Volunteer
Pack
Table of Contents
Welcome
As-salaamu’alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu,
We are very happy to welcome all the volunteers to the Light Upon Light iftar event in Manchester 2024. It is a great honour to have you as a part of this team, we ask Allah to strengthen us all and help us all achieve the most we can on this blessed evening.
During this gathering where Allah is being remembered, eman is being increased, angels are asking for our forgiveness and our Hearts are being polished. Volunteering is virtuous act and encouraged in our faith, by volunteering we are able to help the attendees to have a wonderful experience that may be the catalyst to change their life.
Please take a moment to remember why you have decided to volunteer.
What does volunteering and working for the sake of Allah (swt) mean?
You are encouraged to love for others and treat them the way you wish to be treated, as our Rasool (SAW) has inspired us to be.
You will practice patience with circumstances, people, fellow team members and generally within efforts to create a great event.
You will work as a team player; you will get tasks allocated and you will being working hard to help in the area you are needed most.
You are granted opportunities to go that extra mile to help and support fellow Muslim brothers and sisters who have come to the event.
You will be getting the chance to experience what it’s like to be part of the amazing charity fundraising event for the wider ummah.
You will be able to gather many a reward by just
What Is Light Upon Light
Light Upon Light is a UK-based Islamic conference that has its roots in London and is committed to inspiring and uplifting thousands of attendees through interactive and inspirational events. Our humble beginnings started with a single event in London, which featured distinguished guest speakers such as Mufti Menk. Today, propelled by popular demand, we have expanded to hold events on a national scale, reaching a broad audience of individuals seeking spiritual enlightenment and community connection. Our journey of growth and expansion is a testament to the will of Allah and the unwavering support of our community.
Our central objective is to deliver valuable, enlightening events to a wide audience. To achieve this, we invite an array of diverse and world-renowned speakers, promote charitable causes, and collaborate with businesses that resonate with our community values. By facilitating access to such resources and knowledge, we have, by Allah’s grace, positively impacted hundreds of thousands of people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. We provide them with opportunities to learn about the orthodox and moderate paths Of Islam, encouraging learning, growth, and inspiration in their journey of faith.
Our events are designed to be engaging and interactive, fostering an environment of active learning and personal development. We believe in offering a platform that supports diverse voices and perspectives. Over the years, we’ve been proud to host some of the most esteemed scholars, artists, and sports personalities in the Muslim community. Their contributions have made our events rich with insights and have furthered our mission to inspire and enlighten our attendees, contributing to a deeper understanding of the faith we share and cherish.
Why is this night so special?
The Night of al-Qadr is the night in which the Qur’an was revealed. It is also the night where angels descend in abundance with peace and tranquillity, carrying the destinies of people for the coming year. There are more angels that descend in this special night than there are pebbles on the earth. Allah described this night in the Qur’an as ‘better than a thousand months’.
When is this great night?
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace and salutations be upon him) as the Mercy to Mankind he is, described the physical description of this night and its timing. Seek the Night of al-Qadr in the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights.
This means it can be on any of the odd night of the last ten nights of Ramadan so we should strive for worship throughout. The 27th night is especially important as a number of scholars and companions of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and salutations be upon him) considered the Night of al-Qadr to be on the 27th.
What is the reward for worshipping Allah in this night?
Allah in His infinite generosity has made the worship of this one night equivalent to the reward of a lifetime’s worth of worship. Two rak’ah performed in this night will exceed the reward of two rak’ah performed day after day, year after year, for more than 83 years. A pound spent in charity in this night will exceed the reward of a pound spent day after day, year after year, for more than 83 years. A verse recited from the Qur’an in this night will exceed the reward of a verse recited day after day, year after year, for more than 83 years! In fact Allah said in the Qur’an ‘better than a thousand months’ so only Allah knows how much He will reward us insha’Allah!
So what should I do on this special night?
Make plenty of du’a!
