A safe space where sisters thrive

An introduction to Hope & Help and the support we are able to provide

Through the devoted efforts of our hardworking sisters, we had the honour of organising our first event. We collectively decided that we would invite young females from the age range of 16 to 25, as they are the future of tomorrow.

Our Make a Difference event, hosted outdoors during the Summer, began with an enlightening introduction about the ethos, aims and values of Hope & Help. We were able to welcome our guests and create a comfortable, calm environment while explaining to them the importance of our organisation. They had the opportunity to listen to one of our own volunteers who bravely chose to share her personal experiences with Hope & Help and how this wonderful charity was able to support her and her family through an extremely emotional time.

The guests were encouraged to realise their own value as young Muslim females of today and how important their contribution is to help shape the future of our community.

They were able to provide extremely valuable feedback through organised but casual discussion groups. Their voices and opinions help us to plan potential future events that would specifically target their personal issues.

Interactive workshops for the youth

This exceptional event, aimed at 13 to 16 year olds, first introduced Hope & Help as an organisation that is able to support and guide these young girls through the challenges they will face as they develop into inspiring young women.

Our passionate volunteers, young and old, gathered together to think about how we ourselves felt at this age. We chose topics that we unanimously agreed would be thought provoking and inspiring, and which would allow these young girls to really reflect on who they are as individuals, and the ways that they can better themselves spiritually and contribute positively to our local community.

After an insightful discussion, we recognised that the most valuable topics were Prayer and The Impact of Social Media. Due to the growing advances of technology, our motivating workshops really allowed the girls to get an Islamic perspective and reflect on how they use social media in their day to day lives. This topic was particularly close to our volunteers as many of them have young daughters themselves and the influence of social media has become increasingly powerful.

A safe and informative event like this was particularly needed; a place where we allowed the young females of our communities to come together. It provided them with a feeling of being united, especially during a time when many felt isolated and alone.

As a contrast to Social Media, we decided that Prayer would be a wonderful topic to focus on. Prayer softens the hearts and brings us closer to our Creator. It gives us a feeling of peace and serenity and strengthens our faith.

During the event, our guests also enjoyed taking part in a Tasbeeh making activity. They were able to create their own Tasbeehs and take them away as a beneficial gift. Each beautiful Tasbeeh had the logo and colours of Hope & Help to remind them that this charity exists to support them.

Before we concluded our event with a lovely spread of lunch, we took the time out to listen to our young girls and gather feedback from them for our event and for possible future events or activities that they would like to see.

Spiritual advice and guidance for expectant and new mothers

This worthwhile event included spiritual advice and guidance for expectant and new mothers. After the wonderful success of the first two events we were able to host our third event named ‘Bump to Baby’. The inspiration for this event came from the remarkably valuable feedback of our first event.

The purpose of our ‘Bump to Baby’ event was to invite expecting and new mothers to understand, learn and receive spiritual guidance on becoming the best mothers they can be. We split this programme into three different workshops: 1. Conception and birth. 2. Breastfeeding and nutrition. 3. Living with extended family.

All of our volunteers worked incredibly hard and enthusiastically to provide the best Islamic perspective on becoming a new mother and how to resolve any issues that may arise. The workshops emphasised the importance of our religion being at the forefront of our lives. Islam provides us with all the answers, we just have to be willing to listen.

As this event was for new mothers, our dedicated volunteers also provided a creche service. The creche allowed the mothers to feel at ease and it was greatly appreciated by all of our guests. In addition to this, we provided 10 minute breaks between each workshop to allow mothers the comfort and flexibility of checking on their children. We concluded our event with a delicious variety of savouries and sweets for our delightful guests to enjoy.