Dr Iyadh Daoud

Active role in interfaith work from its early “Informal” years, then in the formation of CIFN as an organisation and recruitment of a Development Worker.

As Vice-Chairman of the Management Committee and Chair of the Events Sub-Committee, worked hard together with others, to get CIFN to become a well-known and respected partner with all stakeholders in Crawley.

The engagement and participation of Crawley Mosques and Muslim organisations in CIFN activities and events was a gradual process which I pursued with passion, the success of which was due to being an active voluntary worker serving that community.

• As organiser of talks to local schools, I have forged a friendly and strong relationship with all major faith groups in Crawley.
• Worked for 30 years as a Chartered Biochemical Engineer, then part time for 10 years with Social Services supporting adults with learning difficulties.
• Trustee Crawley Council for Voluntary Services.

I believe that Networking at the regional level is important for supporting individual groups to form stronger links with local and national organisations and to gain from shared experiences, for the benefit of all “Grassroots” members in the region.

Emel Soylu

Emel is a linguist, teacher/translator of Turkish and English as well as a journalist/writer. She also has a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology.

She has worked in Turkey for 17 years as a linguist and journalist, before moving to the UK in 1988. She has worked at BBC Monitoring Service Research Unit for 16 years where she has retired as a senior researcher.

Emel has been working for Art Beyond Belief as a psychologist, where she co-develops digital art projects which allow vulnerable individuals to create their own artistic vocabulary. She has worked with a diversity of clients, ranging from offenders to victims of domestic violence and from people with mental health problems to people with autism and dementia.

As Secretary of Slough Faith Partnership, she has been actively working in the last ten years to establish a solid and diverse database for the organisation, encouraging memberships, promoting the profile of the organisation, organizing meetings and coordinating events, searching events, conferences and other interfaith activities.

As a liberal Muslim, she brought a fresh approach to Slough Faith Partnership and offers this experience and knowledge to SEEFF.

Emel believes that the future of communication is in digital media and has a strong flair and experience in setting up and maintaining Facebook and Twitter pages and Linkedin profiles for both Art Beyond Belief and Slough Faith Partnership and keeps them up to date.

Emel is a member of British Psychologists Society and Wynkyn de Worde typographical society. She is a keen reader and still writes for Turkish media. She has also translated several novels from English into Turkish and vice versa.

David Sparrow

David trained in photography, and worked in local journalism before starting his own photographic business, which he ran for thirty years before founding Art Beyond Belief in 2005.

He has illustrated many books on automotive design and motoring, and his work has been featured in high profile magazines and journals.

David is the creative lead and project manager for all Art Beyond Belief projects. His first ABB project was the Via Dolorosa, in which a traditional Christian narrative was interpreted by artists of different faiths. He has since managed Faith Junction – a series of interviews between ordinary people of faith, the Festival of Dialogue, which incorporated discussion forums, a ‘borrow-a person’ scheme at Slough Library, an interfaith conference, Sacred Spaces – video work created by sixth formers, Who Am I? – Religious Identity of young people and currently running Why Do I? – a project part of Fear, Faith and Friendship Project that examines embedded codes of behaviour.

In addition, David also develops and delivers ABB’s mental health and well being programmes, designed to foster self-confidence and self-determination to vulnerable groups in the areas of domestic violence, mental health, dementia, autism and learning disability.

David’s other interests include art and music. He is a member of the Wynkyn de Worde typographical society, a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, and a member of the Thomas Merton Society.

Stephen Vickers

PhD International Law, teacher, chartered secretary Chief Exec, Vocational Training Charitable Trust Formerly Religious Studies Officer for Oxford Exam Board
Formerly on Oxfordshire and Leicester SACREs.
Member, RE Council of England and Wales since 1988 Vice President, South, United Nations Assn, UK
Chair, Qualifications Standards Group, UK NARIC
Exec member, Federation of Awarding Bodies
EU “expert” in technical and vocational education Member, Baha’i RE Agency

Shahin Bekhradnia

Shahin was born in London into a traditional Iranian Zoroastrian household and her maternal grandfather was a priest, poet, mathematician and stargazer in the tradition of the Magi. She studied as an undergraduate and postgraduate at Oxford university, started a school in Oxford, has been an interpreter for the immigration appellate and is a magistrate on the Oxfordshire family and adult bench. She writes and gives talks on Zoroastrianism, is actively involved in her community, she’s very concerned with environmental issues, and for enjoyment she paints and plays kitchen bridge!

Dilip Ladwa

Dilip was born in Nairobi, Kenya and emigrated to the UK in 1975. He studied Computer Systems at Essex University. He worked in a variety of IT related roles.

Dilip has various volunteering positions:

Hindu representative on Bracknell and West Berks SACREs, Member of Hindu Education Board, Panel Member of the TVP Independent Advisory Group, Member of the Bracknell Community Cohesion and Engagement Partnership, Oversight member on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme in Bracknell, Vice Chair of Bracknell Forest Interfaith forum.

Dilip is a keen hobbyist photographer.