EQUALITY & DIVERSITY OFFICER: REDP

Showing posts with label REDP. Show all posts

Tuesday, 19 February 2013

REDP DISCUSS COLLECTIVE RESPONSE TO DRAFT POLICE & CRIME PLAN

A meeting at Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL) this afternoon with colleagues from the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP) to formulate a collective response to the draft five-year plan produced by Police and Crime Commissioner, Sir Clive Loader.

As well as LCIL itself and Leicester Council of Faiths, The Race Equality Centre (TREC) and Leicester LGBT Centre are represented here today.

This is the second time we've got together recently to talk about the draft plan. We met collectively (along with a few other VCSE participants) at TREC last month, when we spoke to face-to-face with Sir Clive and members of his team. I'd read the plan through and made some extensive notes before that meeting and was able to make what I hope were some salient points. But not everyone who was there then had been able to read, digest and comment on the plan. So we thought it best to meet at this later date and put together a united response. That approach has always served our organisations well in the past and we have confidence that it should do so in this context too.

We each have certain things to say about our own areas of interest and expertise, as well as highlighting issues around more general equality matters. So we'll all be contributing to this collective response. Chino Cabon, Senior Race Equality Officer at TREC, is going to write it on behalf of the four organisations and submit it to Sir Clive before the deadline in a couple of weeks. Sir Clive has scheduled a revision of the plan in September as part of its life cycle. We hope that our comments will be considered for that - and that we'll be involved in further consultation and discusion.

Tuesday, 2 October 2012

REDP CORE PARTNERS MEETING

At Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living this morning, for a meeting of the four Core Partners of the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership. The Core Partners, all Leicester-based Voluntary and Community Sector organisations, are:

We used to meet on the first Tuesday morning of the month, but haven't done so since the funding for this project ended, in June this year.

It soon becomes apparent that there's life in the old dog yet, though. We spend the first half-hour or so catching up on what our particular organisations have been doing since last we met, where we are now, and what our futures might hold.

Our attention is focused on the forthcoming Choice Unlimited event, to be held at Leicester Tigers Stadium, Wednesday 21 November (1000-1800). The first Choice Unlimited, held in April this year, presented information, ideas, innovation, services, products for disabled people. It was an unexpectedly successful occasion, exceeding all our expectations in terms of interest and support. The November event will focus on the same sort of things, but for young people in what's called the "transition period" (14-25 years of age).

Since Choice Unlimited is taking place in the middle of Inter Faith Week (18-26 November) I'd assumed that the Council of Faiths (and, more specifically, I) wouldn't be able to take part in it, but I'm glad to say that we've come up with a plan for having a celebration of Inter Faith Week inside Choice Unlimited itself. Since I have to make sure that our exhibition in Highcross is kept going all that day, I'm not quite sure how we'll go about this, but where there's a will ...

I'll play as active a role as I can in promoting the next Choice Unlimited, through our various outlets - beginning with taking a clutch of fliers and posters to the AGM of Network for Change at the Guildhall this evening.

Tuesday, 19 June 2012

HOPE & RESILIENCE FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS & REFUGEES

We're exhibiting at the University of Leicester today, where a conference is taking place for Refugee Week (16-24 June): Hope and Resilience for Refugees and Asylum Seekers.

The purpose of the conference is to explore how hope and resilience can be fostered in the current climate through an emphasis on human rights, approaches to justice in psychological therapy and through building solidarity in the voluntary and statutory sectors.

The conference is being held in the South Wing of the Fielding Johnson Building, the second time in four days that I've attended an event here (see Building Shared Heritages: Cultural Diversity in Leicester on Equality & Diversity Officer). There are several organisations exhibiting today, in quite cramped space. Those on display cheek by jowl include:

I'm looking after both the REDP display as well as that of Leicester Council of Faiths, just across from it in a shared space with Refugee Action. The photo below shows Gail Pringle, Independent Project Manager and Voluntary Sector Consultant with Refugee Action.

