Muslims send £10k of aid to flood victims
Muslims joined Stephen Timms MP taking �10k of aid from Newham to York for flood victims Picture: London Borough of Newham - Credit: Archant
Newham mosques have banded together to help flood victims in a “clean up operation” – and raised £10,000 for those affected.
Collections were taken during Friday prayers at six mosques across Newham, including Manor Park’s Church Road Mosque amd Romford Road’s Shah Jalal Mosque.
The money was donated to York Disaster Appeal as 30 volunteers went to help flood-hit families in the city on January 9.
After leaving east London at 5am, the helpers cleaned parks, power-washed silt from balconies of sheltered accommodation – and fed 500 homeless people.
Stratford and West Ham’s community neighbourhood worker Cllr Mas Patel, who also sits on the Indian Muslim Foundation board, said he hopes the help was a comfort to residents, praising the “astounding” generosity of Newham’s mosques.
“We all saw how the terrible flooding over the holiday season had a devastating affect on communities in the north of England,” he said. “We felt passionately that there must be something that we could do to help.
“We just hope that this money, and the assistance we are able to provide can be of some comfort to those who have been affected by this disaster.”
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Stephen Timms, MP for East Ham, joined the volunteers along with Cllr Ken Clarke, who said it was important to act in response to disasters.
“Very often we hear about disasters happening in other parts of the world and our communities never fail to offer to help,” he said. “It is only fitting that when something such as this happens in England that this same generosity and willingness to assist is expressed.
“I’m proud that our councillors and members of the Muslim community have raised so much money and have given up their time and energy to assist those who’ve been impacted by these floods.”
The deputy leader of City of York Council, Cllr Keith Aspden, said the help was gratefully received.
“The federation’s community has helped flood-affected people across the UK,” he said. “Extending that help to York means that the council and the hundreds of local volunteers can help them get back to their homes and return to their normal lives even more quickly.”
