Eid Ul Adha Celebrations in Woking.

This morning I visited and prayed with second of five congregations which are being performed at Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking.During these challenging times and observing restrictions, the mosque committee and the volunteers have been extremely well organised in controlling of the visitors.

Muslims all around the UK are to start celebrating Eid ul-Adha, the most important of Islam’s annual holidays. With approximately 4 million Muslims living in the United Kingdom, many people across the country are expected to take part in the Islamic celebrations.For my friends and colleagues and those of us who are not familiar with Islamic religious practices may be asking ourselves, what exactly is Eid ul-Adha? And how is it celebrated?The name of the holiday ‘Eid ul-Adha’ means ‘the celebration of the sacrifice’. This name refers to a tale of sacrifice mentioned in the Quran, in which God asks the Prophet Ibrahim in a dream to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as a test of his faith. Those familiar with Christianity will notice parallels between this story and that of Abraham and his son Isaac found in the bible, called the ‘binding of Isaac’. The Quaran explains that at first, Ibrahim ignored the dream, but after it had reoccurred for several nights in a row he decided to follow God’s orders to prove his faith.As he tried to decide his course of action, Muslim’s believe that the devil had tried to convince him not to kill his son.In response, Ibrahim threw rocks at him. This is considered a significant act and one that is now copied by pilgrims at Hajj who throw stones at pillars. As Ibrahim began to carry out God’s command, God swapped his son for a goat, which Ibrahim was allowed to sacrifice instead. Hence why Eid Ul Adha means “celebration of Sacrifice”.

The Imam Hashmi performed the prayers this morning and it remains me on behalf of all wish everyone Eid Ul-Adha Mubarak, peace to all and we prayer for wellbeing all mankind. #EidUlAdha #shahjahanmosque #woking

Remembering them All

I along with Lord Lieutenant Michael-More Molyneux, my Police Cadet Fin Wells, Mayor of Woking Cllr Beryl Hunwicks, Zafar Iqbal – Woking borough Community Engagement officer, and the representatives of Air Force along with Hafiz Akram, had the honour and pleasure to lay the annual wreath at the Muslim Peace Garden to recognise the contribution made by the Armed services in WW1 and WW2, in particular the Commonwealth soldiers.

The 27 Silver Birch trees that were planted at the Peace Garden represent the 27 Muslims soldiers who were buried there during World War 1 & 2. It’s vital that we should no forget all the Allied Forces who sacrificed for our today. We will remember them All.

Photos: Steve Porter

First Friday Prayers In over 100 days at Shah Jahan Mosque as life slowly returns to normal.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Shah Jahan mosque this afternoon for Friday prayers. A real poignant day for all as today was the first Friday prayer held at the mosque in over 100 days.

A huge thank you and congratulations to the mosque committee and volunteers for ensuring that all the congregation who attended complied with all the government legislation, social distancing and also registration on the track and trace system. The signage and labelling around the premises was well displayed and it was well observed by all.

Imam Hashmi delivered a great message and prayer to the entire community along with Woking people of Faith, which includes all faiths, churches, and various places of Worship.

An enormous thank you to Surrey Police and in particular, Woking PC – Tony Charles for his assistance and observation on the Friday Prayers. #shahjahalmosque #surreypolice #surreylive #surreylife #highsheriffofsurrey

Flag raising marks the start of Armed Forces Week 2020

A flag raising ceremony took place on the 26th June at 10.30am outside Guildford Cathedral to mark the start of Armed Forces Week. Mr Michael More-Molyneux, Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey raised the Armed Forces Day flag with the Very Reverend Dianna Gwilliams, Dean of Guildford. They were joined by Shahid Azeem DL, High Sheriff of Surrey; Anthony Samuels, Chairman of Surrey County Council; Colonel John Baynham, Deputy Commander of 11 Infantry Brigade South East and Steve Owen Hughes, Chief Fire Officer and Veteran. The Rt Revd Andrew Watson, Bishop of Guildford was also present.

Also in attendance were Maj-Gen Tim Sulivan CB CBE DL, Brigadier Paul Evans OBE DL, Col Patrick Crowley DL and Canon Peter Bruinvels CC.

Sadly, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hundreds of events taking place cross the county to celebrate Armed Forces Week have been cancelled. You can watch a video of the ceremony below.

Mr More-Molyneux said, “Armed Forces Day is a chance for us all to show our support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community. From currently serving troops to service families, ex-service personnel and Veterans and Cadets.

“Surrey is considered very much by the MoD as a ‘military friendly’ county and as Lord-Lieutenant, I am very proud of that reputation. Having seen at first hand, our local forces supporting the NHS in the fight against COVID-19, I am very pleased to give a very public ‘thank you’ to them all today for a job really well done.

