It is remarkable that GRASSROOTS, a community engagement programme in Luton, has completed 30 years of its extraordinary & outstanding services of bringing Churches and different faith communities together in Luton.
There could not have been any better way of acknowledging and celebrating this 30th year milestone than GRASSROOTS being presented with the prestigious COMMUNITY AWARD – the Mark West Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Award.
Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst and Catherine Gunn, Principal of Barnfield College presented the Award at the glitzy and dazzling 13th Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards 2022 ceremony, held on Friday 11th November 2022 at Venue Central, Britannia Estates, Leagrave Road, Luton.
In choosing a winner for THE MARK WEST DIVERSITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION AWARD, Judges were looking for the person, group, business, or organisation that has done the most to work in harmony with others to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion with the aim to positively discourage discrimination and to support the whole town, involving people from all backgrounds and sectors.
The judges choice of GRASSROOTS as the Award-Winner was a befitting tribute to GRASSROOTS’ services spanning over three decades, during which GRASSROOTS has supported, resourced, and given birth to several initiatives e.g. Luton Council of Faiths (LCoF), Ghar se Ghar [Hindi/Urdu words meaning Home to Home] – a multi-cultural women’s co-operative group, Luton Fairtrade Steering Group, Making Luton a Fairtrade Town campaign, Int’l Women’s Day event ‘Precious Pearls’, ‘Faith Woodlands Communities’ Project in partnership Luton & Bedford Councils of Faiths and launched Near Neighbours Programme in Luton. These are only a few examples.
In partnership with the Luton Council of Faiths and Near Neighbours Programme, GRASSROOTS has held numerous Peace Vigils and organised Press Conferences & Press Statements in the aftermath of global-national terror attacks. It has published over 1000 Faith Matters articles in the Luton News.
GRASSROOTS delivered Cultural, Religion & Belief Awareness Training in Luton, and introduced Diversity board game and multi-faith storytelling in Luton. It has delivered Circle Dancing, and Youth Leadership Training Programmes as well in Luton.
The Award nominator Dr Nazia Khanum, Chair UNA (United Nations Association) Luton, said what is unique about GRASSROOTS, are its principles of ‘Partnership’ & ‘Empowerment’.
Dr Khanum said, “GRASSROOTS has remained ‘the unsung hero’ in the truest sense, because over three decades, it has worked in the background ‘quietly’ and ‘modestly’, but ‘consistently’ and ‘persistently’. Therefore, in acknowledging and celebrating the 30th year of GRASSROOTS’ remarkable and outstanding services, it has been my privilege to wholeheartedly commend GRASSROOTS for the prestigious Mark West Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Award.”
GRASSROOTS Chair Revd Canon David Lawson said, “Thank you Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards for celebrating the unsung heroes of our diverse and multicultural community and applauding those that that seek to make our town Luton, a place where all can live with a sense of fulfilment. GRASSROOTS is extremely grateful, delighted and honoured to receive this prestigious award.“
He also thanked the four Church denominations - United Reformed Church Thames North Synod, Beds Essex & Herts District of The Methodist Church, Church of England St Albans Diocese & The Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton. He said, “It will be impossible for GRASSROOTS to do what it does if it wasn’t for the invaluable support of all these Church denominations. We are indebted to them all.”
The Revd Dr Reynaldo F. Leão-Neto, currently working as Assistant Connexional Ecumenical & Inter Faith Officer for the Methodist Church of Great Britain, has been a Former Mission Partner and Project Worker at GRASSROOTS. He also held the reigns of GRASSROOTS as its Co-Chair during 2004 - 2012. In a statement, he said, “It shows great recognition of Grassroots' work, its consistency, creativity and resilience. GRASSROOTS Team deserves it and others who contributed in the past to the Programme are also part of the achievement. We who witnessed the dangers on the way have even more reasons to be thankful to God, and to the churches that support(ed) the Programme.”
COMMUNITY AWARDS, through its range of activities and fundraising appeals, has raised over £1 million to support a number of local and national charities. The Awards do an excellent job of ‘putting something back into the community.
https://urc-news.org.uk/2JB1-1XA1M-94A90D677AE492D3A2VPCXD652432088763117/cr.aspx
Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst (L) and Catherine Gunn, Principal of Barnfield College (R) presented the Award at the glitzy and dazzling 13th Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards 2022 ceremony, held at Venue Central, Britannia Estates, Leagrave Road, Luton.
Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst (L) and Catherine Gunn, Principal of Barnfield College (R) presented the Award at the glitzy and dazzling 13th Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards 2022 ceremony, held at Venue Central, Britannia Estates, Leagrave Road, Luton.
L to R: GRASSROOTS Director David Jonathan (Johny) & Treasurer Brian Roe were delighted to win the prestigious Mark West Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Award at the glitzy and dazzling 13th Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards 2022 ceremony, held at Venue Central, Britannia Estates, Leagrave Road, Luton.
Bedfordshire Police Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst (L) and Catherine Gunn, Principal of Barnfield College (R) presented the Award at the glitzy and dazzling 13th Luton & Bedfordshire Community Awards 2022 ceremony, held at Venue Central, Britannia Estates, Leagrave Road, Luton.