Police officers support the homeless

Police officers support the homeless

Muslim police officers from Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester took to the streets to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan on Friday night (26 August), by offering help and support to the homeless and less fortunate.

The off-duty police officers teamed up with Muslim doctors to support the Mustard Tree, a Christian charity which serves homeless people across Greater Manchester.

Detective Chief Inspector Asrar Ul-Haq initially contacted the charity to support the work they were doing, and developed the initiative with Dr Zuber Ahmed.

During the evening, the officers worked with the charity to serve around 40 people with hot food and drinks, and offered support and guidance to those who turned up.

In addition, the Association of Muslim Police provided food parcels for people to take away.

Detective Chief Inspector Ul-Haq said: “It was a humbling experience working with the volunteers from Mustard Tree to feed and support people less fortunate than ourselves.

“Once an assessment has been made on the success of the initiative, there are plans for a more sustainable partnership between the Muslim officers, doctors and the charity.”

Doctor Ahmed, who spoke to people about a range of medical issues, said: “The people we spoke to do not normally seek medical advice until the problem becomes severe or chronic.

“We were able to give advice on simple, early interventions which can often avoid long-term suffering. It was great to be a part of this scheme.”