THE fourth annual Interfaith Conference in Thurrock took place at Stanford-le-Hope Mosque on Monday (10 November) bringing together a range of faith, community, and civic leaders.

Attendees included Deputy Lieutenant of Essex Deputy Lieutenant of Essex Sidra Naeem, Mayor of Thurrock Cllr Sue Shinnick, the Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex Deputy Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex Jane Gardner and Acting Thurrock District Police Commander Acting CI Leanne Archer.

Leaders and representatives of many faith and non-faith organisations were in attendance, including Vietnamese Buddhist monks, Punjab Police officers, former Punjab Assembly member, Aura and spiritual healers, awareness campaigners and community elders. Local students also attended.

Thurrock DWP Jobcentre Plus, Healthwatch Thurrock, and Thurrock Healthy Lifestyle Service also participated, displaying informative stalls to engage with attendees.

Ms Naeem and Cllr Shinnick addressed the conference as special guests, Ms Gardner and acting CI Archer outlined their vision and community safety priorities for Thurrock and Essex.

The event was organised by borough councillor Qaisar Abbas, Qaisar Abbas, shadow cabinet member for community artnerships, and his work was recognised by faith and community leaders, who said he promoted understanding and cooperation among Thurrock's diverse faiths and communities.

Dr Siraj Ali (Hon), Chair of the Thurrock Muslim Centre (TMC) and Stanford-le-Hope Mosque, said: "We had a successful community open day in October, and now we're welcoming leaders of different faiths and communities here. This demonstrates that our mosque and centre are open to everyone. We thank Cllr Abbas for hosting this conference here and providing us all with an opportunity to meet and connect."

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Cllr Abbas concluded: "I am providing regular opportunities for faith and non-faith leaders to come together, exchange views, and build understanding among Thurrock's diverse faiths and communities.

"I want to thank everyone for attending and extend my gratitude to the volunteers from Thurrock Muslim Centre, Stanford-le-Hope Mosque, QAG's Foundation, and Rawal Veritas for their support in making this event a success."