Annual Report 2023

All praise be to Allah, Assalaamu alaykum (peace be upon you),

Dear supporters of Green Lane Masjid and Community Centre,

Allah says in the Qur’an, ‘Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.’ [Qur’an 13:11]

This verse emphasises the importance of taking personal responsibility for our actions and behaviours, and actively working towards positive change within ourselves in order to bring about positive change in the world around us.

As we look back on the past year, we are filled with gratitude for the steadfast support and commitment of our community. Despite the many challenges of the post-pandemic period, our community came together to ensure that Green Lane Masjid continued to serve as a vibrant hub for spiritual, educational, and social activities.

The past year saw significant progress in a number of areas. We continued to offer a range of educational programs, including our popular Qur’an and Arabic classes, and we launched new initiatives such as added sports activities for well-being and a fully-fledged adult educational college. We also worked to expand our outreach efforts, engaging with local schools and community organisations to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding.

In addition, we made strides in improving our infrastructure and facilities. We completed renovations to our community centre, creating a more welcoming and functional space for our community to gather and learn. We also invested in new technologies to enhance our online presence and ensure that our programming could continue to reach a wider audience.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, ‘The best of people are those who are most beneficial to others.’ [Tabarani]

This Hadeeth highlights the importance of serving and benefitting others and reminds us that success and goodness lies in how much we can positively impact the lives of those around us.

None of these achievements would have been possible without Allah’s help and then the unwavering support of our community. We are grateful to all of our donors, volunteers, and staff members who worked tirelessly to ensure that Green Lane Masjid remained a vital resource for the community throughout the past year.

As we move forward into the next year, we are excited to build upon our successes and continue to grow and evolve as an organisation. We remain committed to serving the spiritual, educational, and social needs of our community, and we look forward to continuing to work together to make Green Lane Masjid a beacon of light and hope for all.

Sincerely,

Mohammed Saeed, Chair
Kamran Hussain, CEO

Alhamdulillah, we continue to grow as an organisation and can now see the impact that GLMCC is having at both a local and national level. We are constantly trying to innovate and expand the way we serve our communities.

This report is a moment to take stock and reflect on what we’ve done. As you read through it, you’ll get a glimpse of all the incredible work that was carried out in 2021.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our supporters, donors, partners, staff and volunteers. Those of you who support us through your words, actions and donations.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, ‘One who does not show thankfulness to people, will not be thankful to God.’

We could not have achieved this immense output without the support of Allah through yourselves. I pray that Allah, may He be glorified, weighs all the work of this Masjid heavily on your scale of good deeds. Ameen.

Kamran Hussain

Chief Executive

Alhumdulillah (praise be to Allah), 2020 was the year of Covid. It has been extremely sad and difficult with many of our community members passing away; “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon” (to Allah we belong and to Him we return). We pray that Allah gives them all Jannah and gives their families
sabr (patience).

I can honestly say that this year was unexpected and unprecedented. Back in March 2020, we were one of the first mosques to close after consulting with our scholars, public health officials and medical practitioners. It was extremely hard for many, particularly our elders, for whom the masjid is an integral part of their daily worship and life.

This led to us not only cancelling our regular mosque activities (i.e., daily congregational prayers, Friday prayers and Ramadan activities), but a number of other major services, including our first ever umrah trip. We had just launched new welfare services including an education surgery and job club
and were also due to launch new youth activities, such as kids boxing. All of this had to be put on hold.

However, alhamdulillah it wasn’t all doom and gloom! Through adversity, Allah can bring about much good and there were abundant opportunities for us to continue to help others. I am glad to say that the entire team stepped up to support our community in so many ways.

Alhamdulillah, it’s an honour to be able to present yet another annual report. 2019 is the year, where as a Masjid, we have seen the greatest overall growth in our services, projects and departments across the board. Allah (SWT) has allowed us, through His mercy and blessings, to greatly diversify the nature of our welfare services, educational programmes and social events. As a result, we have had an unprecedented amount of positive engagement with our community, local organisations and national media this year. We pray that Allah (SWT) accepts the efforts of those who have worked tirelessly throughout the year.

I sincerely hope this report will highlight the impact that our work has had not only on the Muslim community, but also on the wider community, irrespective of race, religion or background. As Muslims, we believe that we must show gentleness, compassion and concern towards all of humanity. We strive to uphold a high level of character, and believe that good moral character is of the finest ways to present Islam for what it is: a beautiful way of life for all.