The Convert Muslim Foundation is delighted to celebrate our Founder and Trustee, Batool Al‑Toma, on receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at The Muslim News Awards, a prestigious recognition of her extraordinary contribution to British Muslim life and her decades of dedicated service to converts to Islam.

This award honours a remarkable journey of faith, compassion, and leadership that has transformed the lives of thousands of individuals across the UK and beyond.

A Journey Rooted in Faith and Empathy

Born Mary Theresa Geraghty into a large Irish Catholic farming family, Batool’s spiritual journey began through a process of sincere questioning, study, and friendship with Muslim students while living in Dublin. Her embrace of Islam in the late 1970s was the result of deep personal conviction and a profound spiritual awakening.

Like many converts, however, her decision brought significant personal challenges, including painful family tensions and feelings of isolation. Rather than allowing these experiences to define her negatively, Batool transformed them into a lifelong commitment to ensuring that others embracing Islam would receive the understanding, support, and companionship she knew were so essential.

The empathy gained through her own experience became the foundation of a lifetime of service.

Pioneering Support for New Muslims

For more than three decades, Batool has been one of the UK's leading advocates for converts to Islam.

As Director of the New Muslims Project (NMP) from 1993 to 2018 at the Islamic Foundation in Leicester, she helped establish one of the country's most respected and influential convert-led organisations. Her vision was simple yet groundbreaking: those who have experienced conversion are often best placed to support others embarking on the same journey.

Under her leadership, the NMP provided practical guidance, counselling, education, and emotional support to countless new Muslims. The organisation became a trusted source of help for individuals navigating religious learning, family relationships, marriage, identity, and community integration.

Building Community Through Education and Resources

A passionate educator, Batool has dedicated much of her life to developing resources and programmes that support spiritual growth and practical understanding.

She served as editor of Meeting Point, a publication that began as a modest typewritten newsletter and grew into a nationally and internationally recognised resource for converts. Named after the Kaaba—the spiritual meeting point for Muslims around the world—the magazine provided guidance, community news, and encouragement to readers for decades. It was also distributed within UK prisons for more than 25 years, extending support to many who embraced Islam while incarcerated.

Batool has authored valuable educational materials, including A Simple Guide to Prayer for Beginners, and has designed and delivered numerous training courses, including the well-regarded Final Journey programme. Her work has consistently combined sound Islamic knowledge with an understanding of the unique challenges faced by converts living in Britain.

Creating a Sense of Belonging

Throughout her life, Batool has championed the importance of community and belonging.

She organised annual national Ramadan retreats, bringing converts together for spiritual reflection, friendship, and support. Inspired by the legacy of Lady Evelyn Cobbold, the first recorded British-born Muslim woman to perform Hajj, Batool also facilitated and led numerous Hajj and Umrah groups specifically for converts.

Recognising that pilgrimage can be a transformative experience, she worked tirelessly to ensure that converts could undertake these journeys in a supportive and welcoming environment.

Advocacy, Research and Public Understanding

Beyond community support, Batool has played an important role in shaping wider understanding of conversion to Islam in Britain.

As a trusted media contributor and consultant, she has provided insight on issues relating to conversion, family life, and Muslim communities, helping challenge misconceptions and amplify often-overlooked voices.

Her work has also extended into research and policy development. Collaborating with academic institutions including Cambridge University, she contributed to significant studies exploring conversion to Islam in Britain. She also co-convened landmark reports examining conversion in prison settings and the support required for rehabilitation and resettlement after release.

These contributions have helped build an evidence-based understanding of the experiences, challenges, and needs of converts across the country.

The Legacy of the Convert Muslim Foundation

In 2019, building on decades of experience and responding to the evolving needs of the convert community, Batool founded the Convert Muslim Foundation.

The Foundation was established as a national umbrella body dedicated to strengthening convert care across Britain, supporting organisations, developing standards, and promoting best practice. Through capacity building, training, research, and partnership working, the Convert Muslim Foundation continues to expand support networks for new Muslims and the organisations that serve them.

Today, Batool continues to guide the organisation as a Trustee, ensuring that her vision of compassionate, holistic, and evidence-based support remains at the heart of its work.

A Family Commitment to Service

Behind Batool's public achievements lies a story of personal sacrifice and family support.

Her late husband's unwavering encouragement and her children's willingness to share their mother with countless "convert children" reflect a family life deeply intertwined with community service. The welcoming environment they helped create became a living expression of the care and belonging that Batool has advocated for throughout her life.

A Well-Deserved Recognition

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises not only Batool's individual accomplishments but also the lasting impact of her vision. Through her leadership, thousands of converts have found guidance, friendship, confidence, and community. Her work has helped shape a more welcoming and understanding British Muslim landscape for generations to come.

On behalf of everyone at the Convert Muslim Foundation, we offer our heartfelt congratulations to our Founder and Trustee, Batool Al‑Toma, on this richly deserved honour.

Her lifetime of service stands as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through faith, empathy, dedication, and a genuine commitment to supporting others.

Congratulations, Batool, and thank you for your extraordinary contribution to the Muslim community and to all those whose lives you have touched