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.

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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.

A Knaresborough yoga charity that launched a fundraiser to help it get back up and running safely has now set an opening date.

Yorkshire Yoga, set up in 2005, said that the coronavirus lockdown has had a “real dent” in its finances so set up a fundraiser online.

The centre will throw open its doors in early September but it is unlikely to have the normal schedule of classes straight away.

Chris Cox, Yorkshire Yoga’s manager, said:

“Just a really big thank you to all who donated to our Crowdfunder campaign to help us with vital funding needed to get back up and running after the covid lockdown. We are really touched by the generosity and want to say how grateful we are.”

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The charity originally set out to raise £10,000 but closed the fundraiser on July 26 with £2,585.

The over 60s with disabilities make up a quarter of its classes. Many of them will have been living alone during the coronavirus lockdown.

It also holds classes pregnancy and postnatal classes as well as pilates, chair-based yoga, pilates, dance fitness and children’s yoga classes.

Yorkshire Yoga had also been eating into its limited funds to support its most vulnerable clients in their homes.