REDP briefing no. 5

At Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL) this morning, where I'm helping present a briefing on the work of the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP). This is the fifth in a series of six meetings held over the past few weeks. The others have been held in Derby (Wed 20 July), Wellingborough (27 July), Nottingham (28 July), Oakham (Wed 03 Aug) and one more to be held in Grantham. All in all, there are eight organisations represented here today:

• Disability Nottinghamshire
• Genesis / LAMP Direct
• Good Thinking
• Human Rights and Equalities Charnwood
• Leicester Council of Faiths
• Leicester Deaf Action Group
• Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living
• Loughborough Women's Aid
• The Race Equality Centre

Up till now the briefings have been conducted by Chino Cabon, Policy Officer at  The Race Equality Centre (TREC) and Kelly Jussab, Project Officer at REDP. Kelly has a family obligation today and has asked me to deputise for her.

Each of these meetings has been hosted by a member of REDP's Core Reference Group from that locality. Today's host is Leicester Deaf Action Group (with assistance from two members of Signing Network). Oas from LDAG opens the meeting, giving us a historical overview and an outline of the future prospects of their user-led organisation.

I give a beginners' guide to REDP, Chino speaks about the Equality Act 2010 (concentrating on the terminology used in the Act and its relationship with previous anti-discrimination legislation) then I'm back up front to present on the Localism Bill and Big Society.

The whole thing takes about three hours (including lunch) and I'm glad to say we get some positive evaluations from the attendees.

This emphasis on religion can prove divisive

Here's the latest First Person column written by Allan Hayes, published in today's Leicester Mercury:

This emphasis on religion can prove divisive

Allan Hayes, of Leicester Secular Society, makes a plea to the Church of England

On numerous occasions recently I have been heartened by the humanity of people from many faiths and backgrounds (I'll come to my serious worries later): I gave an invited talk to the Christian/Muslim discussion group at St Philips; took part in a presentation by a fellow humanist to Loughborough Council of Faiths; attended a farewell party for a clergyman whom I have known and respected for many years; had the privilege of saying a few words at the launch of a book compiled by a leading Leicester Muslim; I was grateful for generous provision of free space in St Martin's Centre [sic] for the use of Leicester City of Sanctuary (which is not a faith organisation). I have just been invited to speak to a local Muslim community.

All these point to a wish to understand, to get on with, and to value one another as people. The same drive has been evident in other ways: Leicester Secular Society meetings have had speakers from a variety of religious backgrounds; the recent British Humanist Association conference was on the meaning of life and one talk was entitled "What has religion got that we haven't?"; I have been closely involved in the preparation of the Sea of Faith conference taking place at Leicester University this weekend (SoF is a national organisation with members ranging over all the religion/belief spectrum); a week ago I was at a conference in London with humanist, Muslim, and Christian speakers on religion in public life.

For the last eight years I have been the humanist representative on the Leicester Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education, Sacre (this body is responsible for religious education in Leicester state schools, apart from a few faith schools). This has led to many interesting conversations including ones at local and national meetings of RE teachers.

Plenty of evidence then that things are going well: so, what worries me?

I am worried by the prospect of division arising from Government policy: the handing over of significant parts of our school system and public services, to religious bodies; the lack of recognition that at least half of the population chooses not to belong to a religion and does not believe in God, over-emphasis on religious identity, and the privileged consultation accorded some religious organisations.

The Church of England's historical presence and privilege has provided a basis for this state of affairs, and its present institutional policies aimed at maintaining its position, particularly by using schools, have encouraged and legitimised the claims of others. A new accommodation is needed.

I know that some will interpret the preceding remarks as an attack on religion; I hope that the earlier part of this article will go some way to dispelling this impression, and I ask them to join in constructing a human ethos and political vision that will include all our contributions and enable us to go forward together.

Ramadan: a guide for the perplexed

Here's a nice piece from today's Guardian G2 section, published online in the Comment is free: Belief website.

Ramadan: a guide for the perplexed

I'm fasting for Ramadan. It might be a good time to lay to rest some common myths about the whole business

By Mehdi Hasan

I crawled out of bed this morning at 2.45am, exhausted and bleary-eyed. I wolfed down two eggs, two slices of toast, a croissant, half a banana and several glasses of water. Then I went back to bed.

