Our Patrons
Meet our Patrons
Sadia Akram
Programme Director
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Sadia Akram is Programme Director for Forum for Discussion of Israel and Palestine (FODIP). She was recently the recipient of the national BEDSA award for bringing Jewish and Muslim women together through sports. She has a background in community cohesion and engagement.
Rev Bob Day
Co-Chair
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Revd. Bob Day, Treasurer, is a former Teacher and retired Minister in the United Reformed
Church (URC). He is a qualified counsellor with 25 years of ministry in urban situations. He has particular expertise in fundraising, partnership working and project management. He was Treasurer of the Christian Muslim Forum in Manchester and is now serving on the Inter Faith Relations Reference Group (national Committee of Methodist and URC), NW Synod Interfaith advocate and a Trustee of three
voluntary sector organisations:
Co-Chair
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Warren was one of the founding trustees of FODIP and has participated in or co-led all of their Study Tours to Israel and Palestine. He has also been involved in many other FODIP projects and related work. He is a part-time freelance Rabbi, working with Southend and District Reform Synagogue (since 2001) and Liverpool Reform Synagogue for the last three years. Warren also works ‘half-time’ for the Faith Network for Manchester as their Community Development Worker,
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Cannon Marcia Wall
Trustee
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Canon Marcia Wall, Canon Pastor and Acting Precentor at Manchester Cathedral, has been involved in interfaith work for a number of years. She has acted as Chair of the Diocese of Manchester Interfaith Group and also played an active role in the organisation and planning of Holocaust Study Day events held at the Menorah Synagogue. Canon Wall has visited Israel and Palestine a number of times and attended courses at Yad Vashem, Tantur Ecumenical Institute and St George’s College. She has been a FODIP supporter from the start and believes that the work that they do, bringing communities together, particularly young people, is very important.
Dave Swindells
Trustee
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Dave Swindells is a retired teacher-trainer who lives in Leeds. He is a Quaker and has been very interested in the Israel/Palestine situation. Dave spent time on the Palestinian West Bank and Israel in 2012, while on a Quaker Working Retreat. He met Quakers and Israeli Jews, as well as both Muslim and Christian Palestinians. On his return, Dave became aware of the work of FODIP and became involved in a Quaker/Jewish faith representatives dialogue group in Manchester.
Chief Inspector
Umer Khan
Board Member
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Umer is passionate about improving relations between communities, developing peace and unity through dialogue and understanding. Umer also leads on the community led ‘We Stand Together’ Cohesion campaign, which has now became a Nationally recognised response to Hate and intolerance.Presently Umer is Operational Lead for Policing of North Manchester District. Outside of work his hobbies include volunteering and charity work. He coaches and mentors young people, two young people from his coaching group have gone on to acquire professional contracts at Lancashire County Cricket Club and play for England. He also supports various charities, helping support street children around the world.
Rabbi David Mason
Trustee
Rabbi Mason was brought up in Edinburgh where he attended George Watsons College. He received a Bachelors and Masters degree in Econometrics from LSE and then spent seven years in yeshivot in Israel where he received semicha.
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Previously Rabbi of Kingston, Surbiton and District Synagogue and now Rabbi of Muswell Hill Synagogue, Rabbi Mason undertakes a great deal of work in local and national inter faith and social cohesion and is Chair of the Haringey Inter Faith Network. He recently completed an MSc in Conflict Resolution in Divided Societies at Kings Colleges, and has a Foundation level qualification in Family Therapy.
Fakrul Choudhury MBE
Trustee
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Fakrul has been an active volunteer carrying, developing and delivering a range of programmes mainly in the borough of Oldham. These projects include, education programmes for young people, sports initiatives for the wider community as well as community cohesion initiatives across the borough. Fakrul was recently awarded an MBE in recognition of his efforts
Working towards a positive dialogue between Jews, Christians and Muslims in the UK on the Israel/Palestine situation.
