Muslim community activist Kasim Choudhry is hosting a Christmas Day soup kitchen at Birmingham Central Mosque (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
Birmingham’s premier mosque is set to host a special soup kitchen to feed the city’s homeless on Christmas Day.
The Birmingham Central Mosque in the Highgate area of the city will be welcoming the homeless and hungry over the festive period, providing them with food during an open soup kitchen every evening between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.
Hundreds of homeless and vulnerable individuals and families are expected to attend the mass soup kitchen, which has been organised by the Birmingham Soup Kitchen, a new project aiming to regularly provide food to those in need at the Muslim faith centre.
The Birmingham Central Mosque Christmas Soup Kitchen is supported by local community organisations and businesses (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
The initiative, which was set up by community activist Kasim Choudhry, is being sponsored by local businesses Mango Delivery, RCJ Catering, The Outdoor Staging Company and Catering Solutions UK; while being supported by the Balsall Heath Forum, AF Community Outreach and the Birmingham Food Drive.
Kasim Choudhry, founder of the Birmingham Central Mosque Christmas Soup Kitchen (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
Speaking about his reasons for setting up the service, event founder Kasim said:
“We’re raising £2,000 to feed the homeless over the Christmas week because they should be able to enjoy Christmas.
“Birmingham Central Mosque are proud to announce that a new soup kitchen is being launched this Christmas, opening its gates to the homeless and needy providing them with hot meals and other necessities, daily from Christmas Eve through to New Year’s Day.
Rough sleepers are a common sight on the streets of central Birmingham (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
Homelessness in Birmingham has risen by 25% since 2009 (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
“The project is being run by local volunteers from the Mosque, funded by donations and business sponsorship. The mosque committee have decided to tackle this issue by supporting those in need in the area. The mosque already have an active food bank but found that this was ineffective to those who did not have the means to cook the food. The initiative is being run through Christmas and it is intended a permanent soup kitchen will be set up within the mosque grounds to serve the local community, regardless of religion and race.”
It is hoped the Birmingham Soup Kitchen will become a regular fixture to compliment the many already established food distribution and outreach service taking place daily and weekly in the city, many run by Christian, Muslim, Sikh and interfaith groups.
Kasim Choudhry, founder of the Birmingham Soup Kitchen, is aiming to feed the homeless in Birmingham, daily between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day (Photograph: Adam Yosef)
The Birmingham Central Mosque has been at the forefront of community cohesion building and interfaith activities within the West Midland’s Muslim community, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. The place of worship also hosts a Food Bank three times a week.
.
The Birmingham Central Mosque Christmas Soup Kitchen will take place between Thursay 24th December to Friday 1st January, from 5pm – 6pm, under a large marquee in the main car park at the Birmingham Central Mosque, 180 Belgrave Middleway, Birmingham B12 0XS.
.
Anyone wishing to volunteer or find out more, can visit: www.facebook.com/BhamCentralMosque.
Donations to the Birmingham Central Mosque Christmas Soup Kitchen can be made here.
.
