Luton's deputy mayor creates community initiatives to 'reduce social isolation'

Luton’s deputy mayor has been ‘overwhelmed’ by the response from the town after organising two new community initiatives.

Cllr Zanib Raja began her ‘Chai sha with Zanib’ and ‘Feed the Need Ethnic Food Pantry’ campaigns at the Luton Central Mosque, which she hopes will help support families and individuals affected by the cost of living crisis and social isolation. The initiatives took seven months of planning to bring together, and are exclusively for women.

She said: “These are personal projects that I have chosen to start, and as a member of this community I’ve always wanted an opportunity to give back. I chose to run this at Luton Central Mosque because it is the central point of Luton, and is a safe space for everyone, where all women are welcome.”

The next ‘Chai Sha with Zanib’ afternoon will be taking place on Sunday, March 3 at 1pm. The event educates members of the community about diabetes, pulmonary lung and heart disease, Alzheimer’s, dementia, anxiety, mental health, children and family services, and more.

Zanib added: “I was happy to see the support from multiple organisations that wanted to merge alongside myself to help to reduce social isolation in our community. A very big thank you to Karak Chaii Luton for donating the Chai for my event, I really appreciate your support.”

The ‘Feed the Need Ethnic Food Pantry’ initiative provides food for Luton’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community. Zanib said: “What sets this pantry apart is that these are food items that are highly in demand in the Muslim, Asian, Black, and Afro-Caribbean communities.”

Items in the food packs include rice, lentils, beans, flour, almonds, and more. Zanib added: “Catering for the needs of individuals is vital, especially during the cost of living crisis. We are helping struggling families and individuals, so they don’t have to choose between paying bills or feeding their families.

“I want to make a real tangible difference to everyday lives, and do whatever is possible to prevent the burden of austerity falling harshly on those already struggling.”

The next ‘Feed the Need Ethnic Food Pantry’ will be taking place on March 31 at 1pm.