The annual Walk for Peace will be taking place on Sunday 15th September as the Newcastle Council of faiths hopes for another successful year in uniting people.
The event has taken place for over 10 years, and race relations veteran and author Dr Hari Shukla says that: ‘It is to unite everyone, not just those with faith, it is for those without faith too.’
The walk will start at a Hindu Temple and finish at the Sikh Gurdwara, visiting the Central Mosque, a church, and the site of the first Synagogue in the city.
The original idea of Newcastle as a city of peace was formed with the help of Lord Shipley, then of Newcastle City Council, and Newcastle Council of Faiths.
It originally took over 2 years of planning to organise the first walk.
The popular walk draws crowds of hundreds, with at least 200 people expected to attend.
MP Catherine McKinnell attended last year, and newly appointed Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness is expected to attend this year.
The walk is a chance to put political, religious, and cultural differences aside to celebrate peace and unity in Newcastle.
If you’d like to attend, the meeting point will be from 10:00am at:
Hindu Temple
West Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 9QB
The itinerary will be as follows:
10:30am: Short talk on the Hindu Faith and refreshments
11:00am: Walk from the Hindu Temple to Church of the Venerable Bede
11:30am: Prayer and brief talk about Christianity - cold drinks available
12:00pm: Walk to Central Mosque
12:30pm: Prayer and short talk on Muslim faith - cold drinks available
1:00pm: Walk to Sikh Gurdwara, stopping on the way for a Jewish prayer at the site of the first Synagogue in the city
2:00pm: Prayer and short talk about the Sikh faith - final refreshments
3:00pm: Finish
