Blog
Celebrating Diversity Through Faiths and Culture
We live in a diverse world. In fact, the place you are making your new home is only a fifteen-minute drive from one of Britain’s most multicultural cities. It’s not all Richard III and a certain football club; Leicester is teeming with a plethora of religious buildings and communities who are part and parcel of that multicultural scene.
This new community in New Lubbesthorpe reflects some of that diversity. Some people moving in may have lived locally for years and could be part of a particular religious community – Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jewish, Jain, Baha’i… the list is endless. Others may be moving from less culturally diverse places, some may have no faith, or a faith heritage while not personally practising any faith.
This new development is an exciting opportunity to build community from scratch – and you can be a part of that simply by being aware that your neighbour may be different to you, culturally or religiously. It might be something as simple as sending a Diwali card, or inviting your neighbours round for dinner but being aware of their dietary requirements. It might be something bigger, like organising a community event but making sure it doesn’t clash with any important festival dates.
Inclusivity is important in any community, be that of gender, race, sexuality or religion. Whilst Lubbesthorpe Alive has grown out of Christian organisation (specifically, Churches Together in Leicester), it is not about promoting one faith or one way of life above another. Rather, it’s about recognising that building community takes time and effort – but that simple steps such as respecting each others’ religious and cultural backgrounds can go a long way in helping build good community relations and being a great neighbour.