'Serving Britain is part of our faith' – Young Muslims in Hartlepool make a clean start to 2023

Equipped with bin bags, litter-picking sticks and high-vis jackets, 26 members of Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) Hartlepool joined forces as part of a annual initiative “to serve Great Britain clean by keeping it clean”.

Haris Chaudhary, the local youth leader of the association, said: “At a time when we need unity and togetherness, this is a great opportunity to bring people together from different walks of life to serve the country in which we live in as one team.

"Islam teaches us that ‘loyalty to your nation is part of your faith’ and this is something which I and my fellow young Muslims strive to live by every single day.”

This initiative has now become an annual tradition for AMYA, the youth organisation of Britain’s largest organised Muslim community, with similar events staged throughout the country on New Year’s Day.

As part of the nationwide Mercy for Mankind campaign, AMYA organises various community projects every year starting with the January 1 street clean up.

Other initiatives include tree planting, fundraising, blood donations, food drives and various other projects throughout the year.

Commenting on the campaign, the national director of AMYA Community Services, Muhammad Akbar, said: “Littering costs the UK an estimated 660 million pounds a year.

"While the Government and local authorities are doing a great deal to address this issue, we feel strongly that it is our religious and civic duty to also act.

"From a religious perspective, cleanliness and looking after our local communities are essential to the Islamic faith.

“With this in mind, our AMYA members across the UK kicked off 2023 with pre-dawn prayers followed by a nationwide street cleaning day.

"As well as AMYA members, we invited members from the local communities to join us and help us keep Britain tidy.”

The Hartlepool branch of the youth association’s previous activities have included raising funds for the town’s Poppy Appeal and for Red Cross appeals in aid of the victims of terrorist atrocities in this country.