After two very special and successful Community Iftars, the Beeston Hill Community Association (BHCA) is excited to host another Iftar Event on Monday 2 March from 5:30pm at Lane End Primary School.
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.
The holy month of Ramadan is set to run from 18 February to 20 March, concluding with the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr. As well as fasting this is a time for prayer and charitable giving for Muslims.
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. Shaz was keen to see if an event like this could bring all sorts of different people from around the community together – and really it did!
The events in both 2024 and 2025 were hugely popular and had such a positive atmosphere. They were great examples of how eating together can be an amazing way for people to overcome differences and learn more about one another.
Last year, over 150 people of all faiths and no faith, gathered together to share some wonderful food and time together. 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 open to everyone, it’s a chance for people of all nations and faiths to come together and enjoy a meal whilst having a little insight into how Muslims observe the fasting month. The last three years it’s been a hit and it’s getting bigger and better.”
Our hope is to continue building on the positives of the last few years – 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 The National Lottery Community Fund, which has been a massive help to ensure we can cover our costs and be able to put on a free event.
Unlike in previous years, this event will not be held at the Hamara Centre, but at Lane End Primary School (Beeston Road, LS11 6AA) at 5:30pm – we hope you can make your way down there!
It has difficult to find the right venue for this event in Beeston Hill, both in terms of size, catering facilities and additional spaces for prayer, but we are excited to host the Iftar at Lane End.
This is a free event but booking is required as places are limited. Please book via this link shorturl.at/XDEgV or using the QR code.
Although this is a free event, donations are welcome – large or small, anything is 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: Last year’s Community Iftar was addressed by a local Imam
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