Old girls' school to be reopened as Muslim centre

Published on Friday 21 January 2011 14:24

A LEADING private school that shut down in the summer after the company that owned it plunged into administration could be revived as a Muslim community centre and education facility.

St Margaret's School, which had around 350 pupils, closed its doors for good in June after 120 years in Newington.

Administrator KPMG put it up for sale in August and plans to use the proceeds to pay off the school's creditors.

It has emerged that a bid has been launched to turn the historic building in East Suffolk Road into a national "Islamic Academy and Mosque", including its own prayer and teaching areas.

A consortium of Muslim businessmen from the Newington area have put together a bid to create the 800,000 facility, which they intend to allow non-Muslim people from the local area to use as well.

The project, supported by the Blackhall Mosque, would see the building renamed as the Iqra Academy and would include a private nursery, fitness centre, educational classes and workshops, a youth centre, an Islamic Awareness Bureau, a conference and events centre and a public cafe.

Kamran Farooq, one of the businessmen behind the venture, said: "We want to encourage everyone to come and use this, not just seclude it for the Asian or Muslim community.

"We hope to get the youngsters in using it and to have a cafe for the locals and maybe a private nursery as well.

"I think it will be a huge asset for the area. There's not a place like this in Edinburgh - a community centre where people can come and learn about each other's religion and background. Our main objective is to bring people together."

The consortium, which has set up Iqra Academy as a registered charity, has already raised 75 per cent of the 800,000 they need to buy and fit out the building. They have now launched a drive to secure the remaining 200,000 from the local community.

On the fundraising website, they say their main aims include teaching and promoting Islam, helping the Muslim youth "preserve their Islamic identity", establish "a structured education system with an Islamic ethos" and to establish a "cultural and educational centre".

St Margaret's closed in June after being unable to pay its 2.5 million worth of creditors. Its four adjoining buildings in East Suffolk Road are all being sold together, as well as Buchanan House, a former church used as classroom space.

Graham Muir, who runs the nearby Ardgowan House guest house in Lady Road, said: "People want to see it brought back into use. Somewhere that educates children would be very welcome."

Nobody at KPMG was available to comment.