With 2023 now behind us, we look back on a highly successful year for the Maidenhead Mosque and Islamic Trust, thanks to the support of our generous community.
In 2022 we were awarded the Beacon Award for the Best Run Mosque in the UK, so there was a lot to live up to in 2023. Read on to see how we faired.
Start of new Islamic Centre building project
The beginning of the year saw the closure of the old Islamic Centre and demolition of existing terrapins. Hoarding went up around the site which was soon followed by the initial construction phase – foundations and groundwork. You can keep up to date with the progress here.
Journey to Jannah Campaign
We entered Ramadan 2023 and launched our Journey to Jannah brand for our fundraising campaign. We painted the town with the vibrancy of J2J and the fresh design and approach was well received by the community.
We distributed our colourful moneyboxes along with launching other smaller initiatives which continue to bring in much needed donations.
Ramadan
Ramadan and the 27th night in particular is always our highlight of the year in terms of fundraising. This year we released sponsor items such as prayer mats, bricks etc. which were highly popular. With changes to the floor plans and layout, we also had further rooms available to sponsor and managed to secure £25k sponsorship for the Family Room.
The overall amount we raised in Ramadan 2023 was well over £200k which was our best Ramadan ever in terms of funds raised.
Car Wash Fundraiser
Our first ever car wash fundraiser was arranged in Ramadan and as a result of the success and popular demand, we ran a second one that summer. Over £10,000 was raised from the combined events thanks to the community turning out in droves and our generous sponsors.
Jummah Lunchtime Initiative
Our Jummah lunchtime initiative launched in May as a trial initiative which became an immediate success. We have now been running this every Friday for the last 8-9 months and have been offering various options such as biryani, samosa chaat, gourmet burgers etc. We are averaging around £1,000 per week in sales and all proceeds have been going towards the new Islamic Centre. That’s around £35k raised from this initiative so far.
Find out more here on you can get involved.
Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge
In August we witnessed our most successful fundraising trek/challenge – Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge which raised nearly £40k. The event was well organised with over 30 Maidenhead community members participating and taking on the gruelling 25 mile trek. You can read more about the feat here.
New Islamic Centre Building Progress
The first floor structure work started in August which was quickly followed by the second and third floors. By November the roof went on and all structural stages were complete. The site is now cleared ready for the scaffolding to go up and we will soon be starting the block and brick work. Stay tuned for further updates.
Fundraising Progress
Our target was to raise £4m which is the estimated cost of the new Islamic Centre development project. So far we have managed to raise just over £2.5m thanks to your support. We still need to raise a further £1.5m between now and the summer of 2025. Please don’t stop donating towards this project and continue to contribute however big or small.
Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers, event organisers, participants and our whole community for a groundbreaking year where new heights were achieved (unintentional puns!). We hope you can continue your Journey to Jannah with us in 2024!