British Pakistanis serving food to elderly, vulnerable people

MANCHESTER: An Oldham-based British Pakistanis youth group has come together to deliver everyday essential food items to vulnerable members of the society, especially the elderly.

The group is delivering food daily in Greater Manchester and its peripheries. Volunteers come together almost every day to give out essential food items to the elderly, who can’t go out to shops or can’t afford it.

The group has also delivered toys to kids in the most deprived areas of Greater Manchester during the Easter Holidays besides delivering food items, toys and other essential gear at the Royal Children Hospital in Manchester and Royal Oldham Hospital.

The group has also organised several readymade meals spots around Manchester City centre and Oldham area for homeless people. Leading the efforts, local imam of Greengate Mosque in Oldham Qari Bilal said, “It is our utmost priority as a group or as an individual that the most vulnerable, homeless and even kids get the help they really need in this difficult time.

“We have received an overwhelming response from the communities, which clearly shows how much vulnerable and elderly are suffering from this deadly virus and its effects”, Bilal told Geo.Tv.

“We get hundreds of requests from local residents for the much-needed food essentials due to their being in Isolation or they simply have no one to shop for them. So, we have introduced this facility where we take our van to their doorstep and they can take what they need,” he added. “It is one of the principles of our faith to help our fellow human beings. We are doing it on a daily basis and will continue to do until this pandemic is over”, he said. The volunteer group has representation from almost every community, but it is dominated by young British Pakistanis.