Homeless Ice statues unveiled in Canary Wharf by Muslim led Charity Penny Appeal

At 10:30am on 17th December, in Canary Wharf station, in the heart of the financial district, international humanitarian charity, Penny Appeal will be unveiling 5 life-size ice statues symbolising homeless families to promote their Winter Campaign. The frozen family will depict the plight of the 140* families who become homeless every day, and the 900* children who become homeless every month, right here in the UK.

The Rt Revd Paul Hendricks and Baroness Warsi will be joined by Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra to unveil the ice sculptures, following a brief speech highlighting the ways in which Britain’s diverse range of communities can show compassion and become more aware of homelessness during the festive period. Asking “What Would Jesus Do?”, the campaign will align people from all backgrounds together in the spirit of giving during the festive winter period.

To some, it will seem strange that a Muslim charity is asking people what Jesus would do, that is, until they find out that Muslims also believe in Jesus. To Muslims, Jesus, like Muhammad, was a prophet, and showed compassion and warmth to those in need. Christians will be celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. He taught his followers to feed the hungry and to love their neighbour.

Many homeless people remain hidden from view during winter, choosing to bus-surf or find other means of keeping warm. Both Muslims and Christians are inspired by their faiths to help them. We are placing the sculptures outside of the warm, cheerful interiors of some of London’s biggest offices to inspire people to give to an otherwise invisible community, just as Jesus would do.

Volunteers from Penny Appeal’s Team Orange will be distributing emergency relief to the homeless throughout the festive period, as well as hosting afternoon tea for elderly people who might be cold or lonely during winter and delivering gifts to children in hospital to offer some cheer during the festive season.

For more details on how you can help and make a change - visit Penny Appeal at pennyappeal.org

Let's do what we can to make a difference today!