“I can’t go into work but my colleagues are there. With Open House, at the moment we’re serving food through the window and the conservatory, Monday and Wednesday at 1pm, and Saturday at 10:30am. It’s our same opening days, but we’re just open for half an hour. We’ve had the usuals plus some other people, …
“I never thought in an instance we’d have to be living separate lives” Read More »
“My name is Huma Qadeer, and I want to share my experience as an Ahmadi Muslim woman during Lockdown in Luton. I am married and blessed with five children aged between 8-18 years old. It has been a month now in lockdown, and we have come to terms with being at home. We have adopted …
“My Name is Lauron Macauley and I am 24 years old. I have two children ages 8 and 4. Being in lockdown has been very different for my family. We are unable to visit other family which my kids have been upset about as they would see their nan regularly. We have all been trying …
“I have bad days and good days. Thankfully they are mostly good.” Read More »
“The lockdown has brought uncertainty and difficulty for me and my family but along with it came some blessings. My name is Zahra, I am an anaesthetics nurse and my husband Ahmed is a chauffeur. Just before Covid19 reached the UK our ordeal has already started. Last December I was heavily pregnant and already on …
“The hardest part of Ramadan in Lockdown is not being able to host Lantern’s Ladies Iftars. Each year we host over 150 women every Friday in Ramadan. The Iftars started off the back of my own isolation as a new Muslim. I was so fed up of breaking my fast alone. Iftars and congregational activities …
“And not being able to see your family in Ramadan is so hard” Read More »
“I feel like I am in constant state of emergency. Though our mosque buildings are closed, we are still here, and people are reaching out to us. I’m grateful for that, but it isn’t always easy. It can at times feel overwhelming to feel the intensity of the needs of others, whilst managing my own …
“We have buried more people these last few weeks than we normally do in a year” Read More »
Tasbih phiree ta dil na phiriya Ki lena tasbih phar ke hu [You have been turning your prayer beads, but without turning your heart (for the better). What do you wish to gain from such a practice?] I was in my teens when my granddad introduced me to Kalam Sultan Bahu. Despite being from a …
“Now, the blessed month of Ramadan is upon us and it is an experience like no other” Read More »
“Every day feels the same now. I can’t distinguish one from the other. I feel like I am stuck in a time loop like Phil in Groundhog day. Pardon my pop cult references, but if you haven’t watched that movie this is the time to watch it! It’s a classic. My day starts at 1:30 …
“Our idea [as part of our UpRising social action campaign] is to create face masks using reusable materials. The idea behind this is to improve sustainability within Luton. But as you can imagine, this pandemic has changed everything… including the campaign and we have also had to alter the project to be “COVID friendly” shall …
“Before the lockdown I was just a final year University student, working part time and a UpRiser. Now classes have moved online, I don’t get to see my friends and extended family. However, I have learnt a lot during the lockdown so far… I have learnt to value the small things in life because you …
“Now I know not to take the small things in life for granted” Read More »
The Courtney Foundation was set up in memory of Gillian Llewellyn, daughter of Josie Courtney.