This Refugee Week 2026, Migrant Democracy Project is hosting a Cook-Along Fundraiser with Raheel Mirza - Masterchef competitor and prolific fundraiser!
In the first six months of the year, our community has been working tirelessly to have our voices heard on extending the right to vote to all residents. This cook-along is a way for the MDP community to celebrate its wins, enjoy and share food together, and perhaps introduce some new faces to the Votes for All campaign too 💚
About the Event
Over 4 million people in the UK do not have the right to vote in general elections, and over 1 million cannot vote at all! Refugee Week is a time to celebrate our migrant community and reflect on how our vote could build a just immigration system with consideration for refugee experiences in the UK.
That’s why we are hosting a nationwide online cook-along to spread awareness of the campaign and enjoy a delicious homemade meal together! We deserve joy this Refugee Week! 🍛
*Why are we fundraising? We want to build a movement for votes for all across the UK. Over the last couple of years, we have trained Spokespersons for the campaign, supported the election of six new migrant councillors, and organised a mass lobby for votes for all with over 100 attendees from across the UK. This all costs money. This fundraiser will support us to continue building our work. If you can’t afford to donate, however, we totally get it! Just find the “I cannot donate” button below and sign up!
*Also note that the fundraising we are doing will support those who want to participate but cannot afford to buy ingredients for the cookalong. This funding will be prioritised for current members of the community. There is an option on the form to request this support, which will come in the form of supermarket vouchers, but please be aware, we cannot guarantee that if you request it, you will receive it. We have limited funding for this support.
The recipe we will be cooking is Butter Chicken, with alternative options instead for Butter Paneer, Cauliflower (Vegetarian) or Tofu (Vegan). The recipe is Halal and Gluten-Free. You can find the materials and ingredients list here.
Raheel on MasterChef UK
About Raheel
Raheel was born and bred in Nottingham and now lives in Sheffield with his wife and two daughters. Over the last 16 years, Raheel has had a bit of a love affair with appearing on TV programmes, in addition to being a 5-time champion on Countdown, he has appeared on The Chase, The Weakest Link, and MasterChef UK. After appearing on Masterchef, he launched his very own virtual cook-along and bake-along sessions from his home kitchen with his daughter Isla. In his unique style, Raheel brings home cooked food to people’s homes, often as a way of fundraising for various local schools and charities. With a background in Learning and People Development, Raheel hopes to continue showing people how to cook and spreading the joy of food to as many people as possible. Raheel has sold over a 1000 copies of his first cookbook: Sugar, Spice & Stockpile – A Taste Pandemic, which showcases authentic Pakistani home cooked cuisine.
The cook-along concept
This is a unique format and one that Raheel has perfected having delivered numerous corporate teambuilding sessions and several online events to large audiences. The idea is that Raheel creates authentic homestyle curries that he would serve to his own family, so this truly is an insightful experience.
The following video will explain more about what Raheel has been up to over the past 18 months: https://youtu.be/-O-QFRh8r48