£1,200 raised for cancer foundation at Community Iftar

The town’s annual outdoor community iftar held during the month of Ramadan encourages people from all backgrounds to join Muslims as they break their fast.

The open invitation meal has been a fixture on the civic calendar since the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 as a way of bringing people together to promote better understanding and unity.

The event has raised thousands for good causes during that period and this year was no different.

A total of £1,262.60 was collected in online donations for Rosemere Cancer Foundation to celebrate the life of Khalid Mehmood, who sadly died in December last year at the age of 37.

Mr Mehmood was treated at the Rosemere Cancer Centre, at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Volunteers also collected funds through bucket collections for the charity with further funds donated this way still to be counted.

Farqan Amin was involved in organising the iftar.

He said: “Khalid Mehmood was a much-loved member of the Great Harwood community. This year’s iftar was held in his memory as a show of our love and respect for him. Khalid was treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre and we wanted to give something back.”

Great Harwood Iftar thanked the many local businesses who donated food to the event which included Morison's, Pizza Dome and Tesco

Rosemere Cancer Foundation works to bring world class cancer treatments and services to cancer patients from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria being treated at Rosemere Cancer Centre, Lancashire and South Cumbria’s specialist regional cancer treatment and radiotherapy centre at the Royal Preston Hospital, and at another eight local hospital cancer units across the two counties, including those at the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General Teaching Hospitals.

The charity funds cutting-edge equipment, clinical research, staff training and innovative services and initiatives that the NHS cannot afford to make patients’ cancer journey more effective, comfortable and stress-free.