Harrogate’s growing Muslim community has raised £85,000 to open the district’s first Mosque.
The Harrogate Islamic Association (HIA) normally meets in Christian churches or community centres but soon could have a space to call its own.
While the group does not expect to have a big meeting soon, it hopes to have the former Nidderdale Children’s Resource Centre in Starbeck ready for Ramadan next year.
Read more:
- Extension plans for Ripon Cathedral on display
- Harrogate couple among first to tie the knot post lockdown
The group, which was established in 2011, has been looking for a place to convert into a Mosque for years until it found the “Goldilocks” building.
It was just the right size and the Muslim owner offered it to the group at a sizeable discount.
With 80% of the asking price already accounted for and a deadline of the end of September, the HIA went public with a fundraiser just a few weeks ago.
This former children’s centre in Starbeck could soon become a Mosque.
Zahed Amanullah, the fundraising campaign organiser, said the HIA saw an “amazing response” with some individuals donating thousands of pounds. He told the Stray Ferret:
“The building is perfect for us. We would only need to knock down one wall and decorate. We still need to get through planning but the dream is to have it open and in use by around March to April next year for Ramadan.”
The HIA plans for the Mosque to be a welcoming space for the entire community and has already had discussions with its future neighbours about how they could use it.
