During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Ihsan mosque community—led by Rahima Brandt and Jamal Sealey—launched the Norwich Free Market, a grassroots project created to support residents facing the economic and social pressures of lockdown.
The initiative began with delivering meals to self-isolating households during Ramadan. It eventually grew into a vibrant community hub where anyone could access free food, household essentials, and donated goods, no questions asked.
The Madinan model
Inspired by the Islamic Model of Madinah, the market is free to enter and traders aren’t charged fees. This created an open community space for small businesses, makers, bakers, artists, growers, and street-food vendors.
National recognition
The initiative won national recognition. In a personal letter, Prime Minister Boris Johnson praised Rahima and Jamal for creating “an innovative community hub which is supporting local suppliers to build back better from the pandemic,” adding that their work “epitomises the uplifting spirit of community.” He described local markets as “the heart of a community” and thanked the volunteers who made it possible.
Rahima and Jamal called the recognition an honour and highlighted how the market supported people’s “financial and mental” recovery during lockdown. With generous backing from the Ihsan Mosque and help from organisations like the Wellbeing Centre and the Theatre Royal, the market became a safe, welcoming space at a time when isolation was widespread.
Although the pop-ups eventually wound down as restrictions lifted, the spirit behind them continues through community fridges, mutual-aid links, and even new “Free Markets” inspired by the Norwich model. The project remains a lasting example of how neighbours can come together—and how small acts of solidarity can make a profound difference in crisis.
