Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent mark the forthcoