As a simple Summer Bank holiday gift on behalf of West London’s Muslim community, to mark the end of another joyous Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr celebration earlier this month, WLIC commissioned the debut voyage of its very own ‘Mosque Ice Cream van’. Its mission? To serve as many delicious fresh Ice creams to as many local residents in Ealing, absolutely free!

It was a pleasure to see members of our wider community, from all walks of life, approach the WLIC Mosque Ice Cream Van in awe and wonder at the prospect of receiving a Free 99 Flake. Indeed many happy recipients were still in disbelief after finishing their cone! Over 350 free Ice creams were served in the van’s 4-hour voyage through West Ealing and Ealing Broadway, however the smile toll was considerably larger.

The comments from astonished onlookers often dwelled on the question “Why are you doing this?” with one person querying “Did you win the lottery?” The sight of young commuters, fleeing a bus stop at pace upon hearing the news of an Ice Cream van giving away free Ice creams was one to behold.

Others, delighted by the spectacle on their doorstep, gave sincere thanks: “I think this is great. I’ve never seen anything like this before. A big thank you to the WLIC Mosque!”  A young mum remarked: “Thank you so much, this is wonderful, a treat for the children, especially near the local park.” Perhaps the most fitting response, from an ecstatic father, embodied the essence of one of the campaigns key themes:”This is what’s great about West London! This is what you call community!”

WLIC would like to thank Br Sikander Zaidi for offering his precious time and service in the hire of his Ice cream van, the volunteers who assisted him and all those who donated towards this mouth-watering initiative.

The Ealing Gazette kindly covered the event, click here to see the article.