The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson visited the Brick Lane Mosque in east London, at the heart of London’s Muslim and Bangladeshi communities.

During the visit, the Mayor reiterated his call for 5,000 adult volunteers to work with uniformed youth groups such as the Scouts.

He also asked for members of Muslim communities to put themselves forward as Ambassadors for the 2012 Games. 8000 Ambassadors are being recruited to provide the best welcome and experience of London to the millions of visitors expected during summer 2012.

The Mayor’s message about giving back to the community and society comes during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which teaches Muslims the importance of community spirit, charity and helping those less fortunate.

Marking the final week of Ramadan, Boris Johnson met with the President of the mosque, Ataur Rahman Chowdhury, members of the mosque management committee, local community members and over 1000 worshippers.

Boris Johnson said: ‘Generosity, community spirit and strong family and societal ties lie at the heart of the teachings of this holy month and it is with this in mind that I’m calling for Muslim volunteers to take part in our drive to get 5000 volunteers to work with young people in uniformed groups such as the Scouts and Cadets.

"Islam teaches that young people should be nurtured and drawn away from that which is bad such as crime and violence and guided towards that which is good. ‘Most people don’t realise that even a few hours a week can make a real difference to the lives of young people in the capital.

"From charities to uniformed groups, everyone has the same problem - simply not enough people to lend a helping hand. Some of these groups have thousands of kids on their waiting lists.

"Muslims are an integral part of the rich and diverse fabric of London and contribute to every sphere of society including the economy, culture, sport and finance. I want 2010 to be the year that Muslim Londoners come forward to volunteer and make an even bigger contribution to their communities and their capital city'.

Ataur Rahman Chowdhury, President of the Brick Lane Mosque, said: ‘It is a great opportunity and honour to welcome the Mayor of London here to the historic Brick Lane Mosque.

We, the management committee, and the Bangladeshi Muslim community at large, would like to thank the Mayor for coming here to the East End of London to see how we are doing.

We strongly believe that a meeting like this would most certainly strengthen the relationship between the communities and build a platform by which we can combat racism, inequalities and terrorism of all sorts.’