The Altrincham Interfaith Group (AIG) hosted a widely praised “Entertainment Evening this week, bringing together Muslim, Jewish, Sikh, Hindu, Bahá’í and Unitarian communities for a rich celebration of music, devotion, reflection and shared values. The programme was conducted by Dr Poonam Kakkar, AIG Committee member, whose leadership shaped the event’s warm, inclusive spirit.
The programme opened with a welcome from AIG Chair Ann Angel before moving through a series of performances that highlighted the depth and diversity of Altrincham faith communities. The Muslim segment featured a moving Naat by Baji Ishrat, described in the programme as “a way for believers to express gratitude, reverence and spiritual devotion.”
The Jewish intergenerational ensemble offered uplifting renditions of Hava Nagila and Dona Dona, while the Sikh community’s contribution — Pritham Bhagwati: Śakti kī Stuti — honoured the primordial divine power recognised across traditions. Dr Rajinder Singh sang his poem conveying the idea of one universal power behind all creation.
The Hindu community presented Gyanamrit: The Nectar of Knowledge, including the Unity Hymn from the last sukta of the Rig Veda. It was a fitting choice for events like the Altrincham Interfaith Group programme, where diverse communities come together in a spirit of harmony which is precisely the vision the Rig Veda’s final hymn celebrates. Dancers also presented a Kathak performance of Guru Vandana, followed by a depiction of Raas Leela, illustrating Krishna as the universal teacher guiding each seeker.
After the interval, the Bahá’í community delivered a satirical sketch on human oneness, which met with much laughter from the audience and the evening concluded with a Unitarian reflection on the universalist themes in Oscar Hammerstein’s lyrics including the famous “You’ll Never Walk Alone” for Universal togetherness.
The event was attended by about 100 people who enjoyed the programme, felt the positive vibes and were engaged in talking with one another in the break, which was a true reflection of the communal harmony. It showed us how we can build bridges across traditions, creating spaces where shared values of compassion, unity and mutual respect can flourish.
The evening closed with thanks from AIG Chair Ann Angel and announcements of upcoming interfaith events by AIG Secretary Shahyda, reinforcing the group’s ongoing dedication to dialogue and cooperation.

Photography courtesy of Howard Barlow

Dear friends, Altrincham interfaith group invites you to our entertainment Evening on the Thursday ,12th February@7pm. You will enjoy short performances eg music, dance, poetry etc from many faith group artists. Please book by clicking the registration link.

https://forms.gle/KE9HCHADf3QU4TJV6

Warm regards

About 30 people braved the wind and rain to attend the Alf Keeling
Memorial Lecture this year, which was given by Reverend Daud Gill of
St Alban’s C of E Church Broadheath and an Altrincham Interfaith Group
committee member, who spoke on “Faith, Hope and Love as the heart of
interfaith friendship.”  He split his lecture into two parts, the first
addressing the role that faith, hope and love play in all our lives and
showing with the help of scriptures that they are universal principles that
sustain human friendship.
In the second part he described his personal experiences of seeing
these in action, when the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 impacted
on relations between his Levenshulme church and an adjoining Mosque.
His congregation sent flowers and a card to the Mosque which began a
lasting friendship between the two communities. He also visited Pakistan
in 2019 with a group of Christians and formed a bond with Muslims in
one of the largest Mosques in the city which resulted in the formation of
forums with Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs working together for
peace. Now he is working with Michelle, a member of the Jewish
community, whose charity “Hello Buddy” organises interfaith events for
children at his church, which are proving very popular.
After his address, Reverend Daud invited his audience to talk between
themselves about faith, hope and love in their own lives – what excites
and what challenges them and what practical steps they could take to
live out those virtues. This resulted in a lively discussion which continued
over tea and biscuits.
We thank Reverend Daud for his thoughtful and uplifting presentation,
Holy Angels Church for the use of their lovely Parish Hall and all those
who helped to make this a most enjoyable and stimulating event.

Our thanks to Paul Fertig of the photography.

We express our profound sorrow and extend our deepest condolences to the Jewish community following the heinous attack that has claimed lives yesterday. Our thoughts are with those gathered at Heaton Park Synagogue in observance of Yom Kippur, as well as with the wider community at this time of grief and mourning.

This abhorrent act of violence stands as a stark reminder of the threats posed by hatred and intolerance in our society. It strengthens our resolve to work tirelessly in support of interfaith dialogue, to foster greater understanding among communities, and to uphold the principles of peace, security, and mutual respect which are the foundation of a just and cohesive society.

It was a warm and sunny afternoon for the Altrincham Interfaith Group’s Tea Party
and about 60 people from all different faiths came to Blessed Thomas Holford’s
Catholic College Sixth Form café to mingle and chat together while sharing delicious
sandwiches and cakes. We were also pleased to welcome Connor Rand, the MP for
Altrincham and Sale West who has previously connected with AIG and expressed
interest in interfaith work.
The event began with a warm welcome from Ann Angel, newly elected Chair of AIG,
who expressed her pleasure that so many people attended despite the tensions and
pressures of world-wide conflict and emphasised how important it was for people to
interact and get to know each other, thus promoting mutual understanding. She then
introduced the Mayor of Trafford, Councillor Jane Brophy, who said a few words
about the importance of good interfaith relations and how pleased she was to be
invited to this event. Representatives from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and
Baha’i faiths then each recited a short blessing. Tea was then served and guests
were able to speak with one another and our special guests.
Towards the end of the afternoon, Dominique D’Arcy, Vice-Chair of AIG, introduced
the guest speaker Rev Dr Andrew Knight, Vicar of Bowdon Parish, who gave a
thought-provoking address entitled “Beneath the Surface: Unlocking the Depths of
Spiritual Blessing”, He explained how blessings were an important and integral part
of daily life in all faiths, which was a very appropriate topic for the afternoon. Ann
Angel then ran through the events of the past year followed by Dominique who
previewed what AIG has planned for the future. Then it was “all hands on deck” to
clear away the tea things, say our goodbyes and return to our homes after what
everyone agreed had been an extremely successful afternoon.
We are most grateful to everybody who brought sandwiches and cakes and for the
kind generosity to Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College for allowing us to use
their lovely premises. We would also like to give special thanks to the two pupils from
the school who did everything possible to help the afternoon go smoothly.