Welcome to the website of the Shropshire Islamic Foundation and its flagship, Telford Central Mosque. We are based in the Wellington area of Telford, in the county of Shropshire, to the west of Birmingham, about 60 km away.
The first mosque in Telford, indeed in the whole of Shropshire, was established in the 1970s by the small Muslim community that existed at that time, mostly families from the Indian Subcontinent. They bought a building that was formerly a church and converted it into a mosque. That mosque is called Tan Bank Mosque and is still part of the Shropshire Islamic Foundation.
With the steady increase in the number of worshippers, the building was not large enough to accommodate more than 300, and that number was exceeded at times when the whole community came together to pray.
In the early 2000s, the former Territorial Army headquarters in King Street was purchased, initially with the idea of converting the existing buildings, but eventually taking the decision to demolish the site and build the first purpose built mosque in Shropshire. Work started on this project in 2010 and phase 1 (first floor) is mashallah completed. We can now easily accommodate 700+ worshippers.
The planning for the mosque has been designed to take a second floor, when the need is there and we have the funding in place. As it is, the men’s prayer hall holds approx. 600 and the ladies prayer hall 200. Already the men’s hall is filled to near capacity on special prayer days.
In addition, we have a madrassah (Telford Islamic Academy -TIA), an Islamic school, for boys and girls, where they learn about the religion of Islam, how to practise it and how to recite the Quran. There are also classes for adults in Quran and the Arabic language. An associated ladies association, STUWA, holds a variety of classes on different subjects. You can read more about all these activities under the various drop down headings.
The next phase will require approx. £100,000, for on-site funeral services, and space families to congregate and moan the departed, in an adjoining building. We are well aware that this is a very large sum of money and for this sum we have to depend upon the unselfish generosity of our supporters and sponsors, both Muslim and non-Muslim. If you would consider helping us in this noble work, could we please ask you to visit the donation page for details.
We are a registered charity, so the Gift Aid scheme is applicable. Please help us to collect updated information on your donations and sign the gift aid form so we can claim the correct amounts.
Also, if you are able to lend a sum of money, in Islam called ‘Qarz e hasna’, a goodly loan, then there is great reward for this. A part or the whole of the sum loaned can be returned on demand. Please contact one of the trustees for details.
Barakalaufikum (the blessings of Allah/God be upon you)
