About us

Maurice Samuel Ostro OBE KFO is a British entrepreneur and philanthropist.

He is Chairman of both Ostro Minerals (UK) and Fayre Share Investments. He is Founder and Chair of Trustees of the Fayre Share Foundation, Vice-Chairman of the Council of Christians and Jews, Founding Patron of Faiths Forum for London, and a member of the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission.

His business interests have included gemstones, media distribution, property, frozen yogurt and airline catering. His main philanthropic interests have included interfaith relations and conflict resolution.

Rt Revd Sarah Mullally became the 133rd Bishop of London.

Bishop Sarah was a senior civil servant in the Department of Health before ordination. A trained nurse, she became Chief Nursing Officer for England in 1999, the youngest person to be appointed to the post. She was ordained in 2001 and served her curacy at St Saviour’s, Battersea Fields, at first as a self-supporting minister. She left her government post in 2004 and took up full-time ministry in the London Borough of Sutton.

Bishop Sarah was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to nursing and midwifery. In 2012 she was installed as Canon Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral, before becoming Bishop of Crediton in the Diocese of Exeter in 2015, mainly serving North and East Devon. She is a member of the Church of England’s National Safeguarding Steering Group.

Alderman Charles Bowman was the 690th Lord Mayor of the City of London. He is a senior partner with PwC and Alderman of Lime Street Ward, and served as Sheriff of the City of London in 2015/16.

Charles was born in Essex in 1961 and educated at Uppingham School, where he is a member of the school’s Foundation Board. He graduated from Bristol University with a degree in Architecture.

Muddassar Ahmed is the founding Chief Executive of Unitas Communications Ltd, where he has led projects for the United Nations, the Arab League, the US State Department and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), among others. He also founded, and is President of, the Concordia Forum, an annual retreat for senior Western Muslim leaders.

Muddassar recently completed a term as an Independent Advisor to the UK Government on UK Muslim communities, and has been listed among the 500 most influential Muslims globally by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre and Georgetown University.

Sir Anish Kapoor has been exhibiting since the early 1980s and won the 1991 Turner Prize. His work combines elements of Eastern and Western cultures, making sculptures with both natural and man-made materials.

Kapoor’s large-scale sculptures, made of steel, granite, concrete, PVC and resin, have appeared around the world, from Paris to New York and from London to Tel Aviv. Orbit, the tallest sculpture in the United Kingdom, was selected as the winning artwork for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Kapoor was the first living British artist to take over the Royal Academy, in 2009, and was knighted in 2013 for services to art.

Lord Bilimoria is the Founding Chairman of the UK India Business Council, a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, and a former Chancellor of Thames Valley University (now the University of West London). He was the youngest university chancellor in the UK when appointed.

In 2014 he was appointed the 7th Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, the first Indian-born Chancellor of a Russell Group university in Great Britain. He is a founding member of the Prime Minister of India’s Global Advisory Council. In 2006, Karan Bilimoria was appointed Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, the first Zoroastrian Parsi to sit in the House of Lords.

In 2008 he was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the President of India. He is an honorary fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

Anthony Bailey is a Patron of Faiths Forum for London and a well-known global interfaith campaigner. Since 1988 he has coordinated many inter-religious conferences, exchange visits of faith leaders and a wide range of community-led faith initiatives, in London and across Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Anthony has been a Governor of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster since 2005. He is also the Magistral Delegate for Inter-Religious Relations of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George. He previously served on the boards of St Mary’s University, Twickenham, the Association of Papal Orders in Ireland, the Catholic Union of Great Britain, the Maimonides Foundation, the Dignitatis Humanae Institute and the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East.

In 2012 Anthony was awarded the Sternberg Interfaith Gold Medallion for his contribution to interfaith relations. In 1999 he was appointed Chairman of Painting & Patronage, a cultural and artistic exchange programme launched by the Governor of Makkah, HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia, and HRH The Prince of Wales.

