Iftar at Stamford Bridge
THE Chelsea Foundation last weekend hosted an iftar event at Stamford Bridge, a first for the club and a Premier League stadium.
A number of local mosques and members of the Muslim community, including supporters and school students, were invited to attend the Open Iftar event last Sunday (26) alongside Chelsea FC staff.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Ramadan Tent Project, a charity established in 2013 with the aim of promoting community cohesion and enhancing understanding of Ramadan.
Open Iftar is the UK’s largest community event during Ramadan, providing Muslims observing the fast with an opportunity to break it together. Founder, and CEO of the Ramadan Tent Project, Omar Salha, said, “For the past decade Ramadan Tent Project has connected and convened over half a million people from all backgrounds through its Ramadan Festival and flagship initiative Open Iftar.
“We are honoured to bring Open Iftar to Stamford Bridge, on the occasion of our 10-year anniversary and our 2023 theme of “Belonging”, and work in partnership with Chelsea FC who have been driving inclusivity in football.
“Football and Ramadan bring people together over shared experiences and we are thrilled to share this important celebration with football supporters from all backgrounds, representing a community of communities.”
Ramadan is recognised at Chelsea as part of the No To Hate campaign, a club-wide programme dedicated to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and targeting hate and discrimination.
Simon Taylor, head of Chelsea Foundation, expressed his delight in announcing the Open Iftar event in collaboration with the Ramadan Tent Project.