Gun crime and forced marriages will be just some of the talking points at Southwell Minster next weekend, when hundreds gather for workshops and a service marking Racial Justice Sunday on 14th September 2008.

The Minster service at 6pm will run under the theme of ‘A banquet for all peoples’ and will include a whole range of styles of worship with musicians including Freddie Kofi, Barbara Thomas, the Zimbabwean Group Choir Joyous Symphony and the Pilgrim Sacred Dancers.

Before the service there will be a series of workshops for people to join in from 3.30pm, which will include discussion and presentation on issues such as gun and knife crime, led by Claudia Webbe – Co Chair of Trident; people seeking asylum and refuge; Asian forced marriages and Nottingham African women’s empowerment forum.

Event organiser and Equality & Diversity Co-ordinator for the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham, Mrs Dianne Skerritt said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for the church to engage with some very important issues. The service will form part of Southwell Minster’s 900 anniversary celebrations and it will be helpful to look back and also look ahead to the challenges in society today and how the church can be part of promoting equality and justice.”

The event is being supported by the Rainbow Project (a church-based initiative, working to engage with social justice in the city of Nottingham) in Association Southwell Minster and the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham.

Unfortunately the headlined speaker the first black chaplain to the Queen – the Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin is unable to attend due to a family bereavement. The Revd Arlington Trotman, will give the keynote address in her place. Arlington is the Moderator for the Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe and former chief executive officer of the Churches’ Commission for Racial Justice.

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