Havering Council brought together community, faith, political and other leaders with members of the public to look at cohesion in the borough in its first cohesion summit at the Town Hall.
The Council Chamber was packed to hear from a number of key speakers about ensuring the borough remains safe, calm, and cohesive and how communities can live together in harmony.
This included Shelley Hart from the Havering Volunteering Centre, who spoke about how volunteering can support cohesion and build pride in neighbourhoods.
Sidra Naeem from the Havering Inter Faith Forum presented on how the forum has a number of faiths that work together to build understanding and support with each other.
Manzurul Islam, who is a member of the Havering Council Faith Forum and faith leader, spoke about the impact of unconscious bias and its impact on cohesion.
This was followed by Acting Chief Inspector Charlie Routley, who spoke about the Clear, Hold, Build work taking place in Harold Hill and Palmela Witter from Havering Council’s youth team who gave a presentation made by some of the young people in the borough about what they feel should be done so their voice can be heard and empowered to help build cohesion.
The Inter Faith Forum, council officers and other delegates also brought home-made food from their different cultures, which was enjoyed by all.
Council Leader, Councillor Ray Morgon, who chaired the meeting, said:
"It was a pleasure to chair our first Cohesion Summit to discuss how we can remain a safe and cohesive borough.
"It is clear that there are a number of concerns about what is going on in the world around us, including in politics, that can create division.
"The delegates at the summit agreed that we need to work together and show we are not letting these negative forces make the borough a place where we see tensions and pride break down.
"We need to focus on the many good things happening that we heard at the conference, where our communities come together, of all faiths and cultures, to help those who need it most and support each other through difficult times.
"This has created a good foundation for us to build on, and we will continue working together so that the borough remains a safe and cohesive place for all its residents."