Members of the Al-Mahmood Foundation (AMF) and the Rochdale Council of Mosques (RCM) raised a staggering £16,000 for the outgoing Mayors Charity Appeal in Rochdale.

The charity dinner held at Rochdale Town Hall was held in the presence of Mayor and Mayoress of the Borough of Rochdale Councillor Surinder Biant and Councillor Cecile Biant. Pakistani International cricketer Abdul Razzaq was a special guest.

The total raised on the night was £16,000 and this amount will be added to the Mayor’s charity appeal and will go to the following local causes including the Springhill Hospice; Petrus (for the homeless and preventing homelessness); Shopmobility; Pakeeza Women’s Group and Rochdale Deaf Children’s Society.

Mayor of the Borough of Rochdale, Councillor Surinder Biant said: “I wish to thank the Al-Mahmood Foundation and Rochdale Council of Mosques, and in particular, their Chair, Tahir Mahmood, for organising this dinner which took place on Thursday 12 May to raise funds for my Mayor’s Charity Appeal.

"I know that the Muslim community in Rochdale raise huge amounts for charities, and do a lot of work in the wider community, for example helping flood victims over the Christmas period, but I had not anticipated this amount.

"My charities for the last year have been Springhill Hospice, Petrus (for the homeless and preventing homelessness), Shopmobility, Pakeeza Women’s Group, and the Rochdale Deaf Children’s Society, and this £16k will go a long way to supporting these charities.”

Chair of the RCM, Tahir Mahmood said, “I am extremely grateful to all the kind people that came along this evening & helped us raise so much money for great local causes. "This is one example of the many good work we do for all our communities in the Borough of Rochdale. "Can I thank all my colleagues and volunteers of the Al-Mahmood Foundation (AMF) and Rochdale Council of Mosques (RCM) for putting the charity dinner together, and of course I am extremely grateful to all our sponsors, without whom this event wouldn’t have been possible”

A cheque was presented to Mayor of the Borough of Rochdale, Councillor Surinder Biant and the Mayoress Councillor Cecile Biant this morning by Tahir Mahmood (Chair of RCM & Al-Mahmood Foundation), Mushtaq Ahmed (Vice Chair – RCM), Hafiz AbdulMalik (Secretary – RCM), Athar Mahmood (Al-Mahmood Foundation), and Muhammad Salim (Al-Mahmood Foundation).

Chief Officer for the Rochdale Council of Mosques, Dobir Miah added, “The RCM work very closely with partner organisations throughout the year to improve community cohesion in the borough. Thursday’s charity dinner is testament to the Muslim community raising vital funds for local charities that benefit all in our borough.

"We strongly believe that charity begins at home & hence why we have been raising funds for local causes over the last few years.

"The RCM has been serving the community for over a decade and continues to strive for a cohesive society for all. If anyone would like to learn more about the work we do, or would like to work on a project with us, please get in touch”.