A celebration of Kingstons cultural and religious diversity took place at the North Kingston Centre in Richmond Road, on Sunday.

The North Kingston International Festival was organised in conjunction with another event, earlier in the day, by Positive Consensus, a group of local dignitaries and religious figures.

The aim of the festival was to showcase the religions and cultures that can be found in the borough and give people a chance to experience what they would not normally see.

There was food, drink, dance and arts and craft from faiths, including Hinduism, Baha, Christianity and Buddhism.

The festival, sponsored by Sainsburys, was the brainchild of local resident, Sue Moller, who put on the community event as part of a course she undertook in London.

She said: I created this event out of a wish for fellow citizens to feel more comfortable with each other. A tremendous effort was made by many cultural groups, shops and school children.

And the event has been so well received that Mrs Moller has even provisionally booked the United Reformed Church, in Kingston, for another event in November next year.

Jenny Tonge, MP for Richmond Park, said: This was a wonderful event to celebrate the different cultures in North Kingston at this most difficult time.

I do hope that events such as this are replicated elsewhere so that members of the community can interact and enjoy the wide variety of cultures we have here in London.

Positive Consensus, a forum for people from different ethnic and religious groups to discuss multiculturalism and diversity, also met on Sunday morning at the North Kingston Centre.

Founder member, Amir Choudhry said: The meeting was a beginning. I would hope that other meetings like it will be organised to allow people from different ethnic and religious groups in the borough to get to know each other better.

By.David Rankin