When A’isha asked this very question the Prophet
(Peace and Salutations be upon him) he instructed her to say:
اللْهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُعَنِّي
O Allah! Verily, You are the Most-Forgiving, You love to forgive, so forgive me.
Recite the Qur’an continuously.
Set up an ambitious target for yourself and your family.
Every single letter of the Qur’an that you recite has 10 rewards in a normal night. We can’t imagine the reward for the Night of al-Qadr!
Make a lot of dhikr of Allah.
Dhikr is the essence of all worship and the only act of worship which Allah
has ordered quantity as well as quality.
Stand for long periods in salah and encourage your family to do the same.
Salah is the coolness of the eyes for the believer and in prostration the worshipper is closest to their Lord.
Reconnect the family ties
Ensure you do not have any bad feelings in your heart towards a fellow Muslim. Learn to forgive and forget so you can have a clean heart on this special night.
Advice from
Ustadh Abu Haneefa Sohail
– Instructor at Eman Academy
To hear more from Ustadh Abu Haneefa, visit www.emanacademy.tv
Getting here
Manchester Central Windmill Street Manchester M23GX t-J
By Car
The best post code to put into your sat nav for drop off is M2 3GX
There are several car parks within a short walk. Please see below a list of car parks.
- NCP Manchester Central (M2 3GX) – under the venue
- NCP Great Northern (M3 4EJ) – 3/5 min walk
- NCP Oxford Street (Ml SEJ) – 6/8 min walk
- NCP Spinningfields (M3 3BE) – 10 min walk
- Q-Park First Street (Ml5 4FN) – 5/10 min walk
- NCP Salford Stanley Street (M3 SGA) – 10/15 min walk
- NCP Salford New Bailey (M3 SEN) – 10/15 min walk
- Manchester Bridgewater Hall (Ml5 4PS) – 7/9 min walk
For more information on getting here, please click here.
By Train
It takes a little over two hours to reach Manchester from London and Manchester also has direct connections to most major UK cities. Services arrive at Piccadilly or Victoria stations where passengers can connect with Metrolink trams for easy access to the city centre. Manchester Central is a 20-minute walk from Piccadilly Station or just five minutes by taxi. Alternatively, catch a connecting train to Oxford Road Station – just five minutes from Manchester Central on foot.
Volunteering role
Volunteer Info:
Volunteers are generally allocated roles based on the Event’s needs
and people experience. As much as we would like to give you your
preferred role, we are unable to always guarantee this.
Registration Team
Assist in setting up registration area, get trained on how to greet and register attendees before they enter the Salah Hall. The registration is done via your mobile phones, with the use of an app. This role will require usage of some mobile data and good working order mobile phone.
Welcome Team
Assist in setting up the registration area as well as the main hall, to assist the registration team in welcoming attendees, queue management and helping staff the information point. Duties will include set up of volunteers area attention to health and safety checks, meet and greet general guidance to participants. This team will also be involved in assisting the fundraising event held during the evening.
Main Hall Team
You will be involved in the main event, helping manage the salah area
maintaining rows general stewarding of Salah area assisting the fundraising
(see fundraising section) event in hall distributing of lftar food packs security and
safety. Ensuring musaleen safety making sure those that require chairs are provided chairs helping line up the brothers/sisters during Salah. Salah team must know where attendees can make wudhu. You will be able to listen to the lectures and Join Salah.
Pack Down Team
What is required from you? You will be assisting on the pack down of the event and help collecting the carpets and loading into vans.
Registration with Volunteer desk
On the day we will need you to come register with us. Due to health and safety regulations Light Upon Light in co-operation with Event Venue will need to make sure that all our staff/volunteers are checked in safely. For your safety we have requested for additional security on the day.
We request all our team to co-operate with us on this matter.
ETIQUETTES
Volunteering is an honourable position but also does need to maintain a level of Islamic mannerism, professionalism, and good conduct. As a volunteer you will be representing Light Upon Light and the values that we stand for, therefore it’s paramount that we maintain the best of behaviour at all times.