I performed a similar routine at a similar time yesterday, and the day before that, too. Awoke, ate and slept again. Have I gone mad, I hear you ask? Why do I seem to be having pregnancy-style, middle-of-the-night cravings for fried breakfasts and lots of liquid?

I don't. There's a more prosaic explanation: it is Ramadan and I'm now on to my third day of fasting. Luckily for me, and for the 1.6 billion other Muslims across the world, there are just 27 more days to go. (Is that my stomach I hear groaning?)

Fasting, or "sawm", in Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam – the others being the "shahadah" (declaration of faith), "salat" (the five daily prayers), "zakat" (almsgiving) and the "hajj" (pilgrimage). The fast is considered to be a "wajib" or obligatory act (though there are exemptions that I'll come to in a moment).

Muslims fast for 30 days in Ramadan. Just to be clear: we fast from sunrise (hence the 2.45am wakeup) to sunset (around 9pm at the moment) each day. We don't fast for 30 days as a whole. That, of course, would be impossible. Not to mention suicidal.

Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is regarded by Muslims as one of the most holy months: we believe that it was during Ramadan that the Qur'an was first revealed to prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel.

The Islamic calendar has been lunar since its inception in AD622, with each month beginning with the sighting of a new moon. As the lunar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, the start date for Ramadan moves back through the western calendar each year. A few years ago, Ramadan coincided with our winter, when the days were shorter and cooler; this year, to much moaning and griping from British Muslims (yes, me included), it's fallen in the summer, with much longer and hotter days. That means the fasting isn't easy. Imagine, for instance, going on the underground in the sweltering August heat without being able to take a bottle of water with you.

In fact, you're not allowed any liquids: no water, no juice, no milk . . . The list of "banned" items and activities in Ramadan is extensive: no cigarettes, drugs, sex, bad language or bad behaviour, from sunrise to sunset. That, dear readers, is the challenge. (In case you're wondering, chewing gum isn't allowed either.)

"Has it begun?" my colleagues asked me earlier this week, their eyes expressing a mixture of sympathy, pity and – just perhaps – awe. Most (well-meaning) non-Muslims view Ramadan as deeply oppressive. Isn't it dangerous, I'm often asked? Doesn't it damage your health? Weaken you?

The short answer is No. Millions (billions?) of Muslims have been fasting for centuries, without suffering any Ramadan-specific illnesses or diseases. Vulnerable groups – the sick, the elderly, children, pregnant women, travellers – are exempt. And, in recent years, a number of academic studies have demonstrated the health benefits of fasting. According to a paper published in April by the Intermountain Medical Centre Heart Institute in Utah, it can lower the risk of coronary artery disease and diabetes, and keep blood cholesterol levels in check. The researchers found fasting could also reduce other cardiac risk factors such as excess weight, blood sugar levels and triglycerides.

Some of the world's leading athletes and sports stars have managed to fast while performing at the highest levels. Next year, Ramadan starts in July, and will cover the whole period of the Olympics. East London will be home to Muslim athletes from across the world, fasting, competing and – I guarantee you – winning medals.

It's nothing new. In the 90s, Hakeem Olajuwon, a devout Muslim considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of his generation, would often play in the NBA for the Houston Rockets while fasting. "It made me stronger and my statistics went up," he later remarked. "I was better during Ramadan, more focused." In February 1995, Olajuwon averaged an impressive 29 points per game and was named NBA Player of the Month, despite the entire month coinciding with Ramadan.

More recently, Manchester City's Kolo Touré, also a practising Muslim, has had no qualms about fasting and playing top-flight football. "It doesn't affect me physically," Touré argued during last year's Ramadan, which happened to correspond with the first month of the Premier League. "It makes me stronger. You can do it when you believe so strongly in something."

Ramadan becomes an unparalleled, month-long opportunity for personal and spiritual growth – and the fast is a deeply private act of worship. "Of the five pillars of Islam, the fast of Ramadan is perhaps the most personal expression of self-surrender to God," the American writer and convert to Islam, Jeffrey Lang, argues in his book, Even Angels Ask. "We can observe a Muslim performing the other four pillars, but, in addition to himself, only God knows if he is staying with the fast."