Anthony is Chairman of Anthony Bailey Consulting and an established diplomatic and public affairs practitioner in international relations, having advised over sixty nations, many at Head of State and Government level. His previous positions include Burson-Marsteller, IBM, Manning Selvage & Lee and Eligo International.

He was awarded an OBE in 2008 for services to inter-religious understanding and charity, and was honoured with Papal Knighthoods by Saint Pope John Paul II in 2004 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2009 for his inter-religious work in the Balkans.

Dr Riaz Sanatian is an active member of the Baháʼí community and is interested in initiatives that contribute to the betterment of our society. He comes from an engineering background, with a PhD in computational fluid dynamics from Cranfield Institute of Technology.

After working as a university research associate, he joined a start-up company, Computational Dynamics Ltd, to help develop industrial and commercial applications of computational fluid dynamics technology. He worked as the Chief Engineer and Director until his retirement in 2014. Over the years Dr Sanatian has been involved with a number of multi-faith forums, mainly as a local Baháʼí representative. He has diverse interests and over the years has been involved with various art projects, working and exhibiting in both the United Kingdom and Spain. His activities within the Baháʼí community include serving as a member of various Local Spiritual Assemblies, the local governing bodies of the Baháʼí community, in different localities where he was living.

Dr Rehena Harilall (True Deep Source) (she/we) has been practising in the Plum Village tradition since 1998 and became a lay ordained member of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Order of Interbeing in 2016. She is currently an aspirant Dharma teacher in the UK.

Born and raised under South Africa’s apartheid regime, Rehena was actively engaged in the country’s reconciliation, reconstruction, and development efforts post-1994. As a psychologist and management consultant, she honours her African and Indian heritage, bringing an intersectional lens to healing and social transformation.

In 2019, she founded Buddhists Across Traditions, an inter-Buddhist collective uniting Buddhist and mindfulness traditions in service of racial, social, and climate healing and justice. In 2024, in collaboration with Quakers in Britain, she organised two multi-faith silent peace walks in London, calling for peace, reconciliation, and an end to violence in Sudan, Palestine, Ukraine, and other conflict zones. These walks inspired similar events in Israel, the USA, and Botswana, drawing significant attention in the British press.

James Holland is the Westminster Interfaith Co-ordinator. He previously worked as a Lay Chaplain at St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College in North Kensington.

Robert was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and came to this country as part of the Windrush generation in 1961. He has been an active Church member throughout his life after his conversion to Christianity after attending a Billy Graham crusade in 1967. Robert has attended a number of churches and arrived at Willesden New Testament Church of God (WNTCG) in December 2004, quickly settling into the role of a servant leader working in several departments, including being a Deacon on the Church and Pastors Council. Robert is integral in developing policies and strategies for WNTCG and has helped to bring his property management specialism to support the Church’s endeavours.

Robert is a qualified member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators, specialising in Local Government. He is a qualified member of the Chartered Institute of Housing, specialising in Regeneration and Housing Management. He is also a member of the Institute of Management. He has worked for central and local government for over 39 years, mainly in management and Director roles. Throughout his life Robert has given of his time to both Church and Community. Robert has sat on a number of boards as a non-executive Director for a number of voluntary organisations as well as businesses. Robert’s list of Directorships includes The Glasshouse Trust, The South Kilburn Trust, Catalyst Housing Association, Arhag Housing Association, Willesden Pentecostal Assembly and Advice for Renters – which supports renters in the private sector. He contributes to local authorities’ strategies and governance, lending his vast experience in public sector housing and planning.

Interfaith and inter-church representative for Quakers in London. Member of the South East London Area Meeting.

Representative of the Black, Brown and People of Colour Quaker Fellowship.

Silvia serves as the Public Relations Officer at St Mary and Pope Kyrillos Coptic Orthodox Church. Previously, she was a Member of Parliament in Egypt, where she made significant contributions on the Planning and Budgeting Committee for five years. She was the Chair of the Subcommittee responsible for “the Program-Based Budgeting (PBB) transformation and the Sustainable Development Strategy 2030”. Silvia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering from the American University in Cairo, and a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on strategic management and international business from the German University in Cairo.

