LONDON – The mayor of Lewisham, east London, volunteered with a local Muslim charity earlier this month, providing hot meals to the city’s homeless people.

“It was great to visit and help out serving food at Muslim Aid’s soup kitchen,” Mayor John Biggs was quoted by News Shopper on Monday, January 23.

“It’s heart-warming to see first-hand the hard work of local volunteers and charity workers helping the homeless.”

Mayor Biggs was talking about his experience volunteering with Muslim Aid soup kitchen last January 12.

The soup kitchen offered hot meals to 100 local homeless people in Altab Ali Park on Adler Street E1.

The Mayor found himself serving alongside Muslim Aid volunteer Mfa Zaman from Lewisham.

“I have experienced homelessness and I now feel it’s my duty as a human being, not just as a Muslim, to help suffering people,” Zaman said.

“I have no money to give but I have been a Muslim Aid volunteer for seven years. Making people smile makes me happy.”

Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.8 million according to 2011 census.

A 2013 poll by leading British charity website, JustGiving, found that Muslims top charity givers in the UK.