Release Date: 17 November

Smethwick town chiefs and police have welcomed a local multi-faith group meeting to help further develop and strengthen community links.

The initial meeting at the Bangladeshi Islamic Centre, 10-11 Lewisham Road, Smethwick was held last month (October) in conjunction with the Centre for Bangladeshi Community Studies to coincide with the end of Ramadan.

The aim of the gathering was to forge closer community links and give an additional arena for Smethwick people to discuss their hopes and concerns with the police, other local organisations and community leaders.

The evening was organised by Musleh Uddin, centre manager, and was overseen by Abdul Subhan, programme co-ordinator for the Bangladeshi Islamic Centre, and several of the younger children who regularly attend the community centre/mosque, who read poems and sang.

Among the 60 guests plus local community people attending were Andy Jones from Sandwell Council Voluntary Sector Support Team, Harmohinder Singh Bhatia, community representative, Liz Mabley MBE for the Sandwell Partnership, Councillor Gurinder Singh Josan, Paramjit Randhawa and Linda Holl for North Smethwick Housing Development Trust, Pcs Gurpreet Gill and Shazadi Ahmed-Zoader, Reverend Canon John Barnett, Pam Nicolson, chair of Sandwell multi-faith network, and Richard Nugent, Chair of Sandwell Primary Care Trust, along with other local councillors and local school teachers.

Pc Gill said: "The meeting generated a very positive response. We are all friends and neighbours and must work as one. We will all continue working closely with people living and working in the area."

Councillor Keith Davies, Smethwick Town Committee chair, said: "I fully welcome multi-faith events aimed at developing stronger links across our communities."

*For further information regarding the Bangladeshi Islamic Centre and for information regarding the work it does, please call 0121 558 8204/0121 558 8261 or e-mail: bic10-11@btconnect.com. You can also visit our website @ http://www.bicentre.org.uk/