Luton Muslim community charity dinner raises £90k for L&D helipad appeal

The local mosques, along with the Discover Islam Centre and community radio station Inspire FM, have all played a role in a series of fundraising drives run recently.

The latest event, a dinner at the Chiltern Hotel on July 5, was attended by Luton Mayor Tahir Malik, Luton Borough Council chief executive Robin Porter and outgoing Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, and raised a staggering £90,000 in total.

Sarah Amexheta, head of charity for the Luton and Dunstable Hospital Trust, said: “We are immensely grateful to the Muslim community for coming together to raise funds to save lives.

“The new helipad is a vital innovation in infrastructure that will give the medical teams at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital faster access to patients needing timely, urgent care.

“Every second and every penny counts in this appeal.

“We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported - please continue to spread the word and get others involved.”

The campaign is supporting the wider fundraising drive by the hospital, which aims to reach a target of £1.5 million for a much-needed helipad.

It is hoped that it will be operational by summer 2021.

A spokesperson for the Luton mosques added: “Supporting local causes is an important aspect of the work that we do to serve our communities.

“The appeal supports a much-needed initiative and we are pleased that we are able to be a part of the Luton and Dunstable Hospital in this way.”