Queen invites communities from every faith to Buckingham Palace

The Queen puts on a colourful display in a floral frock as she hosts a reception for communities from every faith at Buckingham Palace

  • Queen put on a vibrant display as she welcomed guests to Buckingham Palace
  • The royal, 93, was hosting a reception to celebrate various faith groups in the UK 
  • Will bring together representatives of different faiths, beliefs and communities

The Queen put on a colourful display as she welcomed guests from various faiths to a reception at Buckingham Palace tonight. 

Dressed in a floral frock and elegant white gloves, the royal, 93, coordinated her look perfectly, completing the ensemble with a black patent bag and court shoes.

The monarch, who accessorised with pearl earrings and a matching multi-string necklace, was seen greeting Housing Secretary James Brokenshire, Baroness Eaton and Sir Kenneth Olisa among the guests.

The reception will celebrate the work of UK faith and belief groups, by bringing local communities from every faith together during a reception at Buckingham Palace.    

The Queen put on a colourful display as she welcomed guests from various faiths to a reception at Buckingham Palace tonight

Among those invited are representatives of different faiths and beliefs from across the UK, including volunteers, community workers, and those promoting social cohesion within their neighbourhood.

The reception will recognise those bringing about positive change in their local neighbourhoods and celebrate the work being done to support people of all ages and backgrounds. 

This includes supporting young people to make positive life choices, bringing people together through cooking, providing food and clothing to the homeless, and supporting refugees and asylum seekers.

Dressed in a floral frock and elegant white gloves, the royal, 93, coordinated her look perfectly, completing the ensemble with a black patent bag and court shoes

The monarch, who accessorised with pearl earrings and a matching multi-string necklace, was seen greeting Housing Secretary James Brokenshire, Baroness Eaton, right, and Sir Kenneth Olisa, centre, among the guests

As Head of the Nation and Head of the Commonwealth, the queen is keen to celebrate religious diversity in the UK and throughout the Commonwealth. 

In 2016, The Cinnamon Network, which supports churches and local communities, compiled a Faith Action Audit which valued the time given by churches and other faith groups to their communities at more than £3 billion each year, supporting over 49 million people.

A report by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) found that more than a quarter of all charities in the United Kingdom have an association with faith.

Queen Elizabeth II greets (left to right) Dai Hankey, Dr. Rose Drew, and Pastor Kingsley Avanagh during a reception at Buckingham Palace

Queen Elizabeth II greets (left to right) Valentine Nkoyo, Anna Dyson, Rachael Cox, and Nighat Khan during a reception at Buckingham Palace,

Charity Near Neighbours, which provides grants to small community projects, and is run by the Church Urban Fund, is a government funded programme working in some of the most diverse and disadvantaged areas in England to bring together local people from different faiths and ethnic backgrounds to improve communities. 

It provides small grants to support local, grassroots projects and has funded 1,433 projects across England, all of which have at least two faith or belief groups working together. 

The programme also has a network of national partners to provide training, expertise and resources and has hubs and coordinators across England.

The charities will be present at the reception,  

Queen Elizabeth II greets (left to right) Anna Dyson, Valentine Nkoyo, Emma Holton, Rachael Cox, and Nighat Khan during a reception at Buckingham Palace,

 

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