Major Glenn Furlong is the Area Officer/Ecumenical Officer for the Salvation Army in London.

Pastor James Olanipekun is the District Superintendent and the Chair of the Trustees. He was ordained in Christ Apostolic Church in July 2002, after tutelage under Prophet Dr S.K. Abiara for several years. Reverend James, as he is fondly referred to, is a certified teacher, a seasoned preacher, a deeply committed community cohesion advocate and the author of seven published books, with several awards including Game Changer and Outstanding Award for Services to the Community (London Borough of Tower Hamlets). Rev James Olanipekun has been married to his only wife for almost 40 years by God’s grace, and they are blessed with four children and grandchildren.

Dr Deesha Chadha is currently a lecturer at Imperial College, having gained her PhD in 2005 from the University of Surrey. She is an interfaith committee member with the Hindu Forum of Britain and is also on the national executive committee for faiths and beliefs in further education.

Rajnish Kashyap has worked in the credit management profession for the last 35 years, with in-depth knowledge of export and freight.

Director/Trustee, Hindu Council UK. Secretary, Council of Dharmic Faiths UK. General Secretary, Arya Samaj Middlesex. Faiths Forum for London. Speaker on Hinduism, promoting social justice and welfare for Hindus in the UK, and providing a voice that represents voluntary and community-led organisations.

Councillor for Wembley, Chair of Scrutiny Committee in Brent & The North West London Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and Lead Governor for Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust.

Laura Marks OBE is an inter-faith social activist, policy adviser, writer and media commentator. Laura has founded and chaired a range of social organisations including Mitzvah Day International and the government-founded Holocaust Memorial Day Trust.

A dedicated volunteer since childhood, Amanda has been actively involved in Jewish communal life for over thirty years, serving on her Synagogue’s Council and representing it at the Board of Deputies of British Jews where she served as a Vice President for six years – leading on religious freedoms, interfaith relations, and tackling antisemitism. Since June 2024, she has been co-Chair of London Jewish Forum.

Adrian has over 40 years of experience serving on the front line of the Jewish community, all in a volunteer capacity.

He has held senior positions in the community, including the National Chair of UJS (now termed “President”) and a Trustee of the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC). He helped to establish the London Jewish Forum and, as Chair, he worked with three very different Mayoralties in London.

He is the Chair of the Board of Labour Friends of Israel. He sat on the Antisemitism Advisory Board of the Labour Party on behalf of the JLC. For decades, he coordinated community events in Canary Wharf and coordinated the busy Israel practice of an international law firm. He has led initiatives concerning communal matters ranging from stakeholder engagement with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, to communal engagement with the London Olympics.

He is a council member of Faiths Forum for London and sits on the advisory board of the LSE Faith Centre. He is a member of the audit and risk committee of the Agudas Israel Housing Association. He has been a Trustee of various other charities including Aish and Reprieve.

Abdul Hai OBE has been at the centre of the fight for social justice his entire adult life – advocating for racial equality, celebrating diverse communities, and promoting economic opportunity for all. He is the Director of Community Relations and Public Affairs at LabTech, which owns Camden Market – a hub for small businesses.

From 2006 to 2022, he served as a Camden Councillor and Cabinet Member, working to make local government more inclusive. As Co-Chair of the Camden Faith Leaders’ Forum (2014–2022), he fostered cohesion and promoted religious freedom.

Abdul remains actively engaged in community initiatives, serving as a Trustee of Capital Kids Cricket and a Board Member of Capital City College Industry Skills (2024–present).

CEO at Al Manaar: The Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre.

Vice Chairman, North London Council of Mosques

Chairman, North London Adult Care

Founder/ex-Chairman, Muslim Community & Education Centre

Trustee, Enfield Over 50 Forum

Committee Member, Faiths Forum for London

Ex-Chairman, Enfield Racial Equality Council

Sufia has worked in Community Development and Leadership in Women’s Centres in Tower Hamlets for the last 27 years. She currently manages the Projects and Programmes at the East London Mosque, which include the Maryam Women’s Services (providing Information, Advice and Guidance), Maryam Counselling Services, the Tours and Visits Team, Engagement Projects and Programmes, Senior Citizens Projects, and User Groups at the Maryam Centre.

Organising for social justice is at the heart of her work: she is a Leader and Organiser at The East London Communities Organisation (Telco) and Citizens UK. She represents the East London Mosque, the London Muslim Centre and the Maryam Centre on the Domestic Violence Forum, the No Place for Hate Forum, the Tension Monitoring Group and the Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum. She also chairs the Shared Life Panel and is a Panel member for the Tower Hamlets Domestic Homicide Panel.

As a third sector Director, she started work at the Wapping Women’s Centre in 1997 and worked with Bangladeshi women and families, designing projects that gave them valuable skills for employment and education. She set up one of the first Community Organic Gardens to bring people on a housing estate together. In 2012 she was appointed as one of 14 commissioners to serve on the Tower Hamlets Fairness Commission.

Director-General and Chief Imam, Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society; Associate, Project on Shi’ism and Global Affairs; International Ambassador, Religions for Peace.

Aliya Azam is a graduate of UCL, with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, and a postgraduate of SOAS, with an MA in Islamic Societies and Cultures, and holds a PGCE in science from the Institute of Education. Aliya is also a graduate in traditional Islamic Seminary Studies (BA and Advanced Hawza Islamic Seminary Studies).

Aliya’s current and past positions include Secondary Head of Science at Al Sadiq School and Al Zahra School for thirty-two years, and currently Interfaith Co-ordinator at the Al-Khoei Foundation. Aliya was a Board member and Trustee of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) from 2012 to 2021, and resumed in September 2023.

Trustee of Al Ayn Social Care Foundation UK since 2006. Muslim representative of the ‘Faith and Football’ programme organised by the Football Association. Trustee of the Christian Muslim Forum (CMF) since March 2020. Honoured with an MBE for community cohesion with the Al-Khoei Foundation in 2015. Represented the Shia Muslim community at the Faith Leaders Procession at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and at the coronation of King Charles III.

In 1995, Harmander co-founded Sikhs in England, a pioneering social policy think-tank. He drafted a visionary 25-year Sikh community development plan and co-authored resources to empower faith-led organisations.

Jasvir is a Co-Chair of the City Sikhs, a national representative body for progressive Sikhs with over 10,000 members. He is involved in community cohesion and integration projects throughout Britain and actively promotes political engagement within the British South Asian community. He is also a barrister specialising in Family Law. He is Co-Founder and Chair of South Asian Heritage Month, a national awareness month celebrated in the UK and beyond.

Co-founder and director of Gurdwara Aid, Mandip is an FCCA with 35 years of experience in compliance, governance, risk and finance in the City, working for financial institutions such as the Rothschild family office, Wells Fargo & CCLA. He also started Simran in the City, a weekly lunchtime Sikh meditation in the City and in Canary Wharf.

Mandip Singh is a Trustee of Khalsa Jatha British Isles (Shepherds Bush Gurdwara, the oldest Gurdwara in the UK), and of United Religions Initiative UK and the All Faiths Network. Mandip is also a trustee of Gurdwara Aid, an organisation that works with UK Gurdwaras and Sikh organisations on governance and operational matters. He co-founded the Khanda Poppy project in 2011 to raise awareness of the Sikh contributions in the two world wars.

Chair of Harrow Interfaith.

Ervad Yazad Tehmuras Bhadha is the Resident Priest for the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (ZTFE), London and the Secretary for the 8th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress (8WZYC). He graduated in 2012 in the field of commerce from the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy College of Commerce (BJCC) and then completed his Master’s in Commerce two years later from Mumbai University. He was appointed to the position of Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe’s (ZTFE) Resident Priest in 2014 and came to the UK in November of that year.