Our website is now called Norwichinterfaith.co.uk. Thank you to Lorna who is now hosting it for us.
Summary of Zoom on Women, Equality and Religions.March 2026. See below.
On Saturday April 18th, there will be a celebration of the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi in Trafalagar Square.
https://www.london.gov.uk/events/vaisakhi-square-2026
You may have noticed that some Reform and Conservative MPs criticised Muslims celebrating their festival there, although all religions celebrate there eg there were Easter celebrations there.
Norwich City Football Club now have a number of players who are Muslims and who fasted during Ramadan while still playing matches. The Guardian profiled one of them.
Canada’s Ali Ahmed on home World Cup dream: ‘I want to win our group’ https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/mar/27/canada-ali-ahmed-world-cup-football?CMP=share_btn_url
Revd. David Hagan-Palmer • revdavepalmer@gmail.com informs us: “To celebrate the amazing contribution of volunteers, a Festival of Volunteering will run throughout June 2026 across Norfolk.”
A. Volunteering opportunities in Norfolk | Get InVOLved Norfolk Get Involved Volunteering website (Some faith groups/oganisations are already using this to recruit volunteers).
B. Get Involved Skills Volunteering and community skills, training and development website.
On Wednesday 25th March 2026, the next Archbishop of Canterbury, a woman, was installed as head of the Church of England. For those who watched it on BBC1 you will have been privileged to see and hear the African Choir of Norfolk who have featured in Norwich at the Roman Catholic Cathedral, for Black History Month, also at the Anglican Cathedral on Racial Justice Sunday.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cevkjgykrvet?post=asset%3A5e7fcce9-810a-4b70-9e94-d53e862fbf2a#post
Some of our members were at the Lakenheath camp over last weekend protesting about nuclear weapons being stored there.
Video & Photos for press
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kMtl64icQeTuf8a8KCX74y3vtu_lOyqA?usp=drive_link
Nuno Corte Real has invited us to attend this special musical event on April 17th.
For those planning to attend, I would appreciate it if you could kindly ask them to RSVP via email at nunocortereal@comm.churchofjesuschrist.org or by mobile on 07724609567.
Please could you also mention that there will be an opportunity for those who enjoy singing to take part in an interfaith choir. Anyone interested would be very welcome to contact me directly for further information.
Heritage Open Days are happening again this year, when visits to important and interesting buildings are made possible from Sepember 11th to 20th. If you wish to register, the link is:
Keir Starmer invited Christian leaders to No 10
https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/keir-starmers-easter-message-praises-churches
The Anglican Church has some members who have formed a rival group to oppose same sex marriage and women church leaders, particularly now that the head is a woman.
Gafcon leaders met in Nigeria as splits widen in Anglican Church over Sarah Mullally – BBC News https://share.google/nwlmF2q5RyQ6AFIrz
On March 20th in Norwich there were Muslim families in colourful clothes celebrating Eid.
In the Islamic (Hijri) calendar, which operates on a lunar cycle, Eid al-Fitr occurs at the end of the month of Ramadan each year. Happy Eid.
Stacey Burman is Advisor to Norfolk’s Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education in schools. She is currently interested in contacting representatives from Muslims and from the Free/Independent Churches who might be interested in joining the Committee.
One of its roles is to decide on a syllabus for teaching about World Religions for the schools to follow (as by law, RE must be taught from ages 3 – 18 in some form). More information about the work of SACREs can be found here: https://www.nasacre.org.uk/file/nasacre/SACREinvitation.pdf
To be a SACRE representative/member, a person must be affiliated with a place of worship or institution and have a good knowledge of the faith and ideally have some connection to the British Education system.
Please contact: Stacey Burman: Sfburman@gmail.com
This is the third request. Questions to David Griffith or Stacey.Politicians support British Muslims at Iftar events in Westminster
Politicians joined Iftar events in Westminster and spoken warmly of the contribution of British Muslims to society. The Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed Muslim MPs and community leaders at a “Big Iftar” event in Westminster Hall on Tuesday night, saying the UK is “a community of communities.”
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/starmer-praises-muslims-and-defends-iran-policy-iftar-westminster
Norwich named Sunday Times best place to live in the UK – BBC News https://share.google/gmAqbzvQhlAiZrz0o
Here are the dates and topics for the next two Norwich Interfaith Zoom meetings:
Wednesday April 22nd
WWF UK – FAITH IN NATURE
the WWF’s global Beliefs & Values programme and their UK events supporting faith groups .
Time: Apr 22, Wednesday, 7:00pm start for chat, Topic at 7.30pm.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83141241720?pwd=fjhgId4FvV8OKSYbyFbJqAYdsWpXna.1
Meeting ID: 831 4124 1720
Passcode: 839208
One tap mobile
+442034815240,,83141241720#,,,,*839208# UK
+442039017895,,83141241720#,,,,*839208# UK
The World Wildlife Fund have asked if they can tell us about their global Beliefs & Values programme, their UK events supporting faith groups to connect with nature, and their regional conservation programme, Norfolk Wholescape.
WWF will be joined by the Natural Norfolk team who will help bring to life some local nature projects and opportunities for engagement.
Speakers: Charlie Cutt, Norfolk Wholescape Programme Manager (WWF-UK); Lindsay Gardner, Project Officer (Norfolk County Council)
https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/wholescape.
Wednesday May 20th
Pilgrimage
A chance to put the purpose, practices, experiences and destinations of Pilgrimage under the spotlight. The Muslim Hajj starts on May 25th. A member cycled to Compostella last summer.
Liz Hoffbauer of the Quakers has initiated a first meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing a Peace Centre in Norwich. It was decided the first stage was to identify all the current groups (religious, political, protest, etc) involved under the broad heading of Peace. Could you therefore send details of your group or others you know of, so an initial list could be compiled.
Liz Hoffbauer: melizhoff@gmail.com
Passover for the Jews began on April 1st.
https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/factsheets/passover/
The Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow has told the Church of England’s parliament/general synod that the C of E is not resourcing interfaith work properly. “Interfaith work is not just about dialogue, but about action”. He has been asked to convene a meeting of interfaith leaders so the government minister responsible for the implementation of the Child Poverty Strategy can find out what faith groups are doing to address poverty.
The Together Alliance march went ahead on Saturday March 28th. Daphne and I went by coach to Marble Arch to join the hundreds of thousands of others from all over the UK, from all sorts of backgrounds and religions and representing all sorts of causes. We moved down Park Lane to Picadilly Circus past Trafalgar Square to Whitehall to the Speakers. As a Christian it felt like the Palm Sunday crowds when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey greeted by palm branches waving, and desperate people looking for any Messiah who was rumoured to be able to solve all their political, military, social, personal problems. Hope was in the air. There was a strange report later that “1000 christians had attended”, who had started together with a service at a church with two bishops; as though their Messiah could not be the one to solve the cries of any of the other 499,000 who were also there, including us.
The AGM is on Sunday June 7th. Reports. Elections. Speaker: Nikki McGee from the Inspiration Trust. What young people can learn from Religions today? What is your worldview?
A BIG THANK YOU TO SIRAJUL AND THE NORFOLK MUSLIM COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION for hosting and sharing their Iftar meal with us on Sunday March 8th at their new community centre on Dereham Road. Neighbours joined members at a very special event. There was prayer, Sura, followed by a meal and sharing of company and conversation.
Norwich InterFaith Link 