Abdool Gooljar, the President of the Islamic Society of Britain (South Yorkshire), invited Initiatives of Change in Sheffield to take part in a special evening to welcome the new Bishop of Sheffield into the community.
The Rt Rev Dr Steven Croft and his wife Ann were the guests of honour at the Grosvenor Hotel, Sheffield, on 24 June, 2009. Abdool Gooljar, who is also one of the Sheffield IofC team members, organised and raised the funding for the event entirely through the Islamic Society.
The letter of invitation had the banner headline ‘Working towards a just and caring society’. It stated that ‘in an ongoing spirit of peaceful cooperation, we invite you to join us in welcoming the new Bishop of Sheffield and celebrating the achievements of ISB’s interfaith work in the City of Sheffield.’
The event, for around 250 people from Sheffield society and beyond, included a splendid meal which was prepared and served by the friends and families of the organisers.
Amongst the representatives who spoke was a Sheffield councillor, on behalf of the city council, Father Shaun Smith representing the Catholic Bishop, Agnes Grunwald from the Board of Deputies representing the Jewish community and several others.
Each group of activists represented was invited onto the stage to say something of the work being carried out by their members. David Curtis was called as the spokesperson for Initiatives of Change. He quoted a wide range of initiatives and activities, locally and globally, through the efforts of IofC’s Sheffield team members, 18 of whom were present. ‘Initiatives of Change, Sheffield’ was projected in large letters behind the speaker.
Richard Channer, representing IofC’s London centre at 24 Greencoat Place, also attended the event. Through conversations several new and significant connections were made.
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