Special guests attend Bolton Wanderers Ramadan event

The Iftar, a fast-breaking ceremony observed by Muslims during Ramadan, was hosted by Bolton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers in the Community on Wednesday evening.

Special guests and around 250 attendees from across the community from all faiths and none had arrived to take part at the Toughsheet Stadium.

Bolton North West MP Kirith Entwistle said: “It’s great to see our football club doing what they can to ensure all communities from all different faiths and backgrounds feel included.

“At a time when there is so much division in the world, it’s really important to come together, to celebrate our shared values, and to remember what unites us all.

Chief Inspector Helen Critchley, Cllr Rabiya Jiva and Reverend Hannah Lane (Image: Public)

“Wanderers belong to everyone, and we should always make sure our diverse town is represented.”

Ms Entwistle attended the event alongside other distinguished guests like Wanderers chairman Sharon Brittan, Bolton GMP district commander Chief Inspector Helen Critchley.

Bolton South and Walkden MP Yasmin Qureshi attended the event as did Vicar of Bolton the Reverend Hannah Lane and Wanderers CEO David Ray.

The event featured a speech from Imam Imran Muhammad and a performance from pupils from St. Michael’s Church of England Primary School in Bolton

Bolton Council cabinet member for stronger communities Cllr Rabiya Jiva said it was a “real honour” to attend the event.

Cllr Rabiya Jiva speaking at the event (Image: Public)

She said: “To see our football club continuously open its doors for an occasion like this speaks volumes and says something important about our town.

“It says that Bolton is a place where people are welcomed, where communities are valued, and where our shared spaces belong to everyone.

Cllr Jiva said the event was about more than breaking a fast.

She said: “It was about bringing people together, about strengthening communities

and it is about celebrating the values that unite us.

“For Muslims across the world, Ramadan is a sacred month, a time of fasting, reflection, discipline, gratitude and charity.

“It reminds us to slow down, to think of others, and to recognise the responsibilities we all share to care for those around us.

“But the lessons of Ramadan reach far beyond the Muslim community.

“Compassion, service and responsibility to others.

“These are not only religious values, they are the values of a strong society.”