So far, I've managed three. Now, what time is it? Noon. Hmm. Just eight hours and 55 minutes to go.

Mehdi Hasan is the senior editor (politics) at the New Statesman, author of the e-book,  Summer of Unrest: The Debt Delusion and co-author (with James Macintyre) of Ed: The Millibands and the Making of a Labour Leader.

Community Groups Speak with Public

Here's how the Leicester Speaks pre-launch event was covered online by Citizens' Eye Community News Agency:

Community Groups Speak with Public

By James Black

Community groups across Leicester had the chance to spread the word about their organisations at the Leicester Speaks pre-launch event on Gallowtree Gate. The event which took place on Wednesday [sic] was also an opportunity to raise the profile of Leicester Speaks, an initiative to get members of the public to voice their opinions about the issues that matter to them.

Stall holders included the NHS, mental health group LAMP, The Curve theatre, Voluntary Action Leicestershire, The Leicester Council of Faiths and asylum and refugee support service City of Sanctuary.

Simon Parker from Leicester Libraries said “we were involved with Leicester Speaks when it started last year in 2010. The library service offers our locations for groups to host their Leicester Speaks events. I recall last year we hosted an event by The LeicestHERday Trust. Leicester Speaks also allows us to engage with the community and other organisations.”

Mike Burden, Chair of the Leicester Secular Society said “We took part in Leicester Speaks last year by organising five lectures during the week and we will be doing that again this year. Leicester Speaks is a wonderful opportunity for all of the different communities in Leicester to come together and share ideas, exchange thoughts, debate and discuss. The most important thing in a secular state is that we share a common space and respect each other.”

The project co-ordinator of Leicester Speaks Parmjit Basra said “This event is all about building the momentum for this year’s Leicester Speaks. We have the platform in place, what we need is content. Without the participation of the citizens of Leicester the event won’t be successful. If you don’t get involved, then your voice will not be heard. In the meantime we are asking people to get involved by going to the Leicester Speaks website to create an event or to voice their opinion.” This year Leicester Speaks takes place from October 12th – 19th.

In the photo above (from left): Leicester Speaks Project Co-ordinator Parmjit Basra, Leicester Adult Education College Head of Service Chris Minter, Leicester Council of Faiths Equality and Diversity Officer George Ballentyne and Adrian Wills Head of Leicester Libraries. Photo by touchRainbow

LEICESTER SPEAKS 2011 PRE-LAUNCH EVENT

Pre-launch event for Leicester Speaks today. We’ve taken over one side of Gallowtree Gate in the city centre, setting up our stalls from 0800. We’re on display to the public (officially) from 0930 till 1530. There are 23 organisations on display (including us). Most are from the Voluntary and Community Sector, but there’s also a good show of support from Leicester City Council.

• Afro Innovation Group
• B-inspired
• Brahma Kumaris
• Curve
• Human Excellence
• LAMP Direct
• Leicester Adults Skills and Learning Service
• Leicester City Council Community Services
• Leicester City Council Young People’s Council
• Leicester Secular Society
• Leicester Speaks
• LeicestHERday Trust
• Leicestershire Aids Support Service
• Multi-Access Centres
• Network for Change
• NHS Leicester City
• Pakistani Youth & Community Centre
• Recovery Resource Charity
• Shama Women’s Centre
• Silver Star
• touchRainbow
• Voluntary Action LeicesterShire

It's lovely weather, the sun shines all day and there's hardly a cloud in the sky. There's a warm, inviting and positive vibe up and down the stall. No one attempts to keep a tally of how many people take an interest, but it'd be safe to say that several hundred people stop and chat on at least one of the exhibits, and pick up flyers, freebies etc.

Our stall is right in front of Dorothy Perkins. I think it would be fair to say that it was constantly busy, with a small number of people enquiring at it or lifting our leaflets, cards, stickers or key fobs. Have to be careful though - when they ask how much the key fobs are and we tell them they're free, they're tempted to take half a dozen!


Two members of the public ask me, why no mention of Pagans and Quakers? Why aren't they shown on our logo and our literature as members of the diverse faith communities of Leicester? These questions in particular are asked virtually every time we make an appearance in public.


