Burnley artist with celebrity clients like Amir Khan, Mo Salah and Sadio Mané raises £1.5m for charity

But despite rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous, it’s not all glitz and glamour for this Burnley artist who has also raised £1.5m. for charity in just two years.

Foysol Alkaatib has travelled across the globe helping people in need, and has even run barefoot in the snow to raise money for good causes, leading him to be named Fundraiser of the Year at the first Above and Beyond Awards in Burnley earlier this month.

Here is everything you need to know about the community hero:

Who is Burnley artist Foysol Alkaatib?

Foysol attended Barden High School before studying chemistry, physics and maths at Burnley College Sixth Form.

His greatest love, however, is art. He developed a particular interest in Islamic art and Arabic calligraphy after travelling around the Middle East.

“I decided to just go for it, so set up my art business, Alkaatib, as soon as I left sixth form. It was the best decision I could have ever made. I now have clients in 35 countries, and I make bespoke pieces for people like [boxer] Amir Khan and [footballers] Mo Salah and Sadio Mané.

“The Hilton Hotel has recently placed an order with me and I’m really grateful to do my passion of art as my job. It’s afforded me the financial freedom to raise money for charity and travel around the world giving out aid.”

How did Foysol start fundraising?

“I have around one million followers combined across my various social media platforms (Al Kaatib Calligraphist) and I thought to myself there must be a way I can utilise this following to do good. Initially, I’d heard about a bread factory in Yemen that needed help to feed those going hungry due to the emergency there. In one day alone, we raised £25,000. That’s where it took off.”

He then challenged himself to run 5k every day for five months.

“I ran barefoot in the snow at one point as I’d seen how people fleeing their homes were walking huge distances often barefoot over all terrains and in all weathers. Me doing that caught a lot of attention online and in the end that challenge raised £250,000. I was broken by the end of it, I had to have ice baths every day and my feet were ruined.”

Foysol began volunteering for Muslim charity Global Relief Trust to help deliver aid to those in need, with his first trip being to refugee camps in Lebanon.

He was even giving out earthquake aid in Turkey when he was named a winner at the Above and Beyond Awards.

What is next for Foysol?

“For the last two years, it’s been full on with fundraising, but I think after these next aid trips I need to take some time to get back to doing some art – I have quite a few orders I actually need to fulfil! I would also like to work with schools teaching Islamic art and Arabic calligraphy. St Peter’s have invited me to do a workshop, which I’m going to do when I’m back, and I’d love to support more schools in Burnley in this way.

“In the past, I’ve been paid to hold workshops in Australia, the USA and Barbados, which has been incredible, but I’d like to recreate this locally too. It’s why winning the Above and Beyond Award meant so much. It was a total surprise, and it means so much more being recognised locally than it does in other countries.”