A KEIGHLEY mosque and religious school building is to double in size.

The Al-Amin Jamia Mosque and Madrasa in Kensington Street, Knowle Park, has now launched a £200,000 fundraising drive to build an extension attached to the north-western side of its existing property.

Mosque president Mohammed Elias said the extra space is badly needed to cater for the growing congregation.

“We usually get about 200 people, sometimes more, for Friday prayers,” he said.

“We can fit people inside, but it does get quite tight, however, during holidays — Eid and the fasting month of Ramadan — it is very difficult and we have to conduct prayers outside in the car park.

“Also, once we have this extension, that would enable us to provide facilities for women.”

The mosque, originally founded in a house in nearby Victoria Road in 1993, moved to its current premises — a former church — in 2002.

The property’s owners said the £200,000 sum should enable the one-storey extension to be completed in about nine months.

This extension will feature a prayer hall, toilets and an office.

Planning permission was given by Bradford Council in August 2013 — the application was supported by a petition signed by ten local residents, and the plans include installing a gated pedestrian access onto Sawley Street.

Initial building works on the bare patch of land began two weeks ago.

Mr Elias, 53, who lives in Highfield, said the foundations for the extension had already been laid, adding: “The building work is still at an early stage, but it’s important for ourselves and the community to have this facility.

“We already do a lot of activities as a mosque, including funeral and burial services, but because of the lack of space, we can’t offer as much as we want.

“We depend completely on voluntary donations, and every penny people give is vital.

“People are donating whatever they can and we’re very hopeful we can raise the money.

“We’ve sent out leaflets asking for people to support us.”

Mr Elias said a special public fundraising event will take place on the land outside the mosque at noon on May 10.

People willing to offer donations can provide money via the following Yorkshire Bank account — account name Al Amin Islamic, sort code 05 05 35, account number 17292269 — or take donations directly to the mosque.