Based on our experience last year, I'd say that the challenge for the Council of Faiths involvement in Leicester Speaks this20112 is threefold, namely:

• content
• engagement
• venues

In terms of content, last year we staged a series of "daily dialogues" across four days, public meetings in a variety of venues, involving an individual from one of our member faith communities in conversation with an individual from another, discussing the topic, "What does our community bring to Leicester?" This was intended to bring together communities who are not normally seen in dialogue with each other in the city or elsewhere. So we had a Jain / Sikh dialogue to start with (in Leicester Adult Education College), a Bahá'í / Christian dialogue (in the Welcome Centre), a Buddhist / Muslim dialogue (also in the Welcome Centre), and finally a Hindu / Jewish dialogue (in the Screen Room at Phoenix Square Film and Digital Media Centre). This last one was recorded and an excerpt was posted on YouTube. As good as I think this was (and I do think it was good), we can't just repeat it this year. I'm open to ideas and suggestions, faithful reader.


In terms of engagement, we're never able to draw on large numbers of people from our member faith communities for events such as this. It's difficult to get support for one reason or another; that's usually the hardest task when arranging our participation in such activities. it was difficult just drumming up enough numbers to help our at this one today. Even those member communities who do support in strength (from an internal point of view) tend to be those which are small in number to start with, so even if we get a large percentage of those groups turning out, it's not necessarily impressive to an outsider. I tried to take account of this for our involvement in Leicester Speaks last year, with deliberately small scale meetings, that would work well with small numbers. but it would be a good thing to be able to expand the numbers from the faith communities involved this year.


In terms of venues, I'd love to find a way to get out into the wider community. All the meetings we staged last year were in the city centre. Perhaps including other venues is the key to greater numbers participating too. Since Leicester Speaks runs for eight days in total, perhaps each of our member faith communities can host a day at a venue of their choice.


Thanks to those who helped out on the Council of Faiths stall today: Rahat Ahmed, David Clarke, Minou Cortazzi, Rosemarie Fitton, Janette Macdonald, John Moore (not forgetting Harry and Gracie as Scooter Gang!)

KNITTING BISHOP HELPED BRING CITY'S FAITHS TOGETHER

Here's an interesting article from today's Leicester Mercury - all the more interesting because of the work Leicester Council of Faiths is doing currently, preparing for the celebration of our 25th anniversary.

Bishop helped to bring city's faiths together

By Tom Mack

A former Bishop of Leicester who did much to bring the city's faiths together has died, aged 85.

Richard Rutt was bishop from 1979 until 1991. He converted to Roman Catholicism four years after leaving the post.

He set up the city's council of faiths in 1986, visiting Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims to convince them to join him in forming the cross-faith organisation.

Resham Singh Sandhu, a trustee of the council who served as its chairman for 10 years, said: "I remember Richard as a man of great vision with great ideas.

"In those days, the Church of England and the Catholic Church were the most outgoing of the faith groups in the city and Richard came up with the idea of the council of faiths that has made the city the way it is today.

"He was very well-liked because he would go to religious places and talk to people from other faiths.

"Since then, the council of faiths has created much understanding and mutual respect between all faiths in the city."

Born in August 1925, Dr Rutt was ordained into the Church of England at the age of 27. He spent several years as a missionary in South Korea.

Speaking before being ordained as a Roman Catholic, he said he might have switched church much sooner if he had spent more of his time in the UK.

He was strongly against the move towards the ordination of women, which was allowed in 1992. He was one of 40 retired and assistant bishops who warned the Church of England's governing synod that the church would be split by the change.

He said: "The ordination of women is merely the ears of the hippopotamus. The body concerns morals, marriage and clear statements about faith.

"The Church of England is not able to give a clear message.

"The only place that really does the church's job is the Church of Rome."

A memorial service is to be held at Leicester Cathedral later in the summer.

The current Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, said: "I was sad to hear that Richard Rutt died in hospital on Wednesday.

"Richard will be remembered by many people in Leicestershire as a prayerful, scholarly and pastoral bishop who brought his Catholic spirituality and missionary experience to bear on his leadership of the diocese for over a decade.

"We give thanks for his life and ministry. He was well-loved in the diocese."

When looking for more on line about Richard Rutt, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was one of the leading men in the world of knitting. Known as The Knitting Bishop, he was the author of A History of Hand Knitting. There's an interview with him on the Serenity Knitting website.

