A MAN who became Scotland’s first Asian paramedic has been given a prestigious honour. 

Araf Saddiq, from Bridgeton, was awarded the Queen’s Ambulance Service Medal (QAM) for exceptional devotion to duty, merit, and conduct. 

The 55-year-old was recognised for his contribution in helping the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) engage with the Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community. 

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Araf, who in 2003 became the first Muslim paramedic employed by SAS, said: “I thought it was a joke at first – I had to read it two to three times.

“I’m am deeply honoured and humbled to be presented with this award recognising my voluntary contributions towards diversity and inclusion within the Scottish Ambulance Service and my work within the community.

“This is a huge testament to the fantastic work the whole team are doing, we all have a common goal in making our service a place where all are welcome regardless of race, colour, religion, gender and sexual orientation, a service that is representative of the community we serve.” 

Father-of-three Araf joined the Scottish Ambulance Service in 1997 as an ambulance care assistant. 

He volunteers tirelessly in his own time across a wide range of communities to raise awareness of the service and provide a greater understanding of BAME communities and their needs.

As a member of the Scottish Ambulance Service BAME Forum, Araf, known to his colleagues as Harry, contributes valuably towards increasing the understanding of race issues and has strived to improve the diversity of its workforce, by working with the Service Equalities Lead to support and encourage increased numbers of applicants for posts.

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During the Covid-19 pandemic, Araf has been advising the community about how to stay safe and observe good practice.

“Once again, I am honoured to have been chosen for this prestigious award and it is wonderful that the hard work is being recognised,” he added. 

Araf’s colleague Steph Jones, of Edinburgh, was also honoured with the QASM.