The Story of Muslim Organisations Responding to Covid-19

Covid-19 has created a multi-layered crisis in societies across the world. It has been having devastating effects on those infected and their loved ones, their social life, psychological wellbeing and education, as well as having a wider effect on the health care systems, and economies globally.

The British Muslim charitable sector responded swiftly to this crisis. At the time of writing, the Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) has identified 194 Muslim charities attending to a whole array of needs. Many mosque spaces were shut and turned into centres to support the local community, such as organising a food bank or providing training to volunteers. Funds have been distributed to those that have been hit hardest financially by the virus.

With the unfortunate loss of lives, many took on the task of providing burial and bereavement support. Key workers such as NHS staff, have been gruelling away working long shifts in hospitals, and so various charities organised themselves to support the NHS staff in times of great strain on their lives. The instant response by these organisations was impressive, and even more so when considering that the vast majority of these groups have solely relied upon community resources to sustain their work.

This report highlights the inspiring story of Muslim organisations, local groups and volunteers responding to the COVID-19 crisis up and down the UK and their dedication to helping those in need. From ensuring that food and medicine gets to those in need, to supporting victims of domestic violence, stranded students, and single parents, Muslim organisations have been working tirelessly to provide multifaceted support for communities and individuals during this crisis.

The Neighbours Next Door report highlights the reality of the work that has taken place on the ground during lockdown, identifying the range of support provided by Muslim organisations, illustrated using a wide variety of case studies. The report also identifies some of the challenges faced by organisations and local groups during the crisis, and recommendations on how any future response can be improved based on what has been learnt during this unprecedented emergency situation.

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Report The Neighbours Next Door.