What drew you to interfaith work and Building Bridges Burnley specifically?

I've been involved in interfaith work for many years, beginning while I lived in Preston where I chaired the Preston Faith Forum for four years. I felt strongly that bringing people together through interfaith work was essential. When I became more involved with work in Burnley through my role at UCLAN, it was likely our chair Afrasiab who asked me to become a trustee. He then asked if I would be a Faith Friend for just one or two visits to Nelson and Colne College, which ended up extending to a full year of involvement.

Can you share a moment when you realised the importance of Building Bridges between Communities in Burnley?

It's been a gradual recognition, seeing more and more of our public sector partners acknowledging Building Bridges and choosing to work with us. The number of partnerships has increased steadily, and just today at our AGM, seeing the amount of project funding we've secured this past year, I believe this has been a significant step forward for the organisation.

What's your personal connection to Burnley and its diverse communities?

I finished my career at UCLAN's Burnley campus after around 30 years with the university, which gave me a strong connection to the area. Through that role, I've come to know people at the football club, different churches, and various mosques—mainly through my university connections. From a Lancashire perspective, when I look at interfaith work across the county, Building Bridges Burnley stands out among the five or six interfaith groups in the area as by far the best example of being active, engaged, and making a real impact.