Distribution Of 3,000 Iftar Packs Celebrated With Sweet Deliveries For Eid

Over 3,000 Iftar packs were delivered by Preston North End Community Trust throughout the month of  Ramadan. The Trust also marked that start of EID this week by delivering a further 1,000 packs of traditional Asian sweets to residents in Deepdale.

The Trust has worked in partnership with Preston North End Football Club as well as external partners Preston United, Community Gateway Association, Deepdale Community Association, Deepdale Councillors Bax, Coupland and Natha, Lancashire County Councillor de Molfetta and KGN Food Store to deliver the project.

The initiative has now concluded after more than 3,000 Iftar packs – traditionally used to open the fast each evening and containing fresh water, fruit and dates – were distributed through two stalls and doorstep deliveries being made in the Deepdale area.

Iftar packs have also been handed out at the Raza Mosque every Friday following the conclusion of afternoon prayers and further packs have been distributed by Deepdale Community Association. Goods included for the Ifar packs have all been sourced from KGN Food Store and then packaged together

Staff and volunteers from the Trust, Preston United and Community Gateway have been overseeing the stalls – one of which was located at the home of PNE, and the other at the Castleton Road and Holmrook Road junction – each evening and making the doorstep deliveries. With the celebrations for Eid now underway, the conclusion of the initiative was marked by a final night of deliveries of 1,000 traditional packs of sweets.

The Trust were also joined by the Mayor of Preston David Borrow to assist with the deliveries of the sweets in the Deepdale community, with traditional South Asian sweets typically enjoyed by the Muslim community as well as other treats for children.

Head of Community Engagement Rebecca Robertson said:

“Our Ramadan project has been an extremely humbling and rewarding initiative and we have been delighted to deliver more than 3,000 Iftar packs with the support of Preston North End and our external partners. The project has been incredibly wide-ranging, from working with local businesses, putting the packs together ourselves in our offices, and then going out into the community to deliver the Iftar packs and engage with our local residents in Deepdale, which has been an absolute privilege.

“It has been really important for Preston North End to get involved in this project, from our staff joining in with the fasting to stand in solidarity with those observing the holy month of celebrations, to meeting members of the community living in the immediate vicinity of our stadium. We have also visited the Raza Mosque following afternoon prayers every Friday during Ramadan, which has been a fantastic opportunity for us to meet members of the Muslim community and show our support to them while they are fasting, with the goodwill gesture of the Iftar packs.

“We are proud to have delivered more than 3,000 Iftar packs, alongside the additional 1,000 packs of sweets on the final night of deliveries – together with our external partners – and look forward to engaging further with our communities in Deepdale in the near future.”

For more information about community initiatives, please contact the Community and Education Trust by emailing [email protected] or calling 01772 693309.