Government ministers, MPs, peers and faith representatives gathered in Parliament during Inter Faith Week to reaffirm the vital role that faith communities play in building stronger, safer and more united communities across the UK.
The Parliamentary drop-in event, organised by the Faith & Belief Forum as part of its Inter Faith Week programme, brought together people from diverse faith and belief backgrounds to celebrate dialogue, collaboration and community action.
GRASSROOTS Luton was invited to represent the Near Neighbours Programme.
The event was hosted by Anna Dixon MP, Member of Parliament for Shipley. She welcomed Faith Minister Florence Eshalomi MP, who was warmly thanked for her commitment to engaging with faith communities during an especially busy Inter Faith Week programme.
Participants were encouraged to strengthen partnerships across faith traditions and continue promoting understanding and cooperation at a time when social cohesion is under increasing pressure.
One speaker observed that by “coming together and working together, we can make our country and our communities stronger, safer and more united, something we need now more than ever.”
In her remarks, the Faith Minister highlighted the importance of grassroots engagement in shaping future policy and support for interfaith work.
"I can't do this alone. I need all of you," she told attendees. "The more you continue to engage, the more you continue to talk, and the more you continue to share ideas, the more evidence I have to take to the Prime Minister and colleagues across government to demonstrate why this work matters."
She added that the conversations taking place throughout Interfaith Week would help inform future priorities and strengthen the case for ongoing investment in programmes that bring communities together.
Attendees were urged to remain intentional in building relationships across differences, to continue asking questions, sharing experiences and challenging prejudice wherever it appears.
The event concluded with networking, discussions between faith and community leaders from across the country, and a group photograph marking the occasion.
Among the conversations was a powerful reflection on the importance of engaging younger generations in tackling prejudice and division. Participants discussed how stereotypes and misunderstandings can sometimes be passed down within families and communities, and how interfaith dialogue offers opportunities to challenge these attitudes through personal relationships, education and honest conversation.
Representatives from towns and cities across the UK, including Luton, shared examples of local initiatives that bring together young people, faith groups and community organisations to exchange wisdom, build friendships and develop new ideas for community action.
The Parliamentary gathering served as a fitting celebration of Interfaith Week, showcasing the remarkable contribution of faith communities and reinforcing a shared commitment to fostering understanding, belonging and unity across Britain.
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Addressing attendees, a Member of the Parliament reflected on an international interfaith gathering in India, where some of the country's most senior political leaders had participated. The experience, he said, demonstrated how governments are increasingly recognising the value of faith communities and the social capital they generate.
Recalling a conversation with a foreign minister at the event, the MP said: “I asked him why he was there, and he replied, ‘If you look at the energy that's in this room, we have to find a way of harnessing that for our country.”
The MP said to all the attendees “I'm really grateful for the energy that you bring.”
“The challenge is to help government, Parliament, local councils and civic leaders to fully appreciate the difference faith communities make. It is essential that they harness the energy and passion that faith communities bring to local neighbourhoods and to our country."
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The Parliamentary drop-in event, organised by the Faith & Belief Forum as part of its Inter Faith Week programme, brought together people from diverse faith and belief backgrounds to celebrate dialogue, collaboration and community action.
GRASSROOTS Luton was invited to represent the Near Neighbours Programme.
The event was hosted by Anna Dixon MP, Member of Parliament for Shipley.
Carrie Alderton, the CEO of the Faith & Belief Forum, the UK’s largest interfaith charity, addressing the gathering.
