as creates publicity posters and campaigns for special events at Humdum. She is passionate about Humdum as it appeals to her moral and social ideology. In her spare time, Gunjan likes to play guitar, create art and play with her son.
Anita Sammy
Anita is a full time working mother of 2 teenagers and also the Policy developer for Humdum UK! Shortly after joining Humdum in 2017, Anita felt the very essence of our community – ” every person is treated equally irrespective of race, religion, caste, colour and creed, nobody leaves hungry and once you walk through those doors you immediately become part of the Humdum family”. Anita initiated Humdum’s project ‘tackling period poverty called ‘The Unseen Issue’. Anita hopes this initiative can be rolled out further than to our service users which will allow all young girls never to go without those basic essentials to keep their self-worth and dignity. In Anita’s spare time, she loves to read, listen to music and have a dance!
