A Nottinghamshire locum pharmacist has raised an amazing £14,602 for a charity supporting children and families in Gaza. 

Shahid Akhtar set himself a challenge during the month of Ramadan to cycle around 15km a day and use it as a way to fundraise for Charity Right who deliver food packages to those facing extreme hunger in Gaza. 

Read more: Fasting pharmacist raises money for Gaza during Ramadan with a 450km bike challenge 

By the end of Ramadan on March 29, he managed to complete 500km as well as smash last year’s fundraising effort, with his donation page still open to contribute to. 

“I feel ecstatic about the amount of money I’ve raised and that I’ve been able to complete the challenge,” he told C+D. 

“I’d have been really happy if I got anywhere near that £7,500 because I thought that was amazing. People have been so generous and supportive and this year has just blown me away completely.” 

Read more: The fastest fasting pharmacist smashes challenge ahead of time and sets new target 

After finishing the challenge, Akhtar said it was a “slightly bittersweet moment as Ramadan is a very special month to me”, explaining that when it passes “it’s like you’re leaving something behind, and you go back to normality”. 

But he was happy to find the motivation and fulfil his targets despite managing a foot injury throughout the whole month. 

“Certain days, energy levels would be really low and I’d wake up thinking ‘how am I going to get out of the house and on the bike today?’ But it’s something you know you got to do if you can do it, and once you’re out it’s fine.” 

Read more: The fastest fasting pharmacist in the UK 

In 2024, Akhtar ran 240km last year after completing a similar running challenge the year before, but moving to a bicycle raised its own difficulties. 

“Before I did running challenges so it was just me and my body. This time, it’s me and a bike so I came across challenges like having four of five punctures over three days or my chain coming off numerous times, so it was a challenging experience.” 

He chose to raise money for Gaza because there’s “a lot of darkness in the world at the minute”. 

Read more: Pharmacist raises almost £90,000 for Gaza humanitarian aid 

“You see what’s happening over in Gaza, you feel helpless and innocent people are dying. It’s to give something back to help these people. It’s something that’s quite dear to my heart.” 

He also appealed to others about the benefits of completing physical challenges like his bike ride. 

“I encourage everyone to be more physical and active. It’s such a great thing and a win-win. Be more active, get outside and get moving!”