Surrey hosts four Army bases with 6200 service personnel and their families as well as 1,274 service children living in Surrey, four Reserve Centres with over 200 Reservists and nearly 2,750 Tri-Service Cadets. Additionally, Surrey is home to over 42,000 ex-service personnel and Veterans.

The Dean expressed her delight at hosting this celebratory event at the Cathedral “‘It is always a great pleasure to host military events here at Guildford Cathedral. We have held many memorable events in partnership with the military.”

Surrey County Council is celebrating Armed Forces Week by asking residents to post photographs of them and their loved ones who have served our country to their Facebook and Twitter.

Denbies Vineyard Visit.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Denbies Wine Estate kindly hosted by Chris White CEO, where I also met Sweet c’s Handcrafted Chocolates by Caroline Hill, along with Surrey Hills Physiotherapy ran by Helen and Massimo Barcellona with Markus Dell Photographer and Chimney Fire Coffee owned by Dan Webber, and in particular to hear about their challenges in the current climate.

Whilst learning about the challenges  they are all facing, it was refreshing to hear how positive they all were in their outlook for the future.

The weather was glorious, whilst practicing  the standard  social distancing, it was great to hear from Chris White CEO of Denbies Wine Estate  on how they have adapted to the current situation, where they have increased their on-line presence, with Wine and gifts, Opened the “Hatch on the Lawns”, along with Garden centre, hopefully starting turs, as well as hoping to open the hotel business, where the occupancy from 95%  and dropped down to zero with the lockdown.. these are challenging  times, but it was great to see how they have adapted to  the needs.. I was most impressed after my 3 hour visit to find Sir Adrian White going around the Lawns with his black bin bags and emptying bins.

https://www.denbies.co.uk/

Sweet C’s Handcrafted Chocolates,  well what can you say about this incredible company, that hand makes every piece of chocolate hand crafted and made in surrey for feasting. All carried out from Caroline’s House in Bookham, again apart of Surrey Hills enterprise. The cocoa beans imported from Columbia , where farmers and enterprise are encouraged and supported by many organisation as part of their corporate Social Responsibility  to support local families, I have to say the Milk chocolate for diabetics was the best I have tasted. I would encourage you to check-out the website and please support these independent retailers. https://sweetc.co.uk/ @sweet_cs-Chocs

It was great to learn from Dan Webber on his enterprise Chimney Fire Coffee, where Dan spent many years n Africa researching and classifying coffee beans before setting up his business in his shed in 2016. Again I encourage you to check-out Dans website and I would particularly recommend Peru Classic Espresso (chocolate). Dans workshop is in Ranmore Common where he has his team roasting, tasting and distributing coffees to individuals, as well as corporates, biscuit Blackberry. I would encourage you to pay a visit to their Ranmore Common roasting place https://www.chimneyfirecoffee.com/

I was totally amazed to find Surrey Hills Physiotherapy based at Denbies Wine Estate providing  Physiotherapy, Pilates and specialising wellbeing, addressing joints, bones, muscle and backpain business that is family owned by Massimo and Helen Barcellona. As someone who is involved in sports and played sports, the amount of time I have spent in physio room with ligaments and other pans, I have to say the setting, the treatment and rehab room are the best I have ever seen. The building dates back to 1800, and Barcellona’s have retained the woods and settings from 1800, it truly is a wonderful place, where technology and nature come together.. during the Covid19, the company has been teaching virtual classes including free access as well as supporting many housebound individuals. With Massmio specialism in ACL, I can see many football clubs using their services.

Markus Dell running the social media and live streaming contents along with his excellent photographer, please do visit them https://www.surreyhillsphysiotherapy.co.uk

Finally a huge thank you to all for hosting me and your valuable time showing me around.. It was a very unique experience.. Thank you and I will be visiting you soon.

Earl & Countess of Wessex join volunteers at Woking’s Shah Jahan Mosque

Royal arrival follows recent visits to Woking Food bank and St Peter’s Hospital

The Earl and Countess of Wessex joined volunteers at Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking, England, this week to help pack emergency food parcels for vulnerable people across the borough.

As part of a private visit, they also delivered a personal video message for the local and wider Muslim community to mark the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid Mubarak celebrations this weekend.

With the generous support of local churches, businesses and all the community, and spearheaded by mosque manager Mohammed Habib, it has already delivered more than 700 parcels to help local residents through the crisis.

Shahid Azeem, current High Sheriff of Surrey, said:

“The Earl and Countess of Wessex were warmly welcomed back to Woking and we were delighted with their help getting much-needed supplies out to those most impacted by the crisis.

“We were also proud to share our story and to show them the remarkable, collaborative effort being undertaken by the entire community here.”

