NON-MUSLIMS are taking part in a challenge to fast for a day in Ramadan.

Hosted by One Voice Blackburn, the I’m Not A Muslim But I Will Fast For One Day campaign has so far been undertaken by Lisa Hacker and Mel O’Neil on Wednesday May 8.

Connections Community Lead at Inspire, Mel O’Neil, who also fasted last Ramadan, said she was mostly feeling tired and felt her body clock was all over the place.

She said: “I was tired and hungry, but I carried on and believed the reasons why I was doing it. It gave me empathy towards my colleagues who are Muslim.

“I want to help break down this stigma because Muslim people will find it difficult to get treatment from us and doing this helped me understand what they go through.”

Speaking about her breakfast at two in the morning, the 47-year-old said: “I just had a slice of toast and a glass of water.

“I had big plans in my head of what I was going to eat for dinner, but really I just had a healthy meal, because last year I thought I would eat a lot for dinner but then found I wasn’t hungry after fasting."

Group Facilitator, Lisa Hacker also took part in the challenge. The 37-year-old said: “It was my first time doing anything like this, and my first thought was that I was just going to end up eating something.

“It helps to think about why we are doing it. Everyone at work was also really supportive so it’s not as hard.

“I only had a bowl of porridge in the morning, but the hunger isn’t as bad as how tired you feel. I couldn’t get back to sleep after either.”

Ramadan is the holy Islamic month where Muslims forgo food and water between sunrise and sunset. A third of the population of Blackburn and Darwen is made up of the Muslim community.

Inspire is an organisation for adults with drug and alcohol related issues.