After a very special and successful Community Iftar last year, the Beeston Hill Community Association (BHCA) is excited to host another Iftar Event in collaboration with Hamara Healthy Living Centre on Tempest Road on Monday (17 March 2025) from 5:30pm.
This will be a wonderful opportunity for friends and neighbours, of all beliefs, to come together to break-fast during the holy month of Ramadan. We will share delicious food and good company as we come together in the spirit of unity.
For Muslims, Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and fasting during Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam. It’s a holy month and a very spiritual time for people of Muslim faith.
Iftar is the name for breaking of the fast at sunset. All around the world, Muslim people fast for 30 days during the holy month. This means no food or water from just before sunrise all the way until sunset. Of course, there are exemptions from fasting which are usually for medical or hardship reasons.
The idea of a Community Iftar came from our brilliant BHCA Committee member Shaz; ahead of last year’s event she really felt an event like this would be a brilliant way of bringing the broader community together, and it really did!
In March 2024, over 100 people of all faiths and no faith, gathered together to share some wonderful food and learn more about one another. For those who aren’t followers of Islam this was a unique opportunity to experience an Iftar and gain a greater understanding of the importance of fasting during Ramadan. The evening felt like a real celebration of diversity in our community; there was a real sense of unity and coming together of all sorts of different people- everyone was welcome and included.
Lead organiser Shaz says;
“The Iftar is an opportunity for everyone in the community to come together and rejoice in all the cultures/faith/beliefs we all live among. An opportunity to learn and respect each other whilst enjoying some lovely food. It’s an event that allows local businesses to give back to their community and for them to be recognised. We look forward to seeing lots of people on 17 March. Donations are still welcomed.”
Our hope is to build on the positives of last year – it was truly a community endeavour. Ahead of this year’s event, many local businesses and individuals have already offered their time, money or food to enable this to go ahead. We have also received some funding from ‘Hey Neighbour’, which has been a massive help to ensure we can cover our costs and be able to put on a free event.
Unlike last year, there will be no pre-booked tickets. There will be limited places, so we ask that guests arrive promptly! Doors will open at 5:30pm and will close at 6pm. The event is free, however a ‘pay as you feel’ donation is required on entry – small or large, anything will be much appreciated. Any money raised (after covering the event costs) will be used to support future community events, such as a Summer Fayre and a Christmas Market later in the year.
We hope you can join us for this very special event! Everyone is welcome
This post was written by Sarah Hutchinson
Photo: Event advert chalked by local resident Zoe Mitchell
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