Prince Edward and Sophie also met with Imam Hafiz Hashmi and his wife Kawther Akhtar, who spearheads Surrey Faith Links, an organisation which promotes engagement, support and good relationships with faith groups and other organisations across the country.

The royal couple, who live in Surrey, have been carrying out vital volunteer work with a string of local organisations in recent weeks.

In April, Woking Foodbank welcomed HRH The Countess of Wessex to their local facilities to join volunteers in support of this important community cause providing emergency food parcels and essential baby supplies.

Earlier this month, on International Nurses Day, Sophie also volunteered to help pack food packages for healthcare staff and meeting nurses and midwives at St Peter’s Hospital in nearby Chertsey.

In 2015, Prince Edward officially opened a memorial garden in Woking in honour of Muslims who fought for Britain during two world wars. A beautiful, tranquil space, the Muslim Burial Ground Peace Garden at Horsell Common is now a major national heritage site which is popular with the local community, as well as national and international visitors.

The first mosque to be built in the UK and Northern Europe, and a vital community focal point for the local Muslim community, the Shah Jahan Mosque was last year awarded historical Grade 1 listed-building status.

A registered charity, the mosque celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2019.

Seeing for Myself – Surrey’s Heroes in Action.

I recently joined the Lord Lieutenant on a visit to Surrey Police HQ to spend the few hours with Chief Constable Gavin Stephens and see the Strategic Team and the Tactical Team in action managing Covid-19. We saw the true partnership between Public, Private and Tri-services (Army-Navy-Air Force) along with retired officers who have volunteered their services with their vast experience. It gave me huge confidence that whilst in these unchartered waters that we are in safe hands.

It was also encouraging to learn how the public have come forward to help – whilst at the meeting the operation team were receiving calls from Surrey University offering hundreds of students for volunteer services to the cause. Vice-Chancellor Max Lu also converted part of the veterinary school into a temporary mortuary .. fantastic effort and support from Surrey University.

We listened to retired Assistant Chief Constable – Jerry Kirby and his team who talked about how handling a number of deaths in Surrey attributed to Covid-19 as well as other deaths, dealing with funeral directors, multi-faith groups, burial services providers, the Coroner and dealing compassionately with deceased family during these challenging times.

Chris Moon spoke about leading the Logistics on working nationally on PPE procurement, which is not an easy task and also Peter Gillett who is controlling the finances.

I was given an overview from Assistant Chief constable, Jon Savill regarding identifying and checking n around 21,000 people that have not responded to the NHS vulnerable list, fantastic meticulous work being carried out by Police to ensure nobody is left out.

It was great to see the Army led by Laura along with Royal Navy and Royal Airforce being part of the Strategic and Tactical team. On a lighter note, it was Capt. Philips 33rd birthday, but was sacrificing, like many others their time supporting the team.

All of the above was lead by Gold Team, which includes Joanna Killian from SCC, Gavin Stephens Surrey Police along with Steve Owen-Hughes from Surrey Fire Brigade.

It was evident that there so many individuals here in Surrey who were providing vital support for the community during this crisis. I have used many words such as “amazing”, Fantastic, compassionately, sacrificing, but these words are inadequate to describe the work, commitment and dedication provided by not just the above, but many groups in and around Surrey, to all the unsung heroes, we are truly indebted to you. Thank You all!

Woking Radio interview with Jon Andrews

April 22nd 2020 – Woking Radio HS Shahid Azeem DL interview with Jon Andrews.

My First job as Surrey’s New High Sheriff – by Shahid Azeem DL.

This morning I observed the work of the Surrey Police Neighbourhood team headed by Sgt Edward Lyons along with PC Tony Charles – my first official visit as Surrey’s new High Sheriff and of course taking all precautions and adhering to the government’s guidelines.I first met up with Woking Resilience Group hosted by Douglas Spink with Geoff MacManus and number of staff from Woking Borough Council.It was great to get feedback on the challenges that WBC is facing during the Coronavirus situation and what measures they are taking to deal with it, giving great assurance for vulnerable people.Whilst observing the social distancing protocols, PC Charles we visited a number of individuals who were on a checklist, having not responded to letters etc.Again very assuring and satisfying to see such great work being carried out by Surrey Police.We then visited a number of shopping outlets and parks and I was pleased to see that everyone was so respectful on all fronts.I would like to say a big thank you to all and in particular to Tony and Ed for allowing me to be part of the team – it is important to highlight all of the work I have seen today and be in a position to pass this information on to the people of Surrey.

The High Sheriff’s Installation 2020-21

In light of the current Coronavirus situation, this year’s installation will be conducted via video conferencing and will be able to watch on the website home page at 6pm tonight (6th April 2020). The official ceremony will also be aired on the High Sheriff’s Facebook page where Mr Shahid Azeem will be installed as the new High Sheriff of Surrey for 2020-21.