SOUTH-EAST OFFICERS INVITED TO CELEBRATE RAKSHA BANDHAN WITH LOCAL HINDU COMMUNITY

Officers and leaders across the South-East policing teams come together on the 5th of August to help support members from a local Hindu Community in Woolwich, Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple, celebrate their annual cultural ceremony Raksha Bandhan.

Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, is a special Hindu festival that takes place annually, dedicated to family with a focus on siblings. It is a celebration of the bonds between brothers and sisters, but the culture allows the ritual to be performed with those you love and bond with. The tying of the Rakhi involves a colourful thread bracelet that is tied onto the wrist which acts as a physical piece to celebrate bonds.

Members from the community were invited to visit Lewisham Police Station as part of a tour across South-East London partner visits. This event in the police station was Co-Ordinated by The South-East Faith Liaison lead, PC Karen Troullides, who invited senior leaders and officers across Lewisham Greenwich and Bexley, to visit the station and take part in this event. With success, PC Karen Troullides managed to fill up a conference room with officers across different departments including the mounted team, The Borough Commander Trevor Lawry and his team as well safer neighbourhood senior leaders.

PC Karen Troullides told us “The importance of our partnership and collaboration with community members showed this week, with members from the temple inviting us into their world and teaching us about their important celebrations in their culture. I would like to thank the members of the temple for allowing us to participate in their festival, I would also like to thank all the senior leadership members across the south east including Mr Trevor Lawry who supported the tour around Lewisham police station, all of the supporting staff within the south east including the communications team, Fr. Michael Bailey from The Parish Church of St Stephens with St Mark Lewisham, Staff officers of the senior leadership team, Members from the mounted team who allowed us access into their stables and many of the staff and officers who helped create an incredible day for the children that visited the station. Events like these help breakdown barriers internally and externally. From this collaboration, we have shared an insight into both worlds and created unforgettable memories for the children and adults who visited. The South-East BCU has been privileged to host this event, and I am grateful for everyone who helped make it happen. The BCU has been a supporting borough of these exclusive partnerships, allowing them to happen in the past with plans to conduct many more in the future.”

Members from the visiting community were shown around the best parts of the police station including visits to the stables, an operational custody suite, a live police officer safety training session and a fleet of police vehicles full of equipment the children could try on.
Police officers across the South-East continue to work in partnership with local community groups to help keep a Safer London.