JUGGLING OUR DAILY LIFE WITH 18-HOUR FASTING

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Juggling our daily life with 18-hour fasting

A beat bobby's job is tiring enough spending long hours out on patrol – but it is set to get even harder for those officers celebrating Ramadan.

Pc Yusuf Nagdi is one Leicestershire police's Muslim officers, who face a tough month with very little sleep and next to no food as they try to juggle work with observing the month of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, which started yesterday and lasts for 30 days, Muslims must abstain from food and drink during daylight hours.

Pc Nagdi, a neighbourhood beat officer for the Coleman ward, is making special arrangements to ensure he stays in top crime-fighting condition throughout the period.

He said: "It is a juggling act, but one that I feel I can do well, thanks to a few changes like when I start work, and fitting in prayers during my patrols."

This year, Ramadan could be even more challenging. The dates move every year according to the lunar calendar, and this year sees fasting take place during some of the longest days of the year. Yesterday, Muslims fasted for around 19 hours.

Pc Nagdi will be starting his shifts at 10am rather than 8am to get two hours' rest. He said: "Obviously, if there was an incident that would take priority, but as long as I am not too busy, I am encouraged to pop into the local mosques in my beat, in uniform, and carry out my prayers."

Mum Salma Ravat, 39, from North Evington, said she was excited but apprehensive.

She said: "The days are very long indeed at the moment, with fasting coming up to 18 hours at times.

"Before you start, you wonder how you will be able to fast for such long hours.

"The first few days will take a bit of getting used to, but it gets easier and the whole month flies so quickly – before you know it you are celebrating Eid and wondering if you made the most of Ramadan."

Suleman Nagdi, chair of the Federation of Muslim Organisations, said: "Our radio station FMO radio on 87.7FM collects almost half a million pounds for charity during Ramadan."

MUM MADE UP AS HALAL COSMETICS PROVE A HIT

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

Mum made up as halal cosmetics prove a hit

By Ian Griffin, Business Editor

A businesswoman has attracted worldwide interest after launching a range of make-up which complies with Islamic teaching.

Nadia Gani claims she is the first manufacturer of halal-certified cosmetics in the UK.

And she said sales have exceeded expectations since she set up her business three weeks ago.

Mrs Gani, who lives in Evington, Leicester, said she had received telephone calls from around the world from people interested in selling the products.

"As far as my research has shown, there's no other manufacturer of halal make-up in the UK," said the 27-year-old mother-of-two and founder of Miracle Halal Mineralz.

"I've sold more than I thought I would. It's been mad. Some of it has come from me attending events, from networking, from people finding the website on Google and simply from word of mouth.

"As a child, I always saw myself having my own brand of make-up. This was my dream."

Mrs Gani creates the cosmetics in an industrial unit in Earl Shilton, with help from her taxi driver husband, Ashiaf, 35, and sells them through the company website.

Her products are certified by the global halal organisation All Things Halal, which is based in Leicester.

"People are contacting me and asking if they can run a franchise selling my products in another country," she said. "I'd love to have people from other countries selling the make-up."

Mrs Gani, who has worked as a beautician, said she had received inquiries from Australia, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. She said there was a big demand for quality halal cosmetics.

"The British-made label is a big thing," she said.

Mrs Gani said she was also talking to independent shops in the UK about stocking her products.

She said she had already made dozens of sales.

She makes a wide range of make-up, including lipsticks, lip-liner, eye-liner, eye shadow and blusher. She said she and her husband could make up to 24 pieces a day.

The business is expected to make a turnover of about £20,000 in its first year, although it could be a lot more.

Halal cosmetics do not contain pork extracts or alcohol, both common in standard make-up. Millions of Muslims worldwide live by the code of halal.

Extremism isn't limited to one group in society

Today's First Person column in the Leicester Mercury is by my friend and colleague Suleman Nagdi:

  

Extremism isn't limited to one group in society

Spokesman for the Federation of Muslim Organisations Suleman Nagdi reflects on the Oslo massacre

Let us take a moment to pause in remembrance of the victims of the deplorable and utterly incomprehensible acts of terror that befell Oslo and the nearby island of Utoya on July 22. These acts of terror have left the most bitter and saddest of emotions, serving as the starkest reminder of the presence of evil in society. What this most incomprehensible of acts has shown us is that violent extremism exists and is a threat that we must work even harder to counter.

