Projects

The Muslim Association of Bradford (MAB) established the second oldest Mosque in the UK in the 1950’s (Howard Street Mosque in Bradford). However, by 1983, the MAB realised that opening newer and better Masjids needed to be complemented with Islamic Mainstream School Education, because the negative influence of the non Islamic culture, education and environment on our children (especially the girls) was tremendous. To that end, the MAB set-up the Muslim Girls School in 1984 at the Ryan Street site in Bradford with 26 girls. The demand for the school has since increased significantly.

The following points trace the struggle of the school to fight for the rights which the other religions (Christian and Jewish) are enjoying in the UK. You may like to know that there over 7000 such Christian and Jewish private schools (funded by the Government) which have over 1.6 Million pupils studying in them. To date the Muslims have not had the same level of rights afforded to them.

• MAB establish Muslim Girls School (for girls aged 13 to 18 years) in 1984 at the Ryan Street site.
• Provisional registration with the Department of Education & Science (DES) in 1984.
• Full registration with DES in 1990 (after six years of struggles and three Government inspections).
• Moved to Feversham site in 1993 (230 girls).
• Application and proposal for VAS submitted to DES in May 1994.
• Decision by Secretary of State for Education not to grant VAS status in February 1995.
• New Application for VAS submitted from Undercliffe Middle School in October 1999 to Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) for a 580 girls school, with full support of the Local Education Authority (LEA).
• Two inspections carried out by DfEE inspectors in 1999. Insha-Allah, expected decision on VAS Application 2000.
• VAS is granted by the DfEE on Friday 6^th October 2000, Alhamd-u-Lillah. The DfEE will fund 85% of the Total Capital Costs for the project with the remainder 15% being raised by the MAB.
• Once the school becomes fully functional, the total running costs will be fully met by the Bradford LEA.

• The total capital cost for building the completely new school is: £6,000,000. The DfEE will fund 85% of this (£5,000,000). The MAB need to raise the remaining 15% (£1,000,000).

APPEAL:
Our Respected Muslim Brothers and Sisters, this amounts to a significant amount of money. However, this is not just a Muslim Girl’s School project for us. As far as we Muslims are concerned, this is fighting for our fundamental rights, a legal right denied to us, yet something that the Christian and Jewish communities enjoy. With your Dua’s and help, Feversham College has become the first Muslim school in the UK to achieve VAS, Alhamd-u-Lillah. However, an equally important fact is that this will open up the door for the remaining seventy plus (+70) Muslim Girls Schools in the UK to achieve the same status. This will represent a major breakthrough for the Muslims of this Country, in terms of sustaining and indeed propagating the Islamic faith. You have made this the first Upper Muslim Girls School in the UK to be recognised by the UK Government. Now, help it to become the first Upper Muslim Girls School in the UK to be fully operational.

Please donate generously : every penny and pound counts. For every £1.00 (15%) you donate, the DfEE will match this with £5.67 (85%). PLEASE NOTE: WE CANNOT ACCEPT ZAKAT DONATIONS FOR THIS PROJECT.

Bank: Barclays Bank, PO Box, 10 Market Street, BD1 1NR. Bank Sort Code: 20-11-81
Account name: Feversham College VAS Appeal Account Account Number: 70763128

Feversham College

Radcliffe Avenue

Bradford, BD2 1JL,

West Yorkshire, England.

Tel: 00-44-1274-559 500 

Fax: 00-44-1274-559 509

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER : 1003475

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