The Dialogue Society is: “a registered charity, established in London in 1999, with the aim of advancing social cohesion by connecting communities, empowering people to engage and contributing to the development of ideas on dialogue and community building.” Our local branch is Dialogue Society North East, and on 12 November 2025 they hosted the North East Dialogue Conference over at the DiverCity Community Hub in the West End of Newcastle.

It was a well-attended event with excellent refreshments (always appreciated!) A wide range of faiths and philosophies were present; Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Sikh, humanist, Ba’hai and Unitarian, along with several representatives from local community groups and public services. We heard from speakers Lucy Winskill, the Lord Lieutenant for Tyne and Wear, Brenda Dinsdale of the Newcastle Reform Synagogue, and many more. The discussion was pleasingly not afraid to get stuck into some really serious and difficult issues, including the challenges of operating in a world when many people associate ‘religion’ with ‘institutionalised sexual abuse’, meeting the spiritual needs of our communities, and addressing the rise of the far right and fundamentalism – “the religion of the insecure”, in the words of one attendee. Another issue raised was the need to avoid the interfaith space becoming an echo chamber, and how to work effectively with schools, children and young people.

We formed into groups and debated two questions, which you can see in the photo below. Finally, we shared resources, such as the Thirtyone:Eight safeguarding guidance charity, and swapped contact details – and were introduced to Noah’s Pudding, a Middle Easter dessert traditionally made and shared as a symbol of friendship. You can hear more about it in Louise’s ‘Toy Service: Stir-Up Sunday’ service on our website here: https://newcastleunitarians.org.uk/sermons/

Many thanks to Dialogue Society North East for the invitation, and we hope to return to their next event!