Celebrating friendship

“We need heroes who build bridges in our communities!” Sarah Griffin of Reading Interfaith Group, and a Quaker from Reading Meeting, introduced this multi-faith gathering which focused on bringing people together and overcoming fear.

We heard some wonderful performances by the children of the Universal Voices Choir. An address by the Mayor of Reading, Cllr. Rachel Eden was followed by a talk by Rhiannon Stocking-Williams, of Reading Voluntary Action, on combatting loneliness. Our final address was by Rev. Robert Dimmock on the Reading-Dusseldorf Association, which has strong links to Reading Quakers, about their support for the destitute in post-war Germany and ongoing peace-building work.

After the closing words and some singing with actions, we continued our fellowship over a bring-and-share tea.