Muslim community aiming to fill Preston's '˜running out' foodbanks

The demand at the Salvation Army food bank has increased 20-fold in less than six years and the group is desperate to help those in need.

The centre co-ordinator Claire Bowerman admitted on Monday, the food bank was “days from running out”.

And so a poster was distributed far and wide with the headline: ‘Muslims of Preston, We Need Your Help, Our City, Our People’.

It adds: ‘Our local Salavation Army Food Bank URGENTLY needs supplies to continue helping the poor and needy people of Preston’.

With Muslims currently taking part in Ramadan, one of the organisers Mohamed Zahid Vaid, says it is the best time to help the charity.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to help our community during a month of giving and show people what Muslims are really like,” he said.

“We’ve had a really big response so far with people dropping off food and giving us money to go out and get the food.

“We helped Lancashire and Cumbrian communities during the floods and we want to do what we can to help now.”

The collection is being organised by members of the Jamea Masjid Mosque on Clarenden Street in Preston city centre.

The group is asking for donations of cereal, sweets, tea, coffee, milk, crisps, tinned foods, pasta, jars of sauces, baby food, nappies and toiletries.

Ending on Sunday at 8pm, the collection drop-off point is at the mosque before the group hands over the food to the Harrington Street charity.

For more details on how to get involved call either Mohamed on 07890383739, Ilyas Esmail on 07901718820 or Yacub Bux on 07866455383.