Governments including our own have put in place measures and strategies to counter the threat of violent extremism. Indeed, the Coalition Government has recently published the revised Prevent Strategy which has as its stated aim the desire to correct the perceived faults of the previous Prevent Strategy. Although the strategy does make mention of various sources of violent extremism, it only focuses in great detail on one particular source. This is dangerous.

By dedicating such an unbalanced attention on one potential source of violent extremism, the new policy has neglected to sufficiently focus on the dangers posed by others who also espouse views that seek to inflict physical harm upon others. Violent extremism is an unfortunate phenomenon that is a feature of various groups in society and not just limited to one community, therefore any counter-terrorism measures needs to take this into consideration.

Any neglect of this reality can have devastating consequences such as the one realised in Norway. The tragedy of the events in Norway serves as a grim reminder that it is up to governments and the media to recognise violent extremism in all its guises and develop policies which accurately reflect the threat posed by all these sources of violent extremism.

The Norway terrorist murders tell us once again that we need to focus on building and investing in community relations. Projects which bring together people from all backgrounds to do good are a start. Whether it is charity activity, fun events or sports, there are ways in which local and national government could work with communities to help bring this about as a long term-plan. On top of this, the only way we will defeat the seeds of extremism are more education and training for all our population. Tackling extremism requires some long-term objectives which may take years to realise.

This emphasis on community cohesion has seen Leicester serve as reference point for other cities across Europe in the stand against violent extremism. Leicester has dealt with the threat of violent extremism so that the threat posed by potential perpetrators has been wholly minimised. But we must not be daunted by the task ahead and remain steadfast in our commitment to work collaboratively with people from all backgrounds so that we may create safer communities for all to flourish in.

HARE KRISHNA FESTIVAL OF CHARIOTS ATTRACTS THOUSANDS TO LEICESTER CITY CENTRE

From today's Leicester Mercury:

Hare Krishna Festival of Chariots attracts thousands to Leicester city centre

Thousands of devotees pulled three 30ft chariots through the streets of Leicester yesterday in celebration of a 5,000-year-old festival.

Colourful flags and lively rhythms led the 14th annual Hare Krishna Festival of Chariots from Humberstone Gate, in the city centre, to Cossington Park, in Belgrave.

The event was staged by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Organiser Nimai Devi Dasi said: "Today is about getting the chance to show other people what we're about. It's a nice, jovial time and we're not restricted to the temple, which means we can get a lot more people involved – people who may not have come across us before.

"The Jagannatha Ratha Yatra is a celebration more than 5,000 years old, making it the oldest street festival in the world.

"Devotees believe that if they get the honour of pulling the ropes of the giant chariot, carrying Lord Krishna then at the end of this life, they will be granted a place in the spiritual world."

The procession featured three huge chariots, which carried deities Lord Jagannatha (Krishna), Lady Subhadra and Lord Balarama.

Participants pulled the giant floats to Cossington Park, where more than 9,000 people were entertained with live music, dancing and singing. 

Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby took part in the ceremony, sweeping the procession route as a sign of humility and service to the people.

He also joined the procession as it slowly made its way along Belgrave Road, helping to pull the giant chariots for part of the way.

He said: "It's the first time as city mayor that I've taken part in the event, which I've seen grow and flourish over the years.

"It's an important part of our cultural heritage and brings life and colour to the city."

The parade was filled with music and singing as it snaked its way through the city centre and along Belgrave Road.

Ramesh Yadav, 32, was keeping the rhythm of the march.

The drummer, from St Matthews, said: "It's an occasion where Lord Krishna can come out and look at everyone.

"The big eyes on the statue (on the chariot) show that he is looking out at everyone and looking into your heart."

Sandeep Patel, 29, from Oadby, said: "Just to experience the whole day is fantastic – there's thousands of people coming together from all backgrounds.

"It's a celebration for us, but everyone is welcome to join in."

Steve Shaw, 31, had travelled from Chorley, in Lancashire, to be at yesterday's festival.

He said: "Today is about celebrating the joy of life, everybody has to get involved by helping with the chariot – it's like pulling the Lord into our hearts."