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Every week, volunteers at Nasir Mosque, in Brougham Terrace, prepare over 100 rice-based meals which are delivered to St Aidan’s Church, Dyke House’s Annexe community centre and neighbours.

They have been doing it for more than two years after starting during the first Covid lockdown, and to date have made more than 14,600.

Mosque Imam Tahir Selby said: “We started doing it in the early days of Covid giving food for the NHS staff, and then started giving it to local food banks.

Tahir Selby Imam of Nasir Mosque in Hartlepool looking over the latest weekly batch of meals made for the local community. Picture by FRANK REID

"In the early days I thought 1,000 was a huge target but now we have gone on to give up to 15,000.”

A small number of volunteers spend several hours every Wednesday evening cooking and packing the meals, ready to be delivered to St Aidan’s Church on the Thursday morning.

They tend to consist of rice and peas, rice and potatoes, sometimes sweet and savoury rice and occasionally with added meat.

Mr Selby added: "We cook between 120 and 160 a week. We’ve had very good feedback.

The scheme has made almost 15,000 meals for the local community since 2020. Picture by FRANK REID

"People find it very tasty. The only thing is some people say it is not spicy enough.

"Every time I deliver the food I see long queues of people waiting. Normally it is gone very, very quickly.”

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Around 100 go to St Aidan’s Church, in Oxford Street, which feeds and supports people every Thursday, often those waiting for their Universal Credit payment or who are going through difficult personal circumstances.

Parish administrator Katherine Batty said the meals, known by the food bank users as ‘mosque rice’ are always well received.

She said: "They come every week and it has developed into a great relationship.

"The people who come to us love the meals that they provide. There’s enough in each one for two meals and people will add to it with vegetables or meat.”

Visitors to the food bank also get a bag or groceries and a hot meal prepared by the church.

Despite the cost of living crisis seeing food prices go up, the mosque has no plans to stop its support.

Mr Selby said: “Whilst there is a need we’re hoping we will continue for a long time yet.”

Hartlepool mosque makes 15,000 free meals for town food banks