Bradford council leader SUSAN HINCHCLIFFE explains why the district won’t be coming together for Ramadan this year

THE last few weeks have been filled with religious celebrations – Passover, Easter and Vaisakhi – and each one of them has been necessarily more subdued than usual. A few days ago Ramadan started.

Last year I remember a great community iftar, the meal that breaks the fast during Ramadan, was held in Bradford’s Centenary Square.

It was open to everyone of every faith and no faith, all came together to share a great meal and a great conversation.

Such get-togethers are a very Bradford thing to do.

It’s why we have a reputation as being among the best intercultural cities in the world.

During this year’s Ramadan, sadly, we will not be able to come together in the same way nor will people in our Muslim community be able to gather with each other to pray, reflect and eat.

The Council for Mosques has been leading on preparations for this unusual Ramadan, supporting people with information and advice on how to stay safe and pray safe at home.

Together we are working to make sure people who can’t go out get the food and things that they need to observe Ramadan and celebrate iftar at home, to offer befriending to the isolated, to keep young people safe and to get the message out.

One of the things that we need to get across is that while people need to stay at home that does not mean that essential services are closed – we’re ‘Still Here To Help’. In particular, our health services are staying open, so if you have a health concern please do phone your GP and you will still be able to get help.

Please don’t hesitate.

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Ramadan is a time of great giving.

Thankfully online technology and social media offer the opportunity to continue supporting charitable causes and I know Bradford District will, as ever, respond with great generosity.

We are known as one of the most generous cities in the country.

We have all been amazed and delighted by Captain Tom’s fundraising efforts. 99 years old (almost 100!) and still out and about doing 25m laps of his garden to raise money for our NHS.

He’s captured the nation’s heart and has even got his own Wikipedia page now!

And of course, he’s one of our own, Keighley born and bred, once again showing our people to be generous to the core.

Happy birthday for Thursday, Captain Tom.

IN spite of these dark times, there are many such stories here in the district of people helping each other with food, a friendly phone call and a warm word.

For those of you observing Ramadan may I wish you a blessed time in spite of our current restrictions.

And for all of us let us be kind and generous to each other, then we will get through this.