TaqabbalAllahu minna wa minkum. May Allah accept your siyam, sacrifice, sadaqah and Ibadah during the blessed ten days of Dhul Hijjah.

On behalf of all the beneficiaries we support, the trustees, staff and volunteers at HHUGS, we wish you and your loved ones a joyous Eid.

Eid ul ‘Adha marks the end of the best ten days, days in which millions gather from all over the world in Makkah. Although this year, we may not have been amongst them, the best ten days were a gift bestowed to all of us; no matter where we were in the world.

Dhul Hijjah was once again a reminder of the generosity of our supporters; without whom we would be unable to continue our work. Due the unique nature of our work, families who are supported by HHUGS are shunned and abandoned by the rest of the community. They have nowhere else to turn to, but because of your unwavering support, we can continue to uplift, empower and heal single mothers and fatherless children.

Although there are cheaper options available, 134 of you still chose to raise the bar and perform your Qurbani with HHUGS; providing 2278kg of meat in total; of which over 1737kg will be distributed amongst 332 adults and 205 children in the HHUGS’ families for this Eid and beyond; a rare treat for some. Any surplus will be distributed to Syrian refugees and others in need in the UK.

“We’ve received Qurbani from HHUGS last year for the first time and it was great. We are a large family of seven and very rarely eat meat, maybe a handful of times in a year as it is very expensive and unaffordable for us to eat. So to be able to enjoy some lamb on Eid was a rare pleasure for the entire family. May Allah bless all those that contributed to make that happen and grant them al-firdaws.”

We would like to mention particularly the volunteer fundraisers for our various challenges – Race to Jannah, Give it up for HHUGS, Al Noor Boat Race and Box Hill, raising a total of £32,461 in this period, to alleviate the hardships of sisters struggling in the footsteps of Hajar.

Thanks to your generosity, smiles will be plastered on young faces as they open their gifts on Eid morning, their mothers will watch from afar with hearts full and tears brimming knowing that strangers didn’t forget them.

“Thank you so much for the gifts. It is the only thing my daughter and I look forward to on Eid, as we never see anyone. It really makes our day to think that we’ve been remembered when so many have forgotten us.”

We pray that even if we could not physically stand on the plains of Arafah, that we are amongst those freed from the Fire that day; that even if we could not physically slaughter in Mina, that we will be recorded amongst those who slaughtered our desires for His Sake.