In the days leading up to Ramadan, Imam Qasim, Rayan Mahmud and Imam Huzayfah participated in The Grand Walk – a 10-day walk between and within cities across the UK, which started in Glasgow and ended at London’s Marble Arch. During The Grand Walk, the team raised awareness and funds for Al-Khair Foundation’s programmes which reach out to some of the neediest people around the world.

The Grand Walk’s route spanned over 120 miles and covered Glasgow, Preston, Blackburn, Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham, Manchester, Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Huddersfield, Leicester, Birmingham, Luton, Windsor, Slough, Hayes, Central and East London.

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Throughout The Grand Walk, Imam Qasim and the team were warmly greeted by dozens of excited well-wishers, shopkeepers, children and locals – many of whom donated generously and gave water and food to help the walkers along their way.

Various stops were made along the way, including meeting domestic violence victims at Luton Women’s Centre, food distributions for both refugees in Bolton and the homeless in Whitechapel’s Booth House, playing 5-a-side football with refugees in Birmingham and meeting the Ark Church in Huddersfield as a statement of interfaith harmony. During the evenings, our donors joined the walkers, Imam Qasim and the rest of the team for exclusive fundraising dinners.

Commenting on the event, Imam Qasim mentioned: “I wanted to raise awareness about the plight which millions across the world today suffer. My walk was a small fraction of the distance which refugees across the world are forced to cover.???

The Grand Walk was well-received, and successfully raised thousands of pounds, increasing awareness for AKF’s charitable causes across the world. We look forward to it next year!

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