Tajammul Gurmani
Manchester: Chairman Manchester Central Mosque Victoria Park, Hammad Khan, has said that the mosque’s heating and air conditioning system, which is around 28 years old, will soon be replaced. He hoped that the new system would be operational before the winter.
Speaking to this correspondent, he said the old heating system had become obsolete and was beyond repair. Therefore, the mosque needed to replace the entire system, including all the ducting and associated equipment. “We have now arranged all the hardware directly from the manufacturer, Daikin. We have secured the equipment and appointed contractors recommended by Daikin to install the system and hand it over to us. Inshallah, the work will be completed soon, and we are hopeful that the heating and cooling system will be fully operational well before winter,” he said.
He further explained that the mosque had also faced problems with its air conditioning during the summer because the old system had become obsolete. The cooling system had not been working properly for around a year and a half and had completely broken down. The contractors began work around three months ago and had to remove all the old ducting because the system was more than 26 years old. He said the new ducting had now been installed, and work had been progressing for the past two months. He hoped that the remaining work would be completed in the coming weeks.
Talking about the cost of the new system, Hammad Khan said the mosque had initially received a quotation of more than £380,000. However, the contractor later informed the mosque that it could not deliver the system at that price. As a result, the mosque had to seek further quotations and invite other companies to submit their proposals. He said the procurement process, including obtaining quotations, took a further 10 months. “Alhamdulillah, the system is now being installed. By going directly to the manufacturer, we have managed to save well over £150,000,” he said.
He also appealed to the community to support the mosque financially, emphasising that it was a shared responsibility to maintain and develop the mosque for future generations.
“It is our mosque, and we should all contribute towards its development and running costs for the benefit of our children and future generations. It is in our own interest to support the mosque.
“I would urge everyone to set up a direct debit in favour of the mosque because, without sufficient funds, the mosque cannot upgrade its facilities or fulfil the needs of the community,” he concluded.
