Airedale Hospital has opened the doors to its unique new Muslim prayer room.

The prayer room, built alongside the hospital's chapel, is thought to be one of the few dedicated prayer rooms of its type on Britain's wards.

And it has drawn widespread praise from members of the Asian community who identified the need for a place of worship at the hospital four years ago.

Constructed at a cost of £60,000, the circular-shaped room has been made possible thanks to cooperation between Airedale NHS Trust and members of the Asian community in Keighley and Skipton. Funding from the NHS boosted the scheme with £40,000, the rest coming from members of the local Asian community.

After an appeal was launched on Keighley's Radio Ramadan money for the scheme began to pour in, with local businesses also contributing glass and carpets to add the finishing touches.

Officially opening the new prayer room, hospital chief executive Bob Allen hailed the partnership between the hospital and community which has led to the development of the room. "We estimate that only three per cent of the local population is Asian but it is a very important part of the community," he said. "We have talked for some time about building a new room and when it finally came together we decided to build out instead of converting an existing room.

"We have had to be more aware of the cultural needs of the community as well as the NHS needs and we hope this new project will be welcomed and used not only by patients, but also visitors and staff.

"I would like to pay particular thanks to members of the Asian community who have fully supported the development of the prayer room and to Lyn Wilkinson, Khadim Huss-ain, Sue Franks and Doug Farrow."

The idea of a prayer room was first raised at the trust's Equal Access Group, a body formed four years ago to provide members of the local Asian community with a forum to voice health-care needs.

Chairman of the group Lyn Wilkinson said: "The idea was to ask members of the community what they wanted. A prayer room was clearly one of the major things which people wanted to see. It is still fairly innovative to have a prayer room in a hospital and I hope the community, which has helped to develop it, will feel the benefit."

Najma Allybocus, coordinator at the Roshni Ghar day centre in Scott Street, is also a member of the consultancy group. She said: "It is something which has been needed for many years and with the combination of the community and the trust we have been able to deliver it for the community. I hope this will be off great benefit to the community and that the trust will continue to show us the same kind of support."

Another suggestion taken up by the trust is the introduction this year of Halal meals for muslim patients.

After a celebratory buffet the new room was officially opened with its first session of prayer.

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