I joined the More In Common Batley and Spen volunteer group for the Batley Iftar event in 2019 after attending my first communal Iftar the previous year and subsequently being curious about what my partner and his friend were involved in.
Joining the team, I was tasked with assisting on the design and graphics aspect of the event. The team posed to me the issue of distributing the food to each attendee equally, and I came up with a solution. I created and delivered tickets which resembled tags as a way for people to exchange a tag for food within the celebrations.
The recognition of playing a part in the event helped me to celebrate my knowledge and skills with others. 1,000 tags were produced, creating a structure and this streamlined the food part of the event.
Enthusiasm matters. People recognized the enthusiasm. Understanding how relationships are developed and how it affects other people is also important.
The Batley Iftar was the first time I’d felt I was able to celebrate my faith and traditions with other members of the community, some of whom did not practise my faith, in a safe and inclusive environment.
This project offered the opportunity for connecting with the wider community and allowing connections to grow and develop. I felt as a Muslim woman I was able to connect, share and learn about the wider community.
Find out more
More in Common Batley and Spen
Thank you to Hafeezah for sharing this story after participating in one of our “How can more people come together to make local places better?” online workshops for Kirklees citizens.
Add a comment