WORSHIPPERS UNITE FOR TEATIME TREAT

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Worshippers unite for teatime treat 

Worshippers of different faiths united yesterday to give help to people in need. 

Volunteers from Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh organisations gave out food and spent time with members of the West Indian Senior Citizens' Project, in Highfields, Leicester. 

The event, Talk Over Tea, was held in the run-up to Sewa Day, an annual day of volunteering which sees thousands of people of different faiths around the world doing good deeds to help others. 

The group in Leicester was also joined by staff from Bobby's Restaurant, in Belgrave Road, who helped to give out food and refreshments. 

As well as giving help to people in need, Talk Over Tea aimed to build bridges between people of different faiths. 

St Philip's Centre, a charity in Evington which works to build bridges between people of different religions, helped to organise the event. 

Riaz Ravat, who works at the centre, said: "It has been a special day for us. The number of people of different faiths who have put a smile on the faces of those who came has been fantastic. 

"There was so much enthusiasm from all the volunteers." 

Volunteer Kartar Singh Bring, who is Sikh, said: "Working hand-in-hand with other faith communities in Leicester to celebrate our shared values is a great way to bring people closer together." 

Sewa Day itself takes place on Sunday.

In the photo: Stephenie Spiby and volunteer Vandana Patel share a joke and a cuppa at the West Indian Senior Citizens' Project, in Highfields, Leicester, during yesterday's Talk Over Tea event. Picture by Will Johnston

FOCUSING ON OUR COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER

Riaz Ravat has written the First Person column in today’s Leicester Mercury: 

Focusing on our commitment to each other 

Riaz Ravat looks at Sewa Day, an inter-faith charity event which brings people together 

In a few days, volunteers from a number Leicester's Indian-rooted faith communities, will come together for a special Sewa Day event. "Sewa" originates from the Indian language of Sanskrit and the concept invokes a spirit of community and selfless service for a just and fair society. It is promoted by different cultures and faiths but the core belief is the same – to sacrifice your time and resources for the benefit of others without wanting anything in return. In this age of the "Big Society", Sewa Day makes a key contribution. 

Leicester would not be Leicester unless we deliver Sewa Day in our own unique and cosmopolitan style. This is why for us the day is anchored in the wider inter-faith context of the city. It is all too easy to run campaigns for individual faiths, by individual faiths. Rather, we have established a special partnership which includes several Gurdwaras, Hindu groups, a Buddhist Temple, an Indian restaurant, as well as individual volunteers from the Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh communities. 

Our project, "Talk over Tea", will involve engaging and entertaining elderly members of the African Caribbean community. Not only are we sharing food and socialising with one of society's most isolated and vulnerable groups but we are also building relational bridges between people of different backgrounds. 

There will be so many conversations to explore, such as discovering each others' cultures, faiths, life experiences, traditions and, of course, diets! It seems like a simple idea, which it is, but it doesn't often happen very often. That's why we need a focus and Sewa Day gives us that opportunity to stop and think about our commitment to each other. 

Although Sewa Day is a relatively new initiative, it is nevertheless, a reminder about the long-standing efforts made by Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs to the social fabric of the UK. 

Charity is part and parcel of these major faiths and is delivered in temples and communities every single day of the week. Sewa Day is just one of many faith-based social action initiatives run each year. In November, the Christian-Muslim Dialogue Group will run its 10th annual charity dinner. 

St Philip's Centre with its Christian heritage has co-ordinated the distinctive effort for Sewa Day. There is a precedent for how people of one faith can engineer charity efforts which are based in other traditions. Last year we launched Leicester's first-ever Mitzvah Day campaign. Mitzvah is a Hebrew word meaning "good deed" and our partnership with the Jewish community and other faiths of the city once again demonstrated our common endeavour, which is to utilise the best that each of our faiths offer to serve wider society. 

Sewa Day – next Thursday – will show that when Leicester contributes, it makes a difference by being different. 

Riaz Ravat is based at St Philip's Centre, Leicester.