Please see below some bullet points to help build your good character whilst volunteering, The aim is for these etiquettes and characteristics to be not just used for the day but hopefully be used in other parts of your life long-term, to benefit you in this world and in the hereafter.
- Renewing your intentions throughout the day.
- Start with the Islamic greeting As Salam Alaikum , say thank you and Jazak Allah Khairun.
- Treat guests as you would like to be treated.
- Always seek to help people, especially the elderly, disabled or women and children.
- Leave matters that do not concern you, if required, report them to your team leaders to deal with.
- Stay away from argumentation and keep smiling and positive.
- Know your boundaries as a volunteer by working within the remit that has been given to you by your team leaders.
- Do not enter backstage or front stage, or enter presenter and speaker rooms.
- Whilst volunteering you may have close contact to some of the speakers and well-known presenters, please do not use the opportunity to take private photos or start dialogue with the scholars, this will be seen as abuse of position. (Please understand that many of the speakers and presenters are on very tight schedules and the times that you may see them are the only times they get to rest or have some personal time, so it’s paramount that we do not interfere but be respectful and carry on with our duties around them.)
- Volunteers must refrain from any private filming or reporting of any behind the scenes, as a volunteer we expect that trust from you.
- Brothers and sister volunteers must remain vigilant about free mixing and keeping communications within the Islamic guidelines to the best of the abilities.
- Volunteers must make sure that they are not missing their prayers throughout the day, brothers and sisters are encouraged to pray in congregation unless they are currently on duty.
- If you ever feel out of depth or have any concerns, please refer back to your team leaders if for any reason you would like that to be escalated, feel free to speak to the heads of the volunteering team, who are located at the Volunteer registration table.
- One of the key aspects of volunteering on such events is being able to be flexible, dynamic and be able to work closely with team leads. Always hold respect for your team leaders and senior management teams and be willing to following instructions thoroughly
DRESS CODE
Volunteers are required to dress modestly and trying their best to adhere to the Islamic dress code guidance. The event is a great opportunity for brothers and sisters to try Islamic dress code if they normally don’t adhere to it.
Smart Casual: A style somewhere between formal and casual. Not a smart look with a jacket and tie, but also not an overly sporty outfit with trainers, t-shirt and jeans.
Footwear: Clean, comfortable footwear.
Recommended:
Brothers: White Thobe with blazer
Sisters: Purple/dark blue Hijab with Black Abaya.
Personal belongings: Please note that we do not have a secure location for volunteer valuables (unless you wish to use the venue’s locker system at a cost) we do have a small room where volunteers are able to put personal belongings, but this room will have open Access to all volunteers throughout the day, so avoid bringing any valuables. Purses and wallets must be kept with you throughout the day
EVENT SET UP
Key Event Areas:
Registration Area
All attendees must register their attendance on site to enter the main event. Registration will be located at the main entrance of event directly after the venue completes its security bag checks. A iftar bag will be given to attendees once they register before they enter the main hall.
Main Hall
The main hall is where the event will take place, it’s a large hall with a prayer area set up, for attendees to sit on. This event is a floor seated event. There is a limited supply of chairs for those that are UNABLE to sit on the floor due to a disability. Attendees have been requested to bring a prayer mat with them. We do have a segregated seating system where the front section will be for brothers and rear sections will be for sisters. It is not permitted for brothers to sit in the sister section or vice versa unless authorized by a team lead due to significant mitigating reasons. Children can be split amongst parents and sit in either section. Children are classed from birth up till 10 years old. We do have a specific area for pushchairs and buggies, and wheelchair users will be also allocated a specific area. Toilets are located within the Main hall.
Housekeeping and Security
Any housekeeping or security issues to be directly referred to the venue staff on site. There are a number of staff that are going to be located within the event all have access to the main event management system, so any spillages or housekeeping issues refer to the staff that are located around the area, for any security or safety issues directly refer to the venue staff who will manage the issue, and we will be following their lead, this includes any fire or health and safety issue. There is a first aid team on standby and will be activated via venue staff.
FUNDRAISING
WHO WE ARW AND WHAT WE DO?
