Residents of Healey moved a step closer to establishing local facilities for salaah and a madrassah for children.
The community, under the registered charity Healey Islamic Trust, have been working for many years to establish a local masjid. The Muslim community in the Healey area is now growing rapidly and consists of approximately 350 households, mainly consisting of those who have moved into the area from around Batley.
After an initial decision to defer, Councillors granted permission for 2 of the units in Healey Mills on Healey lane to be converted into salaah facilities and a madrassah.
This is excellent news for Healey residents who have, in recent years, considered a number of sites but, until now, have been unsuccessful in progressing the project forward.
In a statement, Healey Islamic Trust praised the Almighty for enabling them to get to this stage and expressed thanks to all those that have supported their project either financially or through their suplications. They also emphasised that there is still a lot of hard work ahead as obtaining planning permission was only the first phase of the project.
The community now need to raise £600,000 in the coming months to purchase and refurbish the site and will be seeking further donations, as well as support form the people of Batley and Dewsbury.
Healey is an area where nearly all the Muslim community have migrated from established communities in Batley.
The Trust are currently working on a strategy to raise the funds required and to kick-start this there will be a public event to launch the project in January. In the meantime, the Trust are urging local businesses and individuals to support their efforts and earn Sadaqaa Jariyaa (ongoing reward) that can be attained by donating to the development of a masjid.
For more information call 01924 763036, or email [email protected] or visit the website at www.healeyislamictrust.co.uk