The conference is opened by David Sallah (Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust), Cllr Mohammed Dawood (Assistant Mayor, Leicester City Council) and Bob Burgess (Vice Chancellor, University of Leicester).

Keynote speaker is Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty. Her name has been attached to the event since it was first advertised several weeks ago. Shami is a big draw and I know from my conversations this morning that many people are here just to hear her. I speak with a couple of the conference organisers about that, and about having heard Shami speak at REDP's human rights event in Derby in March. I mention what an excellent contribution she'd made to that day and how I'm looking forward to hearing her speak again. I also say how I know that she tends to be on a tight schedule, that more often than not, she'll beam in, deliver her piece then beam out. I get a few blank looks in response. I wonder if I'm coming across as a bit of a name-dropper. At 1140 sharp, we're summoned back into the Peter Williams Lecture Theatre, where the plenary sessions are taking place. The person chairing this session bigs her up, using that well-worn phrase, "Our keynote speaker needs no introduction" before giving her one (at length and in detail) ending with a triumphant, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: Shami Chakrabati!" Since I can't see her anywhere in the room, I expect her to enter at that point, perhaps just having arrived at the last minute. There's vigorous applause, as if most everyone else expects the same thing. At that point, however, someone comes forward with a DVD, inserts it into the multimedia centre at the lectern and goes through the menu to cue it up. Now I don't know if I've took my eye off the ball, my attention has been wandering (more than usual, that is) but I've somehow managed to miss the fact that Shami has recorded her speech and it's to be delivered via DVD. Seems like I'm not the only one, as a handful of people huffily pack their bags, get up and leave. Can't fault Shami for not being here. She's obliged to stay in London today to play her significant and influential part in focusing attention on the second reading in the House of Lords of the Justice and Security Bill. The talk itself is as impassioned, informed and inspirational as you'd expect from her. Liberty's mission statement is visible on a poster behind her throughout:

We believe in fundamental rights and freedoms - shared values that protect every member of the human family and the society that we seek to build together.

On reflection, I should have twigged that Shami wasn't going to be here in person because Chino isn't here.

I can't let my post on this event end without mentioning the Zimbabwean Choir, who perform several times during the day.

Thursday, 17 May 2012

IDAHO DAY AT PHOENIX SQUARE

Today is Idaho Day: International Day Against Homophobia, an occasion given the imprimatur of the United Nations. I'm at Phoenix Square Film and Digital Media Centre with a display for the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP) in a "marketplace" style exhibition to mark the occasion.

Other organisations taking part today here:

Blaby District Community Safety Partnership
Citizens' Eye Community News Agency
Leicestershire Police's Stamp It Out! campaign
Leicestershire Together Stop and Tell campaign
Trade Sexual Health
Victim Support

It's a small scale, low key affair and is all over in three hours. But it brings this important day to the attention of regular and occasional users of Phoenix Square's cafe bar and it contributes to the considerable cumulative online coverage of Idaho Day. John Coster of Citizens' Eye filmed an interview with me about REDP's participation in Idaho Day. You can see this on YouTube. John also submitted this video interview to CNN iReport.

There can never be enough opportunities or occasions to highlight an issue like this. Most of the people on the stalls are weil-kent faces, but a few are new to me - and I always think that's a good thing in itself.

More than once today I heard voices lamenting the small turnout, both in terms of organisations displaying and of visitors. And more than once I heard John Coster respond with an apposite Chinese proverb: "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now." I might be well advised to apply that to a few other things going on in my life these days!

Thursday, 26 April 2012

PhD INTERNSHIP SCHEME WITH DE MONTFORT & LEICESTER UNIVERSITIES

At De Montfort University, Hugh Aston Building, this lunchtime for the launch of a new PhD internship scheme, jointly offered by De Montfort University and the University of Leicester.

For six weeks in the summer of 2011, Leicester Council of Faiths had the services of a graduate intern provided by De Montfort University. Rahat Ahmed gave a lot to our organisation in that short time and on the basis of that experience we'd back this kind of scheme. We hope we can take advantage of this new internship scheme, either through the Council of Faiths or through the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP's Researcher, Carolyn Pascoe, is here with me). We're the only ones representing the Voluntary and Community Sector as potential employers. There are nine other organisations represented at this launch, from the private and public sectors.

