Pharmacist is awarded MBE
Asgher Mohammad is recognised on 60th birthday
A Paisley pharmacist, a Renfrew hotelier and a boy from Kilbarchan were all honoured in this year’s delayed Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
That brings to four the number of people with Renfrewshire links to receive Royal commendation.
On Saturday we revealed Paisley basketball king Kieron Achara, 37, got an MBE.
Also on the official list are Asgher Mohammed, founder of the Paisley-based Abbey Chemist; Parminder Purewal, the boss of the Normandy Hotel in Renfrew; and Ian Beattie, the Kilbarchan-raised Chairman of Scottish Athletics.
Thrilled Asgher got the news on his 60th birthday that he was to get the MBE for his services to pharmacy and charity.
And the grandad-of-three said: “It was a wonderful 60th birthday present.”
He set up Abbey Chemist in Gauze Street in 1986 after taking the plunge on his own after years as a staffer with Boots.
Asgher said: “It was a difficult time, I had a young family and a mortgage.
“But I went over to Paisley Abbey, sat down and said a prayer to God just before we opened to make the pharmacys successful. And it has been answered.”
Charity – particularly social inclusion – as well as serving up pills and potions is dear to his heart
He’s now managing director of four chemists, including the Abbey outlet in Lonend, Paisley.
The emphasis from day one has always been to improve patient care by providing a wide range of accessible pharmacy services from modern premises by friendly, trained staff.
They number 40 and his younger son Siraj runs the Lonend operation.
His eldest Imran is a locum doctor and proud wife Farzana is now retired from teaching.
As a key part of his Muslim faith, Asgher gives one-fortieth of his income to good causes.
He said: “Serving the community through my pharmacy and charity work has been both a privilege and my passion. This has been driven by my Islamic faith.
“I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award and would sincerely like to thank everyone who have made it possible .”
Charity positions include vicechairman of Ethnic Enable and the Islamic education body Almeezan.
He founded his own charity Sadqah 2001 which has given donations including to Positive Action in Housing, Women’s Aid
Asgher can now add the MBE initials to his newly gained industry qualification FRPharmS.
The Normandy Hotel in Renfrew was well-known as a Stakis Hotel when the Purewal family took over.
And it is for services to the hospitality industry that its boss Parminder Purewal has been honoured with a BEM.
Parminder, 47, said: “I did not believe the letter from the Cabinet Office at first.
“This honour means an awful lot to me, I wasn’t expecting this recognition.
“All I do is go about my business, trying to do things better each and every day.”
He’s put the community at its core since taking direct control about ten years ago, after a fairly diastrous period under management.
The hotel employs 125 and prior to coronavirus was enjoyed marketleading occupancy rates of 89 per cent and profitability of 20 per cent of turnover.
It was a wonderful 60th birthday present
The family had bought the 141-room hotel and surrounding ten acres when the wider Stakis group was taken over by Hilton.
Parminder started holding an annual Christmas night for Yorkhill Children’s Foundation and Macmillan, raising thousands of pounds every year.
Other charities supported include strips fo St Mirren Youth FC, Brighteststar to support parents trying to cope with the loss of a young child and St Vincent’s Hospice in Howwood.
He said: “We also make the hotel’s facilities available to host meetings and private event as an important partner for these charities.
“It also lets our staff take pride in what the business is doing and the positive impact it is having.”
Parminder’s wife Jasmine and children Aaron, 22, Priya, 19, and 13- year- old Angelie have all been thrilled by his achievement.
The hotel boss has also walked the West Highland Way and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and says it has only been working “step by step” with the Renfrewshire community that has seen The Normandy prosper again.
Parminder added: “We are seeing challenges in this Covid-19 period, but we are actually just looking ahead to 2021 now.
“We have been affected both by the loss of events, but also as an airport hotel by what is happening in the airline industry.”
Ian Beattie MBE is chief operating officer of leading law firm Lindsays and Chairman of Scottish Athletics.
And it all started in Kilbarchan, where his parents William and Margaret still live.
The 54-year-old has been given Royal backing for his services to athletics, and he said: “Being awarded an MBE is an incredible honour. I’m excited and delighted in equal measure.
“The award is for services to athletics, but I believe that my history and understanding of athletics has been an important driver in how I have gone about my business career and how I have managed staff.
“An interesting aspect of my work now is to promote the link between physical health, mental health and professional productivity.
“I’m looking forward to continuing that with a few extra letters after my name.”
Ian has three grown-up sons David, Alastair and Gordon and a stepson Stephen.
Before work took him away, he lived in Renfrewshire until 1990, attending Kilbarchan Primary then Merksworth High in Paisley.
He studied accountancy at Glasgow University from 1982 until 1986 and rose through the ranks of business to be the chief operating officer of the enlarged Lindsays law firm.
As well as being Scottish Athletics Chairman, Ian is Race Director of the West Highland Way Race, an endurance coach at his local club in Edibnurgh and an ex-board member of the SAMH charity.