2020 ## Trustees Report ## AWW All praise to the Almighty and peace and blessings upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad SAW. It is a great blessing to be able to present the annual review that shows how through the Almighty’s blessings and the duas of all of our beloved Muslim Brothers and Sisters, Dawatal Islam Soothill Trust has continued to operate. Time has flown and continues to go at a rapid pace, however we as a community should never forget the blessings that the Almighty has bestowed upon us in having such a beautiful Masjid/Madresah. Furthermore, the work and the sacrifice done by our elders, many of whom are no longer with us, should never be overlooked. May the Almighty accept their efforts and contributions, elevate the Marhum/Marhumeen’s status in Jannat and accept their efforts. Ameen. Additionally a number of individuals are unwell, may the Almighty grant them and everyone who is unwell, cure, ease and comfort. Ameen. The year 2020 from March onwards has seen us all face unprecedented times and challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For a number of months, due to the restrictions placed by the government, sadly the Masjid and Madresah’s normal activities were suspended. We have to take this as a warning and reflect on this period where even in Ramadhan, the Masjid was closed. We have to pray that we never see a time again when the Masjid and Madresah are closed. Due to the pandemic we have had to follow guidelines as set out by the government. Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the sacrifice/effort undertaken by all the committee members and volunteers in ensuring as much as possible that the guidelines have and continue to be followed. Secondly the cooperation from all the Musallees has been second to none and this is appreciated. At a time when the country was in lockdown, all praise to the Almighty that he enabled individuals from within the community to set up a Food Bank between the Masjid and the Soothill Community Assocation with the sole aim to help people in need. The support that the local and wider community provided through duas and donations also played a big part in making the project a success. All praise to the Almighty that: - Over 500 food parcels were delivered to people who were self isolating, vulnerable, elderly, single parents and those in financial difficulty - A project was undertaken with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals which resulted in the donation of 500 hampers to staff and patients. Specific items were requested, sourced and provided. - Over 50 Ramadhan gift packs were distributed to the elderly, single mothers and widows within the community of Soothill. - Food packs and hot meals were delivered to refugees through working in partnership with a charity supporting such individuals. - A project was undertaken to ensure our Muslim brothers and sisters in prison were provided with prayer mats, dates, Qurans etc. - Hot meals were provided to regular users of the Food Bank. - 400 fruit and date platters were distributed to households in the Soothill area. - Consultancy support was provided to other organisations to help them set up Food Banks where appropriate. Please remember that our Prophet Muhammad SAW has said that the best of people are those who benefit mankind. May the Almighty make us all such people and accept everyone’s efforts. Ameen. The key objectives throughout the year/s has continued to be, to try and make the Masjid the focal point of our community and to try and ensure that the Masjid is frequented as much as possible by those living in the community. To achieve the objectives we have tried/continue to try and engage with all members of the community and be as honest, approachable and transparent as possible. We have always tried to have a number of different programmes and events which through the grace of the Almighty have been successful. Guidance comes from the Almighty and the objective of trying to remind individuals, in particular brothers to frequent the Masjid as much as possible will always remain. Pre Covid-19 we had great challenges but now due to the lock downs and society in general, our challenges have multiplied. To meet these challenges each individual in the community really needs to start thinking about how they can play a part in taking the community forward. We need to think as to where we were; where we are and where do we want to be. If we are coming to the Masjid, let’s make worry and concern for our family members, neighbours and friends who are not coming to the Masjid. We cannot be happy for our Masjid to be full only at Jumma and during Ramadhan. Furthermore, the challenges in terms of mental health, drugs, alcohol, social media, etc. facing our youth are huge. In order to ensure that our youth are protected we cannot turn a blind eye to them, we need to strive to help them as much as possible. Recently, we have started an engagement process with the youth which we hope to build on to ensure that they are listened to and supported. Soothill as an area has never had so many youngsters, I humbly request the elders of the community to encourage, assist and show love to the youngsters. Equally we all need to ensure that our elders are respected, looked after and prevented from becoming isolated. It is only through working together and having some kind of worry and concern that we can tackle these challenges. I pray that the Almighty keeps us united and improves the situation of our community and the wider Ummah. Ameen. Outreach work continued which enabled us to further establish good community relations with: our fellow residents, Lydgate Lodge Care Home, Lydgate J, I & N School and the local GP surgery/pharmacy through the distribution of Eid Gift Packs. We continued to have visits from scout groups and local schools. The regular visits from the schools enabled us to become the first Masjid in Kirklees to gain the “Schools Welcome, Quality Visits” accreditation. We ask for forgiveness for our shortcomings and again thank everyone for their support in any capacity. May the Almighty reward everyone. Ameen. ## Suleman Aswat On behalf of the Trustees of Dawatal Islam Soothill Trust