Mohammad Junayd Khan

Bio & Testimony

Mohammad Junayd Khan: Founder of The Living Arrow

Mohammad’s lifelong commitment to combating social isolation is grounded in a long record of frontline community service. Born and raised in Camden's Regent's Park Estate, Mohammad transitioned from studying Engineering and Business at the University of Warwick to dedicate his life to the care sector. For over sixteen years, he has provided unbroken, service as a Dementia Befriender for Age UK Camden, a commitment that makes him the charity's longest-serving volunteer. His exceptional dedication to isolated elderly residents earned him the National Age UK Befriending Volunteer of the Year award in 2016, presented by the late Barbara Windsor, and he subsequently served a five-year term as the charity's Safeguarding Lead Trustee.

Defying cultural stigmas surrounding care work, Mohammad entered the sector as a frontline carer and rapidly advanced to become the General Manager of Esther Randall Court, an extra-care service on the very estate where he grew up. His executive leadership fundamentally transformed the service. He eliminated reliance on transient agency staff by recruiting a dedicated local workforce, secured a 'Good' CQC rating, and fostered a vibrant, interconnected community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mohammad demonstrated extraordinary crisis management by locking down the service ahead of national mandates and implementing a rigorous 100% vaccination drive on day one of availability. As a direct result of these early interventions, there were zero COVID-19 cases within the facility throughout the entirety of 2020.

Mohammad’s vision for eradicating loneliness relies on forging structural intergenerational connections. Under his management, Esther Randall Court became a hub for radical empathy, featuring an on-site recording studio for residents to archive their life stories, a Poetry and Faith group with the local church, and public art trails developed alongside the Old Diorama Arts Centre. His innovative community partnerships—including collaborations with the Museum of Youth Culture—won the national Health Investor Seniors Housing Award in 2024 for "Best Partnership of the Year". Furthermore, his expertise in this field led him to present his model of intentional intergenerational living to the House of Lords All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Care for Older People.

Beyond elderly care, Mohammad is a fierce advocate for children and families. Driven by his lived experience raising a profoundly autistic, non-verbal daughter, he serves as the elected Autism and SENCO Lead School Governor at Netley Primary School, where he relentlessly challenges the local authority for fair statutory funding and inclusive education. He also fights against the structural impacts of the housing crisis as a severely overcrowded resident himself, having served as the elected Treasurer of the Somers Town Tenants Association to hold corporate landlords accountable.

Recently, Mohammad demonstrated his capacity to mobilise his neighbourhood by standing as an independent candidate for the Regent's Park ward by-election. Running a fully crowdfunded, grassroots campaign, he secured an impressive 23% of the vote (407 votes), proving his ability to unite a community around shared values of care and accountability.

By launching 'The Living Arrow', Mohammad aims to execute his ultimate life mission: ensuring that no older person is left invisible, and that the wisdom of the past is actively connected to the energy of the future