MBE HONOUR

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

MBE honour

A doctor visited Buckingham Palace yesterday to receive his MBE.

Dr Marcus Solanki, a mental health clinician with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, was told he would get the honour for services to the community in June but his medal was presented to him yesterday.

Dr Solanki is chairman of Savera Resource Centre, in Leicester, which helps Asian people using mental health services, and a spokesman for the city's Gujarati Christian community.

The article doesn't mention that Marcus is a long-standing member of Leicester Council of Faiths and that he served for four years as its Assistant Secretary (2007-2011).

Pouring oil on troubled waters

Visits have been made today by members of Leicester Council of Faiths and St Philip’s Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society to city centre businesses and shops, to reassure them that the faith communities are united in our condemnation of the anti-social behaviour that was seen on our streets last night.

Members making these visits included Councillor Manjula Sood (Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths), High Sherrif of Leicestershire Resham Singh Sandhu, Suleman Nagdi, Marcus Solanki and Minou Cortazzi, among others.

Councillor Sood said today, "Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected and few events cannot be allowed to define the Leicester we know and love. Many of us have worked in this community for many years and we will continue to work with our neighbours and friends for One Leicester."

DOCTOR CELEBRATES BEING MADE MBE

From today's Leicester Mercury. Unfortunately, the article neglects to mention is that Marcus is a member of Leicester Council of Faiths (in fact, our Assistant Secretary). Nor does it state that Marcus is the most dapper dresser in the city. Congratulations to Marcus - no doubt this award is highly deserved!

Doctor celebrates being made MBE

A doctor has spent the weekend celebrating being made an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Dr Marcus Solanki, a mental health clinician with Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, got together with friends and family to mark the award, which was given for services to the community.

Dr Solanki said: "This is very great honour and I feel very privileged and humbled to receive such an award."

The father-of-two said he received an official letter telling him of the MBE early last week and had to keep the award a secret.

The 55-year-old said: "I told my wife and my mother but I had to keep it from everyone else.

"It was not easy as I was bursting to share the good news."

Dr Solanki is chairman of Savera Resource Centre, in Leicester, which helps Asian people using mental health services, and a spokesman for the city's Gujarati Christian community.

He said: "I feel the award is also a bit of recognition for everyone who works there.

"I feel immensely proud as a member of the Gujarati Christian community to receive this MBE on their behalf."