Toaha Qureshi MBE – Chief Executive Officer

Toaha was appointed as the Interim Chief Executive in late 2018. He has an extensive background in housing, education, community development and rehabilitation. He was previously Chairman of the Board and is currently leading the organisation to new horizons by reinvigorating its approach to tackling the housing crisis. He has been active in the housing sector for two decades, sitting on boards for various BAME housing associations.

Mr. Qureshi is Member of the Order of The British Empire after being conferred an MBE by Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II for services rendered for community relations. His other recognitions include the Lambeth Civic Award and the British Community Honours Award.

Umar Mahmood LLM, MA – Director Operations

Umar joined Ash Shahada in 2018. He brings a wealth of management experience from the higher education sector having spent over a decade in senior positions including managing student accommodation and a student base of over 3000 further and higher education students. His most recent role was as the Quality Assurance Provider Facilitator, managing a yearlong quality review for the organisation consecutively for three years with outstanding results. Umar is leading on the supported exempt accommodation project in Midlands to tackle the lack of housing for the homeless and vulnerable.

Umar gives back to his community on a regular basis with emphasis on interfaith harmony, peace and community development. Among his many roles, he is a Guest Lecturer at the King’s College of London, Governor for the Lambeth Nursery Schools’ Federation and Children’s Centres, Mentor for Mosaic (Prince of Wales Charity) and Member of the Independent Advisory Group for Lambeth Metropolitan Police. He has also been a form Advisory Board Member (London) for the national charity Tell MAMA. Umar has been recognised for his work by Sir Ken Olisa (Lord Lieutenant of Greater London), Helen Hayes MP, Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP and others.

Zohara Palmer – Office Manager

Zohara Joined the Association in 2023 as the Office Manager responsible for ensuring day to day activities of the Association are being carried out providing high delivery of customer service. She achieved an honorary degree in Psychology & Social Science.
Zohara has held senior roles in housing working in front-line customer service and administration. She has dealt with the complete cycle of tenants from onboarding to move on. Zohara has worked with vulnerable service users for a number of years having dealt with those suffering from drug addiction and homelessness.
Her recent focus has been on supporting people secure guardianship, keeping properties well maintained and ensuring health and safety at properties.
Zohara enjoys giving back to the community by donating to Doctors Without Borders and local food banks.

Leanda Tate – Receptionist

Leanda joined the Ash-Shahada in 2023, taking on the role of receptionist. She has a background in the hospitality field, for numerous years she has held many customer service positions. She has a genuine interest in the tenants’ welfare and enjoys seeing them get the help they need. Leanda enjoys working as part of an enthusiastic team and looks forward to getting to know the tenants at Ash-Shahada housing association.

Leanda’s interests are cooking, working out and reading. Leanda enjoys giving back to the community by donating to local charities in Wandsworth including British heart foundation.

Leanda joined our lovely reception team in 2023 and her previous 15 years of experience came from managing in retail and working as a receptionist in the hospitality sector. Leanda is a great addition to our team, she jumped right into her work and it felt like she had already been with us for years.

Tasnim Karati – Admin Assistant

Tasnim joined us in 2023 as an admin assistant. She has achieved a Bachelors and Master of Arts in International relations. She recently moved from Dubai to the United Kingdom, In Dubai she did an internship in the Consulate General of Iraq, where she helped Iraqi citizens with their applications, assisted in the issuing of passports and liaised with the applicants of all government issued application.

During the Pandemic Tasnim was volunteering with the university of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to help distribute food, drinks, and masks to the vulnerable and elderly people. Her interests are travelling, cooking, sports, and IT.

Abdelkader Khiar – Finance Officer

Abdelkader is a finance professional who holds a postgraduate diploma in leadership and management. He has previously held senior manager positions in finance and has provided consultancy services for over 15 years. He is currently in charge of the finance at Ash-Shahada and is responsible for rent arrears, His roles include finance manager for a private college, senior community development for a charity as well as trustee and treasurer for the Southwark Educational Project between 2006 and 2010.

Abdelkader is active in his community helping refugees, asylum seekers, young children and the disadvantaged. He volunteers as a tuition teacher in his local commuinity .

Zain Ali – SEA Compliance Officer

Zain joined the Association in 2023 as the SEA Compliance Officer. He is a graduate professional with a degree in Business and Finance which has allowed him to develop experience acquired through valued roles. I have a broad range of skills in Compliance, IT, Business, Law and Finance. He has previously worked in the Insurance sector and as a Paralegal at a Law Firm.

Through his previous roles, he has been able to gather years of substantial experience in working with local authorities, government bodies, medical experts and third parties. He is based in the Birmingham office where he carries out compliance checks on properties as well as systems data compliance ensuring that all certification is in place. He is also responsible for conducting support provision audits, KYC testing and more. 

Tamseel Abbasi MSc – SEA Assistant (Finance and Admin)

Tamseel joined the Association in 2022 and is currently working as a SEA Assistant (Finance and Admin). Tamseel holds master’s degrees in business administration and bachelor’s degrees in marketing and human resources. He is also working on a CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) qualification. He previously held HR positions with a number of Birmingham-based private security organisations.

In the supported exempt accommodation scheme, he deals with managing the tenants and property database, remittance, assessing spreadsheets and handling communication with the council.

Taha Elmarghani MSc – SEA Assistant (Finance and Admin) 

Taha joined the Association In 2023 as a SEA Assistant (Finance and Admin). He holds a bachelor’s in accounting and finance having achieved a first and master’s in accounting and finance which he completed with distinction. He has a background in accounts assistance, administration and client service.

In the supported exempt accommodation scheme, he deals with managing the tenants and property database, remittance, assessing spreadsheets and handling communication with the council.

Taha enjoys to give back to the community by volunteering local charity shops including Cancer Research.

Hamza Yaqub – Systems & Data Officer

Hamza joined the Association in 2023 as System and Data Officer and is a full time member of staff. He recently completed his Master degree in International Business with distinction from the University of Hertfordshire. He received his undergraduate degree in Computer Science and has completed a number of short courses to continue his professional development. As a front-end web developer for a software company, Hamza has completed internships with other businesses and acquired a variety of experience. He will be using those talents to ensure that customer services are effectively being delivered through technology and that services are being driven by data collection, such as from the Tenant Perception Survey.

Hamza enjoys giving back to his community by raising funds and volunteering for
charitable causes. 

Hassan Hammad – Project Manager Intern

Hassan joined us in 2023. His responsibilities include communication, reporting and change management, with particular focus on managing the current as well as upcoming projects at Ash-Shahada. Hassan brings over 5 years of technical experience to his role, complemented by the management skills he acquired during his Masters program.

Hassan is dedicated to optimizing project delivery, enhancing reporting procedures, and improving communication procedures, all the while managing teams within the organization. He facilities the internal processes of the organization, ultimately contributing to Ash-Shahada’s growth as a more significant asset for the community.