Hounslow Mosque has opened a soup kitchen to feed the borough's homeless and most impoverished citizens.
The mosque in Wellington Road South, Hounslow , will serve free hot meals to the most needy on the first Friday and Saturday of each month, from 6pm-8pm.
The new café and food bank was launched on Friday, February 12 by the Hounslow Jamia Masjid and Islamic Centre, to give the mosque its full name, in conjunction with the local charity Al-Mustafa Welfare Trust.
Councillor Mukesh Malhotra, who helped launch the project, said: "Everyone knows how tough people are finding life at present – and this project is a great way to say 'you are not alone, we want to help'.
'This project is a great way to say "you are not alone, we want to help"'
"The community in Hounslow is very generous, and I know that the efforts will be getting on to local residents & local supermarkets to ensure that they don’t throw away any unnecessary food."
As well as dishing up free meals at the mosque, the project will see food distributed to homes across the borough.
Worshippers at the mosque have been asked to contribute cereal, soup cans, pasta, rice, biscuits and baby essentials.
Shafiq Rehman, the mosque's general secretary, said: "We've had people of all backgrounds; some in emergency accommodation and some struggling to afford the rent. A few have said they are in work, part-time or on zero-hour contracts.
"Members of the Hounslow community are struggling to get hot food and we want to help. Charity is very important to our faith, and second and third generation British Muslims are now beginning to take up voluntary work more actively. I have great hopes for the next generation."