PhD students are recruited from the best quality graduates and spend three or more years researching into a specific area, analysing their findings and generating solutions. They are self-motivated and disciplined individuals who are accustomed to working alone to come up with solutions to problems. Because of this quality, they will require minimal supervision throughout the project. Although some PhD students subsequently carry on into an academic career, over 50% of doctoral graduates leave university to enter business or public service. In recognition of this, all research students receive extensive key-skills training in areas such as communication, project-management, information technology, etc. The PhD Internship scheme is intended to give research students an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the workplace, using their skills to address critical issues of commercial or social importance. PhD interns may bring directly relevant knowledge and skills to the area of work, or they may be able to apply portable skills that are relevant and useful across a variety of disciplines and topics.

Between them the two universities have over 2,000 PhD students. This new PhD internship scheme will have a relatively low-key start, with six internships in the first year, doubling in number in the following year. Any internships starting this year should be completed by 31 December 2012.

The cost to an organisation taking on a PhD student as an intern is £600, which covers 20 days of the PhD intern’s time. This money will be used to pay travel expenses for the student and any other incidental costs associated with the project as well as the University’s administration costs. The 20 working days can be spread over a period not exceeding six months as agreed between the organisation and the intern.

Seven PhD students who'll be taking part in the internship scheme attended the launch today. They're all in the photo above. Back row, left to right:

Valasia Sawvidou, University of Leicester, Department of Politics & International Relations. PhD title: The immigration issue and the effect it has on voting in national and European Parliament elections

Joba Akinjo, University of Leicester, Department of Toxicology. PhD title: Side effects of chemicals on male reproductive system

Gemma Mitchell, University of Leicester, Department of Sociology. PhD title: How experts navigate and translate risk knowledges in the "risk society": a case study of social workers

Shujaul Khan, Leicester University, Department of Biology. PhD title: Plant communities classification and vegetation ecosystem services of the Western Himalayas

Front row, left to right:

Eleanor MacKillop, De Montfort University, Department of Politics & Local Government. PhD title: Change in local government understanding of commissioning

Mohamed Maricar, De Montfort University, Department of Electronic Engineering. PhD title: Design of circuit to enhance the performance of high frequency Planar Gunn diode

Ammar Abdulwahab Noorwali, De Montfort University, Faculty of Technology. PhD title: Reducing variability levels in food processing industry

This is the first of two visits to Hugh Aston today. I'll be back later for Sue Thomas's Professorial Lecture, The Future of Cyberspace.

Friday, 20 April 2012

COVERAGE OF EVENT WAS DISAPPOINTING

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury (though not on its website).

Coverage of event was disappointing

Catching up with back issues of the Mercury after the Easter break, I was looking forward to reading some good coverage of the recent Choice Unlimited event at Leicester Tigers on Thursday 5 April.

Imagine my disappointment, then, to see the short article, “Ex-tigers hero roars approval for fair” (Mercury, April 7). There are several aspects of the piece that are disappointing: it was unclear what it was all about, but mostly credit was not given where it’s due.

It was reported that Choice Unlimited had the support of Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and Voluntary Action LeicesterShire.

That’s true and they all contributed to preparations and to the success on the day itself, helping showcase products, services, information and guidance available to disabled people and their carers. But Choice Unlimited didn’t spring fully-formed out of thin air.

Someone had to come up with the idea, get it off the ground, enlist support, gather momentum and bring it all to a successful conclusion. And that “someone” was the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP).

REDP is a collective of Voluntary and Community Sector organisations working together to promote equality and celebrate diversity.

At its core are four Leicester organisations with a track record of collaborating across different equalities for as long as ten years now. Our influence and engagement has extended in the past few years to embrace the whole East Midlands . The four city-based founder members of REDP are Leicester Council of Faiths; Leicester and Leicestershire Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre; The Race Equality Centre and Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (which took the lead role in Choice Unlimited).

