TWO young people from Bradford are making the most of Ramadan by helping to deliver cooked meals to their elderly neighbours.

Muhammad Habib, 15, and Muhammad Ismaeel Hussain, 9, have been carrying out the charitable duties in Manningham, as part of the Volunteering Interfaith Partnership (VIP).

Members of the VIP have been supporting elderly, vulnerable and isolated people with meals since the Covid-19 lockdown first began two years ago.

With Ramadan now underway, Dr Javed Bashir, VIP founder, said it is a “perfect time” to share gifts and be charitable.

He added that it is also important to carry out such duties to “break the shell of misconceptions” that people may have of the Muslim community.

Muhammad Habib said: “It feels good to help others, especially the elderly or vulnerable.

“I want to continue to support people and do my bit this Ramadan, and I encourage others to also try and help.”

Dr Javed Bashir said: “Not only are these acts compassionate, but they also open the lines of communication and understanding between our different cultures and faiths.

“We encourage people to take this opportunity to reach out to their neighbours, to join them for an iftar meal and to learn more about each other.

“For Muslims there is a greater need to showcase Ramadan not just as the month of fasting, but as the month of inspiration, bringing communities together and helping those in need.”

Gerald ‘Gerry’ Pearce, 74, a Keighley community figure who lives in the heart of the town’s Muslim community, added: “This is a great initiative, and it proves that being nice costs nothing.

“I know someone in the area who is always struggling, but I told him if he just sticks his head out the door, someone will help, because that’s how this area is.

“I think a lot of the help is here because of the mosque and the people there – we should be very grateful for it.

“We all know each other, and they never ignore you – and that’s the way to go, being nice to one another.

“People criticise the area and say it’s full of drugs and things like that, but it’s still a nice community of really friendly people.

“Even if things are a bit scruffy, that’s always worth its weight in gold.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from – we have African, Polish, Romanian and people from all backgrounds here – we all get along.

“If everywhere was like that, we’d be laughing!”