Bolton's Makkah Mosque Marks New Building Work with Celebration
Members of the Makkah Mosque on Grecian Crescent, Great Lever, have been fighting for 10 years to secure an expansion.
And after securing planning permission and raising funds which come solely from the community, work will begin on the construction of the new site this week.
The mosque welcomed its members in on Sunday afternoon for a final prayer and celebration before the transformation takes place.
Among those who were excited by what the new building will have to offer is Waseem Hussain, who is at the site daily and who does regular volunteering and fundraising.
He has long ties with the mosque as his grandfather Rehmdad was a Hafiz - someone who memorises and recites the Quran - who was present at its founding.
He said: "We are looking to do more with the community in the new building.
"One of the ideas we have had is for a gym.
"Great Lever is classed as a very deprived area and it has one of the highest crime rates in Bolton.
"When I was growing up I can remember there were youth centres but there is not as much for kids, you have got something like boxing and football but a lot of parents can't afford to be taking kids to them.
"There are not enough youth centres around so one possibility we are looking at is a gym."
They also want to address issues in the area such as the use of nitrous oxide by bringing in an Imam to tell youngsters about the dangers of drugs.
Other facilities which will be available in the new building will be a rooftop garden and a lift which will make transporting bodies for funerals far easier.
During Eid the mosque has been holding five prayers a day due to the volume of people attending but it is hoped after the new facility is built this can be reduced to two or one.
Under the plans the existing building will be replaced with car parking space.
Another person who is looking forward to the new project is worshipper Waqas Khan.
He said: "I have been coming here my whole life and I am very excited for it.
"We need the new building for the community.
"It is a very big day."
Source: theboltonnews.co.uk
