Islamic Centre group offering food, phones and support to Lanarkshire residents in need

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A Lanarkshire group has supported the hungry and people with mental health issues as parts of its aim to "try and build better and stronger communities".Friends of Airdrie and Coatbridge Islamic Centre (FACIC) work closely with local residents to ensure everyone "knows that help is here".Due to the pandemic, the group has been unable to hold its popular annual community open day at the Islamic Centre - but the members haven't let that stop them from offering aid.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android The team has gathered basic mobile phones to give to people to keep in touch with their mental health team and delivered more than 300 food parcels to the elderly and people who are struggling financially.

Dr Irfan Jehangir, FACIC chairperson, told Lanarkshire Live : "We used to arrange a community open day every year to bring people from all walks of life together and share their culture and ideas with each other with a view to building better and stronger community relations. "Our open days were marked by fundraising for a local charity and in the past we managed to collect funds for great local causes like St Andrew's Hospice, the Beatson Cancer Charity, Maggie's and Mavisbank School."Over the past two years we haven't been able to get such events organised due to the pandemic and its restrictions."Howe