Special event will bring students, staff and the local community together to celebrate Ramadan on Thursday 21 March

Leicester College will partner with The City Retreat to host the ‘Big Iftaar’, celebrating Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, with students, staff and the local community.

For the first time, the Big Iftaar event will be held at the College’s Abbey Park Campus from 4.30-8pm on Thursday 21 March 2024 and the College will be serving free Iftaar meals – a meal eaten at sunset during Ramadan to break the day’s fast. There will be a talk beforehand from Shaykh Shafi Chowdhury from The City Retreat about the importance of Ramadan to Muslims. Attendees will be able to meet new people and network with each other while exploring a new culture and sharing their Ramadan experiences.

There will also be a congregation for Maghrib Salah – the prayer for sunset – for both men and women after the talk. Anyone wishing to participate is asked to bring their own prayer mat.

The event will be sponsored by One Nation and The Empire Hall, and Leicester College staff will also be providing food. As well as bringing the community together to celebrate Ramadan, the event will be fundraising for Humanitarian Aid for Gaza on the day, with donations going to MAP (Medical Aid for Palestine), One Nation, Save the Children and Unicef.

Verity Hancock, Principal at Leicester College, said: “We are so pleased to be working with The City Retreat on this key event in the calendar for the many students, staff and the local community who observe Ramadan. We are delighted to be involved with an initiative that fosters a sense of community harmony and helps people to explore different cultures by participating in events like these.”

Shaykh Shafi from The City Retreat, added: “We are delighted to be working with Leicester College as we prepare to host the Big Iftaar. The City Retreat always seeks to bring people from all walks of life together to explore, discuss and share faith, values and our common humanity. We look forward to hosting a night of faith, food and fundraising.”

Click here to book your place for the Big Iftaar.