The Muslim community have rallied together to kindly donate hampers to frontline workers across the county in a show of appreciation for their dedication.

Members of Canterbury’s Muslim Cultural Centre delivered the gifts to those in the emergency, medical and essential services.

They donated the items to the Kent and Canterbury and William Harvey Hospitals - as well as the Canterbury’s police station, fire station, main post office and Thanet’s ambulance station.

The 111 call centre in Ashford also received one of twelve hampers delivered to staff.

Canterbury Mosque’s chairman and intensive care worker Dr Mohamed Ali described the “amazement” when the gifts were delivered.

“People were extremely happy,” he said.

“All the frontline workers have been doing good work and some of them are not acknowledged as much as during the first wave.

“We decided to do as much as we could with as little as we have.”

The Muslim community arranged for the goody bags containing chocolate, sweets and a thank you letter to the frontline workers.

And as an intensive care doctor, Dr Ali knows exactly what kind of pressure frontline workers are under as infection rates rise.

“During the first wave there was a lot of appreciation to frontline workers - there was clapping and gifts," he added.

“But with the second wave, people might have taken it for granted and it is actually much harder than the first wave so they need all this appreciation to carry on.

“There is more pressure at the moment. We are better prepared and trained than during the first wave.

“But the pressure from the second wave grew faster than the first wave.”

This is not the first time Canterbury Mosque have treated people amid the pandemic.

During the first wave last year, they gave 30 care homes hampers and donated cash to local charities.

Canterbury Mosque member Ossie Altun, who runs fish bars across the county, donated 2,000 meals to key workers earlier last year.

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