Like every year, on Sunday 19th August 2018 Scotland’s Ahmadiyya Muslims Elders Association (AMEA) organised a Regional Charity Walk For Peace (CWFP) at the iconic Kelvingrove Park Glasgow Westend to raise funds for Scottish Charities.

The preparation started just after the main Charity Walk For Peace held at The Royal Windsor Park, Runnymede on 29th April 2018. The Regional Committee CWFP organised few meetings over the months as part of the planning process for the Fundraising event and by so nominated Ten Scottish Charities.

The Ten Scottish Charities which are Poppy Scotland, Save The Children Scotland, Aberlour Children’s Charity, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, Archie Foundation Dundee, Ronald McDonald House, Beatson Cancer Charity, Glasgow Night Shelter, Children Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS) and Amara Association were written to with the good news of their Charities selected as the beneficiaries of this year’s CWFP Scotland activities. The Charities were invited to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Glasgow Mosque Complex for few meetings to be explained how the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community being a Religious Organizations have supporting the needy and the poor as core fundamental part of its activities.

The members of AMEA Scotland were then tasked with the responsibility of raising funds through various means such as through sponsorship forms where they physically ask people to donate as well as online where individuals set-up fundraising sites to raise funds and many other means to achieve a set target of £20,000. The various charities were also encouraged to set-up or organise fundraising events such as Bag Packing, Street Collections etc. AMEA Scotland provided it’s members as manpower to help the Charities raise the funds.

All these activities were climax with the 5K Fun Run and Walk which was organized on Sunday 19th August 2018 for the whole Community to participate and raise funds for the various Charities.

Dignitaries such as the local MPs Rt. Hon Alison Thewliss and Rt. Hon. Carol Monaghan MP and local Councilors Martha Wardrop and Feagal attended the event to address all participants before the event started, took part in the race, had delicious Lunch with all the participants and stayed for the award ceremony to conclude the day’s event were winners of the race and highest fundraisers were awarded with trophies and medals. To make the event even more colorful and enjoyable for all participants, all Charities had a very wonderful setup with their brands banners, T-shirts and goodie bags, which participants helped themselves and wore the various charities T-shirts for the race, making it more fun for all.

In her keynote address Rt. Hon Alison Thewliss MP and all the other dignitaries who attended the event thanked AMEA Scotland and the Committee of CWFP Scotland for organizing such an amazing event to raise funds for the various Charities in Scotland who served the needy in the Communities.

In his welcome address, the Chairman for CWFP Scotland Mr Ahmed Owusu-Konadu thanked all participants for joining the fun event and added that “the beneficiary charities must never see AMEA and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for that matter as doing them a favour, because serving the needy, poor and vulnerable is a Religious responsibility that must be fulfilled and that is one of the many beauties of the Islamic faith, which the media normally don’t portray”.

The event was attended by more than 100 participants, males, females, young and old from various background and a total of approximately £4000 was raised on the day.

The fundraising efforts and activities still continue with the aim of raising the set target of £20,000 by the end of the year and a Cheque Presentation held early 2019 to present 100% of all funds raised to the Scottish charities supported this year.