Leeds Grand Mosque's 'Love in a Box' charity seeks help to feed more people in need

A Leeds Grand Mosque charity project launched as a temporary measure a year ago to feed people in need during the Covid pandemic is set to become a permanent fixture in the city.
Khalid Abdullah at the Love in a Box charity's food bank at Leeds Grand Mosque.

Picture : Jonathan GawthorpeKhalid Abdullah at the Love in a Box charity's food bank at Leeds Grand Mosque.

Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe
Khalid Abdullah at the Love in a Box charity's food bank at Leeds Grand Mosque. Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe

The Love in a Box charity has adapted and grown to meet demand and is now seeking help to establish a permanent base and a fundraising shop in Leeds.

Love in a Box - which has run a food bank in the basement at Leeds Grand Mosque at Hyde Park since December - is looking for new premises so it can expand.

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The charity has run out of space to store donated food for the food bank, which helps around 20 families per week.

Volunteers at the The Love in a Box charity's food bank at Leeds Grand Mosque.

Picture : Jonathan GawthorpeVolunteers at the The Love in a Box charity's food bank at Leeds Grand Mosque.

Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe
Volunteers at the The Love in a Box charity's food bank at Leeds Grand Mosque. Picture : Jonathan Gawthorpe

It also offers good quality second hand clothes and shoes to people that need them.

The Love in a Box charity acts as an outreach service to feed up to 70 homeless people every Saturday in Leeds city centre.

Volunteers cook food in their own homes and serve it to homeless people in the city centre at the same spot outside Holy Trinity Church on Boar Lane from 6pm every Saturday.

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The charity, which started delivering food parcels to people who were isolating at the start of the pandemic, has grown and adapted with demand for calls for help.

Khalid Abdullah is security manager at Leeds Grand Mosque and manager of Love in a Box, which was commended in Leeds City Council s Leeds Compassionate City Award 2020.

He is urging Leeds businesses to support the charity's bid to grow as it seeks a new base in the Hyde Park area.

The food bank in the basement at Leeds Grand Mosque on Woodsley Road, Hyde Park, is currently open from 10.30am to 12.30pm on Sundays.

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The charity is hoping to start extending opening to Tuesdays with the same hours from April.

Mr Abdullah said people who visit the Leeds Grand Mosque donate food and cash donations are collected via the @loveinaboxuk Facebook page.

He said Leeds City Council also donate surplus food from their school kitchen service

Mr Abdullah said: "I am surprised at the amount of people who are in dire straits.

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"It is shocking when you see the number of people who are in need.

"We are looking for sponsors to help because we need more space. We would also like to open a charity shop.

"We want to expand so we can store more donated food. We need bigger premises to operate from.

"We are appealing for Leeds businesses to sponsor the charity and help fund a move to bigger premises.

"We need more space so we can grow and help more people."

Anyone who can help is asked to contact Khalid Abdullah via email at [email protected]

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