Human Appeal is a non-profit organisation working across the globe to strengthen humanity’s fight against poverty, social injustice and natural disaster. Through the provision of immediate relief and the establishment of self-sustaining development programmes, we aim to invest in real, effective solutions.
We work year-round to establish healthcare, education, and livelihood programmes that pave the wayfor empowered, self-serving communities. We also provide food, medical aid, and disaster relief during emergencies, a critical intervention that saves lives. Our skilled local teams are able to access some of the most hard-to-reach places in the world, at their most vulnerable of times.
OUR HISTORY
Human Appeal was founded in a small flat in Manchester in 1991, and was slowly and diligently built from the ground up. In 2004,
we registered as a company limited by guarantee, and we registered with the Charity Commission in 2014. Since then, we’ve grown from a team of two students to a international family of employees working in 30 different countries, with the support of hundreds of volunteers, all of us united towards a common goal of a kinder, fairer world.
WHAT ARE WE FUNDRAISING FOR?
This Ramada Human Appeal at Light Upon Light is going to be fundraising for our GAZA EMERGENCY APPEAL. After five months of conflict that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians and left most of Gaza in ruins, there is little to enjoy this Ramadan. What should be a time of peace, fasting and family time has been overtaken by destruction, famine, and fear.
With no end to the conflict in sight, the hunger crisis is worsening. Families are reaching the brink of starvation. With your help in raising funds at the Light Upon Light event, Human Appeal aim to support the people of Gaza against hunger and famine. Currently, Human Appeal are responding by providing 1 million hot meals and 20,000 nutritious food parcels to feed 100,000 families facing famine. We have over 32 years of experience in Gaza; since the start of this crisis, we have helped over 826, 430 people in Gaza to have access to food, medicine, reinforced shelter, hygiene items, and warm winter items. Your support in helping Gaza this Ramadan really is a lifeline. We cannot feed Gaza and save lives without your support.
CODE OF PRACTICE: Amaana.
We expect our volunteers to fundraise whilst following a code of practice in fundraising. The main concept we encourage the volunteers to adhere to is the Islamic concept of Amaana, Trust. The word “Amaana” mentioned in the Qur’an, means trust, honesty, responsibility, and integrity in all the duties which Allah has placed upon humans. This is regardless of whether the duties are commands, prohibitions, their trusts, or their covenants/promises. Amaana is a general obligation binding a person to justly and in good faith, deal with every person, property, or duty they are connected to.
Some of the key codes of conduct to help one fulfil their Amaana is to make sure that all materials, in particular filled-in donor forms, are stored securely and in line with obligations under data protection law. All documentation that has donors’ personal information must be bought back directly to the Human Appeal fundraising managers.
Volunteers must make sure the sealed charity Bucket is closed and stays sealed from point of collection to the time when it is returned to the fundraising management team. Volunteers must make sure that cash donations are placed in a sealed container or collecting box. Volunteers must not leave the collection boxes/filled donor forms or unsecured cash unattended. Volunteers must make sure that data they keep about donors is accurate and reflects their communication preferences, and is only kept for as long as is necessary for. Volunteers should always seek guidance if unsure about any fundraising aspect with the fundraising management team, who are on site throughout the event.
CONTACT
Volunteers will be allocated a team lead, and they are your first point of contact.
For anything else, you can contact:
Email address:
Guest
Public Schedule
Note:
| Time | Event | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 17:30 | Doors Open | |
| 18:15 | Asr Jamat | |
| 18:30 | Introduction & Qur'an | Imam Munir |
| 18:40 | Lecture 1 | Sh Adnan Menk |
| 19:05 | Sponsor 1 | Moddakir |
| 19:15 | Lecture 2 | Sh Wael Ibrahim |
| 19:45 | Fundraising | Human Appeal |
| 20:25 | Maghrib Salah | Imam Munir |
| 20:40 | Host | Joynul |
| 20:45 | Lecture 3 | Mufti Menk |
| 21:30 | Close |