Maidenhead Mosque recognised for supporting vulnerable people throughout the pandemic

Maidenhead Mosque has been named one of the top three mosques in the country for the outreach work it has done supporting vulnerable and isolated people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The mosque, in Holmanleaze, was one of three in the UK to be shortlisted for the Best Outreach Service award at the British Beacon Mosque Awards 2020.

Although Maidenhead Mosque was not named the winner at the ceremony on Saturday, the trustees and volunteers were still extremely proud to be recognised for the hard work they have been doing this year.

Maidenhead Mosque trustee Zia Mahiudin said: “It was very nice that we were nominated and had that recognition for the mosque and for the community. Out of hundreds of organisations up and down the country, Maidenhead Mosque was shortlisted as one of the three best.

“That was a very big thing for us, we are such a small community in the town and to be recognised for the work we are doing and to be competing with some massive organisations that are 10 times the size of us in Birmingham and Man-chester is a big thing for all the trustees and volunteers.

“It’s nice to have that appreciation of all the hard work that goes on.”

When lockdown started in March, the Mosque started providing food parcels for vulnerable people and those who were shielding.

The project quickly grew as more volunteers came on board, and within a few months, more than 3,000 urgent food parcels had been delivered.

As the project kept growing, the Mosque partnered up with the Royal Borough and Berkshire Community Foundation, offering befriending services and getting referrals from social workers and health crisis resolution.

The operation has now expanded into Windsor, Burnham and Slough, and the mosque has even started running training with other organisations to help them provide outreach for their communities.

Zia said: “It’s become a full-time thing, it’s grown and gone from strength to strength. We are not just working locally, we like to share our work with others too, provide them with the contacts, resources and ideas to help other people.”

Email info@maidenheadmosque.org for information about volunteering.