On behalf of the NTU Islamic Society Committee, I wish to put forward a proposal that will be of interest and a huge benefit to the Muslim students and staff at Nottingham Trent. I would like to begin by sincerely appreciating the effort that has already been made to be an inclusive and thoughtful University and Students' Union, by facilitating a hub and a place of belonging for students of all faiths, be it through a faith society or NTU Faith. I would also like to appreciate the immense privilege of having a safe and private space to pray on campus for Muslims. However, there are major flaws with what has been provided, so we would like to call for improvements to be made.

Currently, the Muslim prayer rooms on the City Campus are in the DICe Building. The space they occupy is not ideal for several reasons: there is a lack of peace when trying to pray at times due to the loud music or noise which can be heard from events which occur in the adjacent conference room. This causes huge disruption because, at a time when we require tranquillity, we are met with all the distractive noise and music, which is not ideal. Furthermore, the space is not large enough to accommodate our huge numbers on Fridays for the congregational prayer due to the sheer number of students and staff who come to listen to the sermon and pray as a community on a Friday afternoon. We are forced to use the conference room, which is not the best because it means members of the Committee - who already have an already busy lifestyle - need to find at least an extra 1 hour and a half prior to the commencement of the sermon, to set aside the tables and chairs, roll out the heavy prayer mats, vacuum clean, then afterwards to restore the room to an acceptable condition. It all takes a huge amount of time and organisation. Moreover, the sisters are also struggling, because many of them come to pray, and due to a lack of space, a large number are having to leave their shoes in the walkways, a trip hazard. In short, the current space in DICe is inadequate, and I feel a better facility would be well within the interests of the University. With DICe not being a very central location, it does not seem unreasonable to look into the possibility of having another space or several rooms distributed across campus that can be dedicated to prayers, reducing the distance travelled for those struggling to pray between sessions whilst subsequently accommodating for the amount of space required for the Friday prayers.

It is no better in the Clifton Campus. The facilities there are not even on par with what is available within the City Campus. There are major differences. To begin with, both the brothers’ and sisters’ prayer rooms at the Campus are smaller than those found in the DICe building. This causes issues on Friday prayers especially. There are far more individuals who would like to come and pray than what can be accommodated, which is a huge problem. The Friday prayer is of great importance to the Muslims, so if there is not an opportunity to pray on campus, in between their sessions/schedules, it becomes hard for the students and staff. Many of the amenities available at Clifton are outdated. The ablution facilities are not very sustainable, the windows aren't in good condition either due to ventilation issues. We have tried to mitigate this in combination with Estates, but there has not been a significant difference and it is worse in cold, wet weather. Furthermore, the carpets provided in the rooms have signs of ageing. To extrapolate, the sister's prayer room also can get very congested, with shoes being left in walkways due to a lack of adequate storage space and further improvements can be made to their amenities too.

In essence, this is our Big Idea:
1. Have designated prayer rooms in the University. These should be spaces where Muslim students can access, to perform their daily prayers in peace. 
2. Ensure the prayer rooms are well-lit, comfortable, and well-ventilated. 
3. Provide adequate and sustainable space for washing and ablution facilities. 
4. Ensure the prayer room has good carpets and other necessary items. 
5. Ensure the prayer room is accessible and easy to find. 
6. Make sure the prayer room is accessible to students with mobility issues. 
7. Encourage student-led initiatives to promote understanding and appreciation of the Muslim faith in the university community.

By taking these steps, the University can show that they value the spiritual needs of Muslim students and are willing to make the necessary accommodations to ensure their comfort and safety, which will help create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students, regardless of their faith.

I hope these points are considered valid, and I would like to conclude on the note that the Muslim community in Nottingham Trent is constantly growing, with the Society alone having more than 118 student members registered. Taking into account the many more students and staff who use these prayer facilities that are not even members, you can imagine how important this is to us. Please consider our ideas.

Many thanks.

NTU Islamic Society and NTU Muslim Community