Saints Foundation and Southampton Football Club hosts Iftar event at St Mary’s Stadium
Saints Foundation, with the support of Southampton Football Club has staged an Iftar event at St Mary’s Stadium as part of Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting.
The event was organised in collaboration with Southampton City Council as a community networking event to celebrate and educate those in attendance on the holy month of Ramadan.
Iftar is a community meal during Ramadan where people of the Muslim faith, of other faith and of no faith, are invited to come together to partake in the breaking of the fast in an environment of respect, mutual dialogue and engagement.
It’s the second time the club has hosted an Iftar at the stadium, building on last year’s event. This year’s event also had a focus on the foundation’s SO14 Active project, which has been running for several years. This project uses fun sport-based activities to encourage people aged 16+ in the SO14 Post code to lead healthier, more active lives.
Through this project the Foundation has built strong relationships within the SO14 community and those community partners and participants of SO14 Active were invited to the Iftar along with colleagues from across Saints Foundation and Southampton Football Club.
David Warnes, SO14 Active Coordinator for Saints Foundation said:
“We were delighted to be able to host this community iftar, which exemplifies the spirit of unity and inclusivity that SO14 Active strives to promote. By bringing together our diverse community partners, participants and staff we were able celebrate not only the holy month of Ramadan but also our shared commitment to fostering health, well-being, and togetherness in Southampton.”
Toqeer Kataria, Cabinet Member for Compliance and Leisure at Southampton City Council said:
“It was an honour for Southampton City Council to join Saints Foundation in hosting a memorable Ramadan Iftar at the stadium. The evening truly reflected the strength of diversity in Southampton, offering a valuable opportunity to learn about Ramadan and the positive impact of Saints Foundation’s SO14 Active programme, which is making a real difference in our local inner city communities."
