On Saturday evening, I experienced Iftar in a different way – not as a guest, but as a volunteer. I spent the evening at the One Vision Big Iftar in Watford, helping in the kitchen and serving food.

More than 250 people from different faiths, cultures and communities came together to break the fast. For many in the room, it was their first experience of Iftar.

It was wonderful to see police officers, volunteers, community leaders, families and neighbours all sitting together in the hall, sharing a meal and conversations.

Moments like this remind us how powerful #community can be.

One reflection that really stayed with me was shared by Dr Hina J Shahid , who spoke about “carer stress” the emotional and physical strain experienced by those who care for loved ones every day. It was the first time I had heard the term explained so clearly, and it was truly eye-opening.

Grateful for the reflections shared by Petras Bahadur, Dr Hina J Shahid , Chief Superintendent Ruth Dodsworth, Julian Burman, Councillor Sham Begum and Akhtar Zaman DL.

The evening concluded beautifully with the Adhan and prayer, before everyone broke the fast together.

My sincere thanks to ENOCH Kanagaraj BEM DL, Sadia Din (CIH), Priyanka Gandhi, Jasbir Surana and the entire One Vision team for organising such a meaningful evening and truly living their mission of bringing people together.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀.

Ramadan Mubarak to everyone observing 🌙