A summer fete in aid of a new mosque drew crowds of people for the 12th year in a row.

Noor Ul Islam Trust in Leyton High Road held its annual summer fete to raise money for Project Build.

The £8million project is funding the construction of a mosque that will feature recreation, education and prayer facilities.

Chairman of Noor Ul Islam Trust, Yusuf Hansa, said the fete in Leyton Cricket Ground on Sunday, July 24, was an opportunity to interact with the wider community.

He said: “It is so important because whether we are Muslim, Christian, Jew or Hindu, we are human beings.

“Those that we need to reach out to are people who have not got that on their mind.

“They feel that if we are black or brown or white we are different.

“We are one body in Waltham Forest and we believe that the whole community is one.”

Noor Ul Islam (Light of Islam) Trust started in a small building in Leyton High Road 26 years ago.

After the trust purchased the adjoining buildings it set out plans to redevelop the site into a multi-purpose complex.

The new mosque will include separate prayer rooms for men and women, separate gyms, a café, a bookshop and classrooms.

So far, the trust has raised £4million and an additional £50,000 was raised at this year’s summer fete.