The coverage failed to mention the ground-breaking nature of Choice Unlimited (it was the first of its kind anywhere in the East Midlands) nor was there any indication of the tremendous success of the event. More than 160 exhibitors participated and an estimated 2,500-3,000 service users came through the door – every one of them a potential customer in this new era of personal budgets for care services and products.

REDP is already in advanced discussions to present Choice Unlimited in other parts of the East Midlands. We’d still like it to be known that Leicester was the birthplace of this trail-blazing first presentation.

You might wonder why this matters, two weeks after the event and ten days after the Mercury’s coverage. Choice Unlimited signalled the birth of a new way of doing things for disabled people in the city, county and Rutland – kicking off a new era of choice and control. And at REDP our phone lines and inboxes are still red hot with those keen for information and asking when we’ll be doing it again. And they show no sign of cooling down!

George M Ballentyne

Stoneygate

Tuesday, 17 April 2012

REDP CORE REFERENCE GROUP MEETING

At Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living this afternoon, for a meeting of the Core Reference Group of the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership. I've been able to zoom back here in time for the meeting from a morning delivering training on the Equality Act 2010 at South Derbyshire CVS's Staff Development Day in Hartshorne (or rather, Chino did the zooming, I just rode shotgun).

Attending today are representives of eight VCS organisations, all of them members of REDP's Core Reference Group:

In a relatively short and focused meeting, we debrief and reflect on recent events hosted by REDP:

Human Rights & Equality regional event, Derby, Thursday 22 March 2012
Choice Unlimited, Leicester Tigers, Thursday 5 April 2012
Training for Girls Friendly Society, Skegness, Wednesday 11 April 2012
Equality Act 2010 training for South Derbyshire CVS, Tuesday 17 April 2012

EQUALITY ACT TRAINING FOR SOUTH DERBYSHIRE CVS

Chino Cabon delivers

At Goseley Community Centre, Hartshorne, Derbyshire, this morning, delivering training for the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP).

I'm here with Chino Cabon, from The Race Equality Centre (TREC), one of REDP's four Core Partners. We're presenting on the Equality Act 2010 at a staff development day for South Derbyshire CVS. There are 27 attendees, a mix of paid staff and volunteers.

Chino (in the orange shirt, photo above) takes the first session, giving an hour-and-a-half long overview of the Equality Act: its history (including the decades-long back story of equality legislation in this country); innovations and extensions (what's new and what it retains from previous legislation); what's lawful and what's unlawful under its provisions; who it protects and who's responsible for its enforcement.

I do something half that length focusing on disabled people and the Equality Act. Not my specialist area, that's true, but it's part of the deal at REDP that we're able to double up for each other and cover all the Protected Characteristics.

Chino's presentations are always encyclopaedic and rooted firmly in the texts. Mine tend to be a bit looser. Variety is the spice of life! I use five scenarios, affecting or involving disabled people, of the kind that those here may have experienced in their own lives, or of the type which may have been brought to them for advice or guidance. The scenarios are taken from Disability LIB's handy Equality Act Toolkit.

As soon as my session is finished, we dash off back to Leicester, so I can get to the meeting of REDP's Core Reference Group at Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living. We're leaving just as lunch starts here; we'll probably arrive just as lunch ends there!

Saturday, 7 April 2012

EX-TIGERS HERO ROARS HIS APPROVAL FOR FAIR

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Ex-Tigers hero roars his approval for fair

Ex-Tigers player Matt Hampson supported a fair showcasing services for disabled people.

National changes in the provision of care means disabled people are now given personalised budgets to spend instead of councils paying for services.

Choice Unlimited took place at the Leicester Tigers Stadium on Wednesday, to show people what services and products are available.

Former Tigers and England prop Matt Hampson, who is confined to a wheelchair after his neck was broken in a training session, made a special appearance.

He said: "Events like this give disabled people a voice and enable them to steer their lives in the direction they wish it to go."

Choice Unlimited provided information about accommodation, domestic support and education services to help the disabled make informed decisions about their spending.

