Faith groups come together in Kingston to celebrate Inter Faith Week

Kingston Council is committed to working with residents, communities and partners to make Kingston an even better place, and we achieve more when we work together. 

Kingston’s Faith and Belief Forum and its communities held a variety of different activities throughout the week to increase awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the borough. The events included:

• Service of Remembrance at All Saints Church in Kingston - Inter Faith Week traditionally begins on Remembrance Sunday, where residents united across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to remember the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces community.
• Inter Faith Walk in Kingston - this free walking tour explored some of the historic and diverse places of worship in the borough.
• Making 'Noah's Pudding' - People from different faiths and beliefs came together to meet and talk to each other and share an ancient, traditional Turkish dessert. You can watch a short video from the event here.
• Mitzvah Day - Communities celebrated Mitzvah Day -  the UK’s largest faith-led day of social action - at Kingston’s Liberal Synagogue. Watch this short video to learn more about the charitable activities that took place on the day.
   

Sybil Ozcan, Volunteer at Kingston’s Dialogue Society said: 

Participating in the Inter Faith walk through Kingston's diverse places of worship was a profound experience. Engaging with different faiths not only broadened my understanding but also fostered a sense of unity among diverse beliefs.

 

Such events are crucial as they promote tolerance, mutual respect, and contribute to a more inclusive society.
 

 Those who joined the Noah’s Pudding also highlighted the importance of bringing people together to share experiences and promote understanding and friendship. 

Jeremy Rodell, Chair of South West London Humanists said:

I thought this evening was really great. The fact that this event is taking place in a church, hosted by the Dialogue Society who are Muslims from Turkey, one of the speakers was from the Jewish Liberal Synagogue, and I’m here as a humanist representative on Kingston Faith Belief forum, it was great. 

 

I think the message is that, particularly in difficult times, we’ve got to be able to see the humanity of people who are different from you - and that’s exactly what we were doing this evening.

Reverend Joe Moffatt of All Saints Church in Kingston said:

Everyone really wanted to come and get to know each other, to appreciate each other’s cultures, faiths, traditions, communities, and I think the story we heard about appreciating the chickpea and the Noah’s pudding was all about appreciating the fact that people can still be distinctive, still be themselves, but still be respected and appreciated by others.

The Kingston Faith and Belief Forum (KFBF) works with the community to build good relations between people of differing religious, and non-religious, beliefs. You can find out more about the forum on  their website.