A van full of food donated by the congregation at a mosque in Forest Gate has been delivered to a homeless charity.

Items of food including biscuits, crisps and tea bags, were brought to the Quwwatul Islam Mosque on Upton Lane over several days by children and adults.

The collection was organised by the mosque as part of an initiative by 1st Ethical’s Food Drive Campaign. The 1st Ethical Charitable Trust works to revive the Islamic tradition of care of the vulnerable, such as the elderly and the homeless.

Abdul Mateen, head teacher at the mosque, said: “We felt it was really important for the Mosque to continue to contribute to the community and look forward to getting involved with 1st Ethical’s many campaigns”.

Keith Fernett, Director of Anchor House, which received the food, said: “On behalf of our residents, I would like to say a very big thank you to all of those involved for their tremendous generosity. The large food donations will go straight to our residents, thanks to the support of our community.”

These initiatives run in mosques and schools are an important stepping stone toward bridging communities and have resulted in many institutes getting more involved in the campaigns nationally. For more information on the work by 1st Ethical Charitable Trust, see www.1stEthical.com