Volunteers providing surplus food twice a week to those in need in the run-up to Christmas have had royal recognition for their work.

They have been given the King’s Award for Voluntary Service for their “market stall”, where they hand out surplus produce from the retail industry to people and families in hardship.

The stall was set up outside the Central Mosque of Brent next to Willesden Underground station by mosque chairman Dr Raja Riaz and its trustees.

They run the ‘Extra Surplus’ food market with donations from supermarkets and stores in the area to help those in poverty get through the festive season.

The mosque began its community aid programme in 2020 using its premises as a Covid vaccine centre, administering 13,000 jabs in the first three months.

It went on to tackle the cost-of-living crisis that followed, and now runs the twice-weekly food stall, as well as diabetic screening and eyesight testing.