The event was supported by Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, and Voluntary Action LeicesterShire.

David Barsby, development officer at Voluntary Action LeicesterShire, said: "This was a great opportunity for local providers to meet potential customers."

That's Matt in the photo above, with Steve Cooper, Chief Exec of Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living. Regrettably, the article makes no mention of REDP as the event organiser and conveys nothing of the spirit or success of the event - and it gets the day wrong.

Thursday, 15 March 2012

PROGRESS REPORT AT HIGHCROSS

A meeting early this afternoon with Jo Tallack, General Manager of Highcross Leicester. Canon Barry Naylor and Julie-Ann Heath are involved in the meeting too. Two topics for discussion:

Inter Faith Week (2001 and 2012)
Multi-Faith Prayer Room

The Multi-Faith Prayer Room has been in active public use for just over a quarter of a year now (it opened at the end of the last Inter Faith Week, in the last days of November 2011. There's been an overwhelmingly positive response: Highcross hasn't received a single negative comment about it, either from users criticising its location or the fact that it's been converted from its previous use as a disabled toilet or from anyone opposed to it in principle. It has proved popular with customers and is virtually in constant use. At certain times on certain days, people have even been prepared to queue to use it.

A number of prayer mats have been left in the room, which have been collected in Lost Property. No one has claimed any of them. It may be the case that users of the room have left these deliberately, as Highcross decided from the start not to provide prayer mats in the room.

Some users have taken it upon themselves to mark on the wall the direction of Mecca (someone keeps writing Qibla (Arabic for "Point of Adoration", the direction to be faced when offering the Muslim salat, or Obligatory Prayer). Highcross staff have been cleaning this off, only for it to be done again. They'll be putting on some permanent, professional-looking mark to indicate this direction shortly.

Signage throughout Highcross will be upgraded soon and this room will be included, making it accessible and visible from all over the site.

Hammersons has looked upon this as a test case and they're very pleased with how it's gone so far. They'll now ensure that all new-build properties have a similar facility provided from the get-go and that suitable space is provided in existing sites.

On the topic of Inter Faith Week 2012, some tentative ideas were floated regarding making the display even more attractive and interactive. possibly involving live music and dance, as well as planning visits by school parties. There's a constant stream of schoolchildren coming to the site every week as part of the ongoing "Learn Highcross" project; during Inter Faith Week this could include a planned visit to our display. Watch this space for further developments!

I'm grateful to Jo for accepting posters and fliers for REDP's forthcoming Choice Unlimited event, that she'll ensure are put on display around Highcross.

Saturday, 10 March 2012

HOLI YATRA WALK 2012, STAGE 8: SHREE SANATAN MANDIR

Eighth stage on the Holi Yatra Sponsored Walk with Leicester Friends of Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies: Shree Sanatan Mandir, Weymouth Street. The goal is to visit 15 Hindu places of worship in Leicester on foot today. Eight down ...

Holi (Hindi: होली) is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus, also known as the Festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal and in countries with large populations from India or of Indian descent who follow Hinduism.

Yatra (Sanskrit: यात्रा, "journey", "procession"), in Hinduism and other Indian religions, means pilgrimage to holy places and is generally undertaken in groups. One who goes on a yatra is known as a yatri. It is desirable, but not obligatory, for a Hindu to go on a yatra. One can go on a yatra for a variety of reasons, including festivals, to perform rituals for one's ancestors, or to obtain good karma. To traditional Hindus, the journey itself is as important as the destination, and the hardships of travel serve as an act of devotion in themselves. Visiting a sacred place is believed by the pilgrim to purify the self and bring one closer to the divine. (Thanks to Wikipedia for these definitions.)

Almost exactly a year ago, Shree Sanatan Mandir celebrated its 40^th anniversary, when it received a visit from Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (see blog, Tuesday 29 March 2011).

We’re slightly ahead of schedule by this point and rather than arrive early at our next destination, the group spends more time in the worship hall, chanting and singing devotional melodies. I sit outside in the lobby, where I have an interesting chat with an elderly fellow who introduces himself to me as Hari. He comers from Delhi and is on his first visit to this country. He tells me that since he was a small boy, all he’s heard is “England this and England that” so he decided it was time for him to come and see it for himself. To say he’s not impressed (especially "area-wise") would be putting it mildly!

HOLI YATRA WALK 2012, STAGE 6: SHREE HINDU TEMPLE & COMMUNITY CENTRE

Sixth stage on the Holi Yatra Sponsored Walk with Leicester Friends of Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies: Shree Hindu Temple & CommunityCentre, St Barnabas Road. The goal is to visit 15 Hindu places of worship in Leicester on foot today. Six down ...

After leaving Radha Krishna Temple in Cromford Street (stage five) and becoming separated from the rest of the party due to over-zealous tweeting, I take a number of wrong turnings before realising exactly where I should be heading. I think the group has already become used to me being at the back – but not this far back! Or maybe they thought I’d had enough and given up and gone home – not yet though! I’m determined to stay the course; well, more of the course than I’ve stayed so far.

On this solo part of the Yatra (does that increase its merit for me? or does losing touch with the group decrease it?) I take comfort in the virtual company of my frequent and reliable companions Fraser Cain (publisher of Universe Today) and Dr Pamela Gay (a professor at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville). I'm working my way through the back catalogue of Astronomy Cast, a podcast which describes itself as a "weekly facts-based journey through the cosmos, where we help you understand not only what we know, but how we know what we know." I downloaded these en masse a while back and have been mainlining them, sometimes three or more per day for ages now. The first podcast dates from 10 September 2006 and I make a point of listening to every single one, all the way through - even if it goes way over my head (and it often does, believe me).

Each specifically themed podcast alternates with one addressing questions sent in by listeners, so there are a lot of podcasts to get through. While en route to Shree Hindu Temple, I listen to episode 140 (1 June 2009) on the subject of quantum entanglement. This is precisely the sort of occasion Astronomy Cast was meant for.

I think I'll reach the next stage only to see the little yellow rucksacks disappearing into the distance - if I'm lucky. More likely, I'll reach it after they've left and will be struggling to get a steer on their next destination. But my luck is in: I arrive at Shree Hindu Temple not only to find that the group has spent all the time so far in the worship hall, but also that I've arrived just in time for lunch! And just before eating, I get the call I've been waiting for from Suleman Nagdi at the Federation of Muslim Organisations, in case there's been any misunderstanding about our group walking through Highfields with placards held high. He says he hasn't heard anything in the hour or so since I left my message, but he'll keep his ear to the ground and take care of any rumours that he might hear.

Our hosts serve us a very welcome vegetarian meal, give us a lovely glossy colour booklet about the temple and the various celebrations that take place there. Shree Hindu Temple describes itself as the first Hindu place of worship to be opened (in 1969), not only in Leicester, but in the United Kingdom. I wonder how that squares with the claims made for Radha Krishna Temple on Cromford Street, the previous stage on our yatra. Certainly, they're very different buildings. Another mystery I'd like to resolve sometime. Oh, and have a look at Shree Hindu Temple's YouTube channel.

I leave some fliers and A4 posters for the upcoming REDP event Choice Unlimited (after asking permission, of course). I also leave information about the Council of Faiths next open meeting, a panel presentation entitled "God in my faith" coming up during the week.

Then we set off for our next port of call: Mandir Baba Balak Nath Ji on Uppingham Road. I fall in at the back of the group again. This isn't some false display of humility on my part; I really am this slow, compared to the rest of them. Thankfully, there's always someone who hangs back to chat.

HOLI YATRA WALK 2012, STAGE 4: SHREE GEETA BHAVAN TEMPLE

Fourth stage on the Holi Yatra Sponsored Walk with Leicester Friends of Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies: Shree Geeta Bhavan Temple & Hindu Community Centre, Clarendon Park Road. The goal is to visit 15 Hindu places of worship in Leicester on foot today. Four down ...

Holi (Hindi: होली), is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus, also known as the Festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal and in countries with large populations from India or of Indian descent who follow Hinduism.

Those placards borne aloft in the photo above announce that we're on a Holi Yatra sponsored walk (as seen on the placard to the left) and "Think Hindu Studies Think OCHS" (on the right). I carry one of them for a while. I never get one of those nifty little yellow rucksacks with the logo for today's event though.

On the road from the Jain Centre on Oxford Street (the previous stage on the walk) I chat with Kamlesh Purohit, who hosts a Sunday evening show on BBC Radio Leicester. I've been on his show a couple of times recently, before and after the recent visit to Leicester by the English Defence League. He asks me to record a soundbite on the move for his next show, which will include a report of today's event.

Shree Geeta Bhavan is the headquarters of the Hindu Religious and Cultural Society Leicester.

I leave some flyers and A4 posters for the upcoming REDP event Choice Unlimited (after asking permission, of course). I also leave information about the Council of Faiths next open meeting, a panel presentation entitled "God in my faith" coming up during the week. As we set off from Shree Geeta Bhavan I nip across the road to Christchurch and leave some of the same material there. This leads to me falling behind the group, but as long as I catch up before they reach the junction of Clarendon Park Road and London Road, so at least I can see whether they go left or right ...

HOLI YATRA WALK 2012, STAGE 3: JAIN CENTRE

Third stage on the Holi Yatra Sponsored Walk with Leicester Friends of Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies: The Jain Centre, Oxford Street. The goal is to visit 15 Hindu places of worship in Leicester on foot today. Three down ...

Holi (Hindi: होली) is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus, also known as the Festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal and in countries with large populations from India or of Indian descent who follow Hinduism.

While Jainism is identified as a distinct religion in its own right in terms of membership of the Council of Faiths, no one involved today seems particularly fussed that it should be included in a route taking in all the Hindu places of worship in Leicester.

One of the distinctive features of Leicester's Jain Centre is that it accommodates many different sects of the religion under one roof, giving each its own space for worship, while the followers can mingle together socially. As well as the main area for worship (seen in photo above), several smaller rooms present variations on Jain belief and practice for the benefit of those who worship differently (as shown in the photo below, taken on a Peace Visit organised by Leicester Council of Faiths in September 2009).

HOLI YATRA WALK 2012, STAGE 1: SHREE JALARAM PRARTHANA MANDAL

First stage on the Holi Yatra Sponsored Walk with Leicester Friends of Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies: Shree Jalaram Prarthana Mandal, Narborough Road. The goal is to visit 15 Hindu temples (mandirs) in Leicester on foot today.

Shree Jalaram Prarthana Mandal was the first purpose-built Hindu mandir in Europe. It was dedicated to public worship in 1995. Last year, a plaque was unveiled here celebrating the work of those members of the community who worked from as early as 1979 to raise more than £1,000,000 and establish this place of worship. His Excellency the Counsel General of India, Gururaj Rao, was the special guest at the unveiling of the plaque. This was reported in the Leicester Mercury (and covered in this blog, Tuesday 8 November 2011).

I lived in the West End of Leicester from 2006 till 2010 and my GP's surgery was opposite the entrance to the temple on Westcotes Drive (as seen in the photo above). So I saw quite a bit of this temple from the outside in those days. The only other time I've been inside was on one of the Peace Visits organised by Leicester Council of Faiths, in September 2009. The picture below taken on that date (not by me) is of a painting on the ceiling of the temple's worship hall. It contains images of prophets, teachers, messengers and founders of world religions, including Krishna, Buddha, Mahavira, Jesus and Guru Nanak.

The most striking external features of this place of worship are the large white turbans, facing on to Westcotes Drive (seen in the photo at the top of this entry) and Narborough Road, as seen in the photo below (by Ned Trifle, reproduced with permission).

When the group sets off, around 0930, there are around 50 of us. Next stop: ISKCON Temple in the West End.

I leave some fliers and A4 posters for the upcoming REDP event Choice Unlimited here (after asking permission, of course). I also leave information about the Council of Faiths next open meeting, a panel presentation entitled "God in my faith" coming up during the week.