Altrincham Muslim Association opens its Grove Lane doors on Saturday 19 September, 3pm to 5pm: look round, meet members, ask questions. Free, everyone welcome.
Altrincham Muslim Association will open its doors to the public on Saturday 19 September, from 3pm to 5pm. The mosque is the Islamic Cultural Centre on Grove Lane in Hale, WA15 8JG. There is no charge, and the invitation is open to everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.
It is the only Trafford mosque listed on the finder for this year’s national open day weekend.
The practical details
- When: Saturday 19 September 2026, 3pm to 5pm
- Where: Islamic Cultural Centre, Grove Lane, Hale, Altrincham WA15 8JG
- Booking: not needed, although the mosque has a registration form so it can plan numbers
- Cost: free
- Contact: events@altrinchammosque.org
Shahyda Chaudhry, a trustee, wrote to the Alty Post inviting readers to come. Visitors will be able to look round, see how the different spaces are used, meet members of the congregation and ask whatever they want to ask, she said. The afternoon is meant to be relaxed and informal, and it is family friendly, with children’s activities, home-cooked food and refreshments.
“Come in, meet us, ask questions and get to know the community behind the mosque,” she wrote. The point of the day, she said, is to welcome people from across the local community, including anyone who has never been inside a mosque before, and to let them hear about the work the mosque does locally directly from the people who do it.
Corrected 10 September: an earlier version of this article said the mosque’s email address did not load when we checked. It is working. Anyone who wants to ask about the day can email events@altrinchammosque.org.
What the mosque runs the rest of the year
The centre’s listing on the Visit My Mosque finder sets out fourteen services. Among them:
- a food bank
- a madrasah, plus Quran, Arabic and Islamic studies classes
- women’s groups and youth activities
- counselling and mental health support
- refugee support and convert support
- marriage services and zakat distribution
Trafford Council’s directory adds that the association works with local schools and is a founding member of the Altrincham Interfaith Group.
The national campaign
Visit My Mosque is run by the Muslim Council of Britain. This year it falls on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September, and the campaign says more than 250 mosques take part. Mosques can still register until Friday 11 September, so the list may grow. The campaign’s homepage puts the national total at more than 250; the finder we searched returned fewer, which is what you would expect three weeks out.
Searching the finder on the WA15 8JG postcode returns Altrincham Muslim Association as the only participating mosque in the borough. The nearest others are both a drive away:
| Mosque | Postcode | Open |
|---|---|---|
| Altrincham Muslim Association | WA15 8JG | Sat 19 Sep, 3pm to 5pm |
| Cheadle Masjid | SK8 3NP | Sat 19 Sep, 11am to 3pm |
| Ashton Central Mosque | OL6 9JA | Sat 19 Sep, 12pm to 4pm |
A church, then a mosque
The building is a former church. Trafford Council’s directory records that the Islamic Cultural Centre was set up in July 2003, when the association bought the former St David’s Church on Grove Lane. The association itself was formally established in September 1995, and had been running since 1992. It registered as a charity in 2004.
It is now registered charity 1101378. The Charity Commission shows its reporting up to date. For the year to 31 December 2024 it reported income of £283,686 and spending of £198,454. It lists 10 trustees and 50 volunteers, and no employee paid more than £60,000.
The 2024 extension, decided two years ago
Nothing is awaiting a decision at Grove Lane. The one recent scheme on Trafford’s planning register, application 113094/FUL/24, was a single storey side and rear extension to prayer hall 1. It was submitted in March 2024 and seven neighbours objected, so it went to the planning committee rather than being settled by officers. The committee approved it with conditions on 30 September 2024, and the register records no appeal.
Our Altrincham planning news page tracks what is coming through the register.
What it means for you
If you have wondered what is behind the doors on Grove Lane, this is two hours in which you can walk in and ask. You do not need to book, you do not need to be religious, and you do not need to bring anything.
A few practical points:
- Grove Lane is residential and parking there is limited. If you are coming from the town centre, Hale station is close, and our guide to parking in Altrincham covers the town centre car parks if you would rather park and walk or take the tram.
- Altrincham tram and train times has the Metrolink and rail detail for a Saturday afternoon.
- If you want to ask anything before turning up, email the mosque at events@altrinchammosque.org.
For anything else on that Saturday, our things to do in Altrincham page has the rest of the weekend.
Sources: Visit My Mosque 2026 and its mosque finder (Muslim Council of Britain); Trafford Council service directory; Charity Commission register, charity 1101378; Trafford Council planning register, application 113094/FUL/24; and an emailed invitation from a trustee of Altrincham Muslim Association, 26 August 2026.
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