At Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre (GLMCC), we have been leading our community in our COVID-19 response since the beginning of the pandemic. Some of our key initiatives have included a PPE campaign, a million-mask challenge, blood plasma campaign, 7-day foodbank and a COVID-19 funeral service. Given the devastating effect the virus is still having, we feel dutybound to continue playing our part in protecting our community from COVID-19.

We are acutely aware of the fact that the BAME community have been heavily hit by the virus. The majority of our community come from ethnic minority backgrounds, and we are therefore concerned to see that the infection rate in Birmingham remains higher than the national average. Vaccination levels in deprived areas like Small Heath, where we are based, are currently lower than in other areas of Birmingham.

A COVID-19 Vaccination Centre will be set up at GLMCC which will open on Saturday 20^th March. We are grateful to be partnering with NHS England and Masters Pharmacy Group to make it easier for those in our community who wish to take the vaccine. This initiative is open to all people who are in the eligible groups stipulated by the NHS.

We encourage you to share this message with family and friends so that they may benefit from this potentially life-saving vaccine. Allah says in the Quran, ‘…and whoever saves a life, it will be as if they saved all of humanity.’ (5:32).

Mohammed Saeed, Chair of Trustees (GLMCC) commented:

“We hope that our partnership with the NHS will make the vaccine more accessible to the elderly and vulnerable in our community. We see this as an important protective step to help preserve human life, which is a core teaching of Islam.”

Murtaza Master, Clinical Director at Masters Pharmacy Group

“We are excited at the prospect of working with Green Lane Mosque in delivering covid vaccine to the community. We thank NHS England for understanding the needs of the BAME community and setting up this vaccination centre at the heart of the community.

This will go a long way in addressing the issues of vaccine uptake in the area.”

 

Alison Tonge, the Regional Director responsible for the rollout of the vaccination programme at NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands, said:

“We are delighted to open a new pharmacy site at Green Lane Masjid. Pharmacists know their communities and they are playing a key role in taking the vaccine out into local areas where people can walk to or find it easier to visit. Their local knowledge has proved pivotal in providing a vaccination service in places where people are most comfortable.

 

“We are very grateful to the leaders at Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre for making their premises available, and for supporting the initiative so wholeheartedly.

 

“The vaccines are both safe and effective, so if anybody who is eligible but hasn’t been vaccinated yet, I’d urge them to go online or call 119 and get themselves booked in.”

We pray that Allah (God) removes this trial and protects us all. Ameen.

GLMCC Management

Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre is a leading UK mosque situated in the heart of Birmingham serving the community since 1979.  Operating from its award-winning grade II listed Victorian building, GLMCC fulfills its mission of inspiring, educating and serving through its educational college, outreach work, welfare services, international humanitarian wing, as well as its fully functional mosque which is attended by thousands every week.

For more information about or work and services visit: www.greenlanemasjid.org

Or access our annual report at 2019 Annual Report