To commemorate the annual celebration of Ramadan, LAE’s student council organised an amazing Iftar event for all Muslim and non-Muslim people at LAE. The event embodied inclusivity and diversity and provided an opportunity to discover each other’s cultures and ways in which we celebrate religion. 

The Iftar itself is both the time when Muslim people break their fast after the sunset and enjoy their first meal of the day, as well as an opportunity to spend time with loved ones and share an intimate spiritual connection. 

To deliver this event, the council established committees that would be responsible for various aspects, for example: advertising, food, decoration, and prayer time. The Food Committee organised food delivery from a professional caterer, while the Decoration Team prepared gift bags for everyone who attended the event. 

Students were allocated deadlines for their task's completion and the two-week ticket sale. Everyone was able to purchase tickets from the Agora at both lunch and break for £6, students were also encouraged to donate money if they could not attend the event. The evening started at 6pm, after sunset everyone collected their gift bags and attended either prayers in the hall or went to the library for a short but incredibly fun Islamic trivia session. Afterwards, we made our way to the Agora where food was served by student council members. Students enjoyed a delicious dinner followed by snacks and dessert. 

The money collected was used to fund the running of the event, and we were able to donate a significant sum to the charity ‘Gaza Emergency Appeal’ 

Our Iftar event was both a cultural celebration and a collective achievement in organising a friendly gathering that reflected the tight and supportive community at LAE. 

Mirela Ilinitchi, Year 12