The team were joined by The Mayor of Slough, Amjad Abassi, The High Sheriff of the Royal County of Berkshire, Simon Muir, Tan Dhesi MP, Geraldine Lejeune OBE Deputy Lieutenant and 250 young people, parents, funders and representatives from partner organisations at the Copthorne Hotel on Friday 20 October.

Attendees were treated to performances from the charity’s spoken word project, Empoword, from poets Aditi and Desree; a song by one of the charity’s Alumna, Kuran Dohil; and dances from partners, Creative Academy.

A short film made specifically for the event was screened and featured the words of local leaders and national leaders from the field of community cohesion:

One of them was Ramesh Kukar, CEO of Slough Council for Voluntary Service, who said, “The charity is a bridge builder, bringing different communities together. The community harmony that they have achieved is quite phenomenal.”


 
Selmah Chaudhary a founding volunteer said, “In the 90s the conflict within our community was scary – even for adults…The project started with just three of us learning conflict resolution skills and sharing them with other young people. I think it’s amazing. I’m proud of everybody that’s a part of it. I was part of the beginning but it’s brilliant to see it develop the way it has.”
 
Together As One, Chair of Trustees, Jamie Hassan, opened the event with a rousing speech and singled out trustee, Janet Morgan, who has served the charity since its inception, 25 years ago, for particular praise.
 
Together As One, CEO, Rob Deeks, addressing the audience, praised the significant contributions of alumni and current volunteers. He reflected on the challenges the organisation faces, and thanked everyone in attendance for their continued support.
 
He also discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most significant event since the organisation marked 20 years. He praised the young volunteers who stepped up to run vaccination centres, giving 1,666 hours of their time and cooking for NHS staff.
 
He highlighted the diverse projects and initiatives of TAO led by young people, like the spoken word project and international visits to share best practice. He concluded by expressing gratitude for the audience’s support and belief in young people and Together As One.

Congratulations to Together As One!