Wow, this is my first time fundraising on JustGiving and I thought… yeah… why not… let’s start with something fun where I get my fitness levels up in the process!

So In-Sha’Allah this April I will be running the 10K marathon in Birmingham in hope to raise over £1000 to support affected families across Palestine.

I will be teaming up with “Working With Villages In Palestine” charity organisation who are carrying out wonderful work throughout Palestine through a strict 100% donation policy, so every penny and pound is given without failure.

The initiative of “Sponsoring The Imam” and the “Imam’s Health Campaign” to raise funds was first suggested by my wife… (now thinking about it, I really think she just wanted me to lose weight?!) So from an initial spontaneous idea, it has now found its feet and we are going full steam ahead!

In an age where obesity is on the rise, keeping fit and healthy is essential. Therefore I hope through this fundraiser to also create an equal awareness to all Imams and religious workers in the “faith industry” to keep in shape throughout their daily lives and routines.

I’ve just realised how tough it is to train for a 10K, and how much it would take over my life in the build-up to run, but in the end I know it will all be worth it. What motivates me the most is that each time I train and run out of breath, with sore muscle, aches, and pains, I know that this temporary pain is nothing in comparison to what our families are experiencing in Palestine.

In-Sha’Allah I will be running on Sunday April 14th at 10am in Birmingham, and although I have set myself a £1000 target, I am optimistic I will smash this target with everyone’s help!

Imam Mohammed Hammad

Iqra Centre
Coventry