A MOSQUE in Oxford will be offering free school meals for children over the winter holidays, as well as throughout this October half term.

The Central Oxford Mosque will be offering free meals intended for children from Monday to Friday this week and then during the school holidays in December. 

The management committee, alongside its holding trustees Ajaz Rehman, Wally Dogar and Ashraf Rana, began their initiative to support footballer Marcus Rashford's "No Child Should Go Hungry" campaign. 

Read also: Food banks and larders in Oxford providing free meal

In the last week, a number of businesses and organisation across the county have been offering free school meals to vulnerable children over the half term holiday. 

The collection service at the mosque will be from 4.30-5.30pm and food can also be delivered if necessary up until 6pm. 

Faisal Aziz, from the management committee, said: "The mosque has paid for all the food from donations for this initiative.

"The initiative has been inspired by our prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings upon him and his family) who set an example of feeding those in need and instructed all Muslims that the best charity is to feed a hungry stomach.

"The food is for everyone irrespective of religion, faith and background. We have been liaising with local schools and offer a delivery service. 

Read here: How many people have signed Rashford's petition in Oxfordshire?

"With the recent despicable events in France followed by the subsequent appalling, irrational,  reaction from the French Government which I believe constitutes inciting religious hatred and extremism it has brought home to British Muslims such as myself that we are so lucky to be British and to live in a nation of tolerance, freedom, and cohesion.

"Being British means that we have freedom, freedom to worship, freedom not to worship,  freedom not to blaspheme, freedom not to incite religious hatred and most of all freedom not to label a whole religion because of the actions of an individual.

"As proud Oxfordians, we hope and try to assist our beloved city whether it be asking our youth club members to assist with litter picking in Cowley or assisting through initiatives such as this.

"We at Central Oxford Mosque believe that we are at the heart of our community as we have the community embedded within our hearts as we have been taught by our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) therefore, our mosque and congregation have always strived to assist our whole community and God willing always will."

You can see the other places offering free school meals around Oxford here.