Muslim Women's Council announces partnership with Forget Me Not Children's Hospice

As well as planning to build Britain’s first mosque governed by women, the Muslim Women’s Council now looks set to be the first to include a children’s hospice service on-site.

Bana Gora, the chief executive of the Muslim Women’s Council, said: “It will be the first of its kind in the UK, to have a hospice in the same space as a mosque.”

The group yesterday announced it was partnering with the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, which is based in Huddersfield but also serves Bradford and runs support projects across much of West Yorkshire.

Plans are at an early stage - a spokesman for the hospice said they would consult with the local community before deciding which services they would offer from the Bradford base, but that this could include therapy, support for families, outreach work or even palliative beds.

It may or may not be incorporated into a Centre of Excellence planned for the mosque site, which will offer a range of support for women such as bereavement services or help for those experiencing domestic violence.

Ms Gora said there was a huge need for more support in Bradford for families of children with terminal conditions - especially those from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities.

She referenced research by the University of Leeds which found there were 600 children with life-shortening conditions in Bradford, as well as research by Born in Bradford into the sensitive issue of cousin marriage - a practice common in Pakistani families - and its links with a greater risk of having children with genetic anomalies.

Ms Gora said providing a hospice service alongside a place of worship and other services could make it more accessible and help to break down taboos around illness and death.

She said: “There seems to be some reservation and also some taboos, I think, when it comes to openly acknowledging a family has a terminally-ill child - not speaking out, not accessing services, and deciding to care for a child in-house rather than reaching out.”

Ms Gora said the hospice service wouldn’t just be for Muslim families.

She said: “It will be inclusive and open for everybody. It will be accessible to everyone but obviously we will try and promote the services directly to the BME community and also Eastern Europeans or new migrant communities.”

Peter Branson, chief executive of the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, said: “Our mission is very simple, we are here to say yes to children and families who need us.

“Working together with the Muslim Women’s Council, we hope to truly understand the needs of the Muslim community and ensure we are offering the right services that will make a real difference to families in need.”

Ms Gora said the Muslim Women’s Council had now identified a site for the mosque, and while its location was currently confidential, it was near Bradford city centre.

She said the facility would cost at least £500,000 - but probably more - to build and fundraising would begin in earnest this year, through a programme of events held in partnership with the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

The mosque itself will be managed by women, with male Imams, and open to both men and women.

The Centre of Excellence will be women-only, Ms Gora said.

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