Food and Hospitality Offered at High Barnet Islamic Centre for Refugees and Asylum Seekers’ Visit

Key Points

• High Barnet Islamic Centre hosted over 30 refugees and asylum seekers with food and refreshments.
• The event was organised with HAWA, a Hertfordshire-wide multicultural women’s group.
• Extra warm clothing, including hats and scarves, was provided.
• The centre plans a monthly soup kitchen for homeless and needy families.
• The centre had an open day attended by Barnet Council leader Barry Rawlings and MP Dan Tomlinson.
• The centre supports multi-faith relations and community integration in Barnet.
• Owned by Darul Noor charity after raising £1.8 million to purchase from the Template Foundation.
• Application submitted for retrospective planning permission for public worship and community use.
• Objections to the application cite concerns about noise, traffic, and impact on residential amenities.
• Supporters highlight the centre as a trusted community asset with well-managed events.
• Local Muslims welcomed the opening as a valuable community resource in High Barnet.

What Happened at the High Barnet Islamic Centre’s Refugee Visit?

As reported by Anjim Iqbal, events co-ordinator for the High Barnet Islamic Centre, the centre extended its outreach programme by welcoming more than 30 asylum seekers and refugees for an afternoon of hospitality. This group travelled by coach from a nearby hotel to partake in a gathering organised in collaboration with HAWA, a Hertfordshire-wide multicultural women’s group that provides a diverse range of care services. Volunteers offered a generous spread of snacks and refreshments alongside extra warm clothing, including hats and scarves, to those who needed them.

According to Anjim Iqbal, who was pictured with volunteers Siham Bedjaoui and Zeenath Auleear, hosting a high tea event is part of ongoing initiatives intended to strengthen inter-community relations. She stated,

“We have already been promised support from local sponsors. They are helping us to source bread to go with soup of the day,”

confirming that a monthly soup kitchen designed to assist homeless and needy families will be their next community project.

Who Attended the Open Day and What Was Discussed?

In October, the centre held an open day attended by local dignitaries including Barnet Council leader Barry Rawlings and Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson, recently appointed as the Exchequer Secretary at the Treasury. Mr Rawlings emphasised the importance of strengthening multi-faith relations within the Borough of Barnet. He said,

“Establishing strong links across its various communities and faiths is key to social cohesion.”

MP Dan Tomlinson praised the centre’s outward-facing and welcoming nature. He told reporters,

“I have been to the High Barnet Islamic Centre a couple of times since it opened, and I have been really impressed to find a community which is so outward facing and welcoming. It is so heartening to see the Muslim community, like other religious communities in Barnet, uniting in their efforts to bring people together and create a strong community.”

How Has the High Barnet Islamic Centre Developed Since Opening?

The High Barnet Islamic Centre, located in Bath Place just off Barnet High Street, opened in May the previous year. Since then, it has hosted a variety of multicultural events including bazaars and open days. The Darul Noor charity, previously operating at the Rainbow Centre on the Dollis Valley estate, moved to the new premises after raising £1.8 million to purchase the building from the Template Foundation.

The centre submitted an application to Barnet Council seeking retrospective planning permission to regularise its use as a public hall and for public worship and religious instruction. This was necessary because the building, originally approved in 1995 by the Template Foundation for education and training purposes, had evolved in function. Consultants from Absolute Town Planning explained,

“Unlike many planning applications nothing is proposed either physically or by way of use. The application simply seeks to regulate what has been happening at the site for some time.”

What Are the Concerns and Objections to the Planning Application?

Despite support, objections to the retrospective planning application have been raised on the grounds that allowing the building to continue functioning as an Islamic centre for prayer might “cause harm to residential amenities in the area,” including increased noise and greater pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Critics further argued that before being used by the Template Foundation, the building had formed part of a small commercial complex and was “unsuited to attracting large numbers of people.”

Who Supports the High Barnet Islamic Centre and Why?

In support of the centre, Steve Verrall, director of Barnet Community Projects, praised the organisation of past events. He noted that Friday prayers and Ramadan celebrations held at the previous Rainbow Centre site were always “well organised.” Mr Verrall stated that the new premises on Bath Place had already proven to be “an asset to the borough.”

Local Muslim residents living near High Barnet, who previously attended Friday prayers in North Finchley, welcomed the centre’s opening. They expressed that objections against the centre were based on “misunderstandings and out-of-date assumptions.” They also highlighted that a change of use for the building would have no visual impact on the Monken Hadley Conservation Area.