On 19 March 2024, Slough CVS and Jamia Masjid & Islam Centre welcomed over 200 Slough community members to an Open Iftar. This partnership event creates an environment of openness and acceptance of all, where the community can learn about Ramadan, and raise awareness on the importance of Health and Wellbeing.

This year the focus was on Mental Health. With collaborations from Talking Therapies, Together As One,  BIMA, Mental Health Integrated Community Service (MHICS),  SCVS Wellbeing Friends and SCVS Community Connectors, we started up conversation on Mental Health, providing an opportunity to have open discussions on mental health and help to destigmatise people’s attitudes and perceptions.

Hussein Mahmood from Together As One offered an impassioned presentation on understanding the needs of the ummah (community), stigmas and the understanding of Mental Health in Islam. The attendees said they could relate to the stigmas and were interested in hearing more about help and services that are available to them.

After a lively Q&A session, the community were invited to open the fast with dates and water, observance of prayer and a delicious evening meal.

Sbba Siddique said: “Delighted to have attended Slough CVS’s Open Iftar Inter Cultural Event at Stoke Poges Lane mosque.  A wonderful evening with some brilliant speakers discussing a little talked about subject in the South Asian Community – Mental Health and the support services available to access help.  Gracious hospitality and it was so good to see people from all backgrounds come together and celebrate Ramadan.”

Rani G, Cultural and Ethnic Diversity Lead at Berkshire Talking Therapies discussed mental health through an Islamic lens and shared details of local support services that are culturally appropriate. Rani said: “So welcomed as a guest speaker at this wonderful Open Iftar Inter-Cultural experience. Thank you Slough JMIC.”

Claire Giacobbe said: “It was lovely to see people from all cultures come together to celebrate Ramadan. The insightful talks, the communal Iftar meal after and the heart warming hospitality enriched my understanding and appreciation of this holy month.”

Tirza Meinema said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to visit a mosque and experience an Iftar meal alongside members of the Slough community. I especially enjoyed the welcome and warming atmosphere, the informative talks about mental health and of course the delicious food! If you’re interested in learning more about Islam and connecting with people from different faiths and backgrounds, I highly recommend attending similar events in the future.”