Bradford race equality commissioner Mohammed Amran today told how the courage of a student with bone cancer inspired him to donate £1,500 to the Lord Mayor's Appeal.

Mr Amran, 24, won the money from the Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) as settlement of a claim for race discrimination.

And he is giving it to the appeal to build a Marie Curie cancer care hospice in Bradford.

Nadeem Hussain, 16, who is undergoing treatment for bone cancer, accompanied Mr Amran to City Hall where the cash was presented to Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Peter Lancaster.

Mr Amran accepted the money from the DFEE, where he had applied for a job, in settlement after he lodged a claim for race discrimination.

"The sum of £1,500 wasn't going to make me a millionaire, and when I met Nadeem and found that he had been ill with cancer, I decided to donate the money to the Lord Mayor's Appeal," Mr Amran said.

"Cancer doesn't just affect white people, it affects everyone. It does not discriminate against race, age or gender. I would like to see more Asian business people in Bradford putting money into this appeal. So many young people have got cancer." The Lord Mayor's Appeal is in support of the £5.2 million fundraising drive being run by the charity Marie Curie Cancer Care.

It will pay for a brand-new purpose- built hospice for cancer patients on the site of Leeds Road Hospital in Bradford.

Nadeem, 16, of Manningham, who is set to return to Nab Wood Grammar School to sit GCSEs which he missed through illness, applauded the donation.

"We have known each other a long time and it's excellent that he's done this," he said.

"I have finished my treatment at St James's Hospital in Leeds but I will have to keep going back for check-ups. The side effects of the treatment are quite bad such as hair loss."

Coun Lancaster said: "On behalf of the Lord Mayor and the appeal, I'm very pleased that Mr Amran has found the will to donate this money to the appeal."

Mr Amran, who at 24 is the UK's youngest commissioner appointed by the Commission for Racial Equality, now works as the outreach manager for the Bradford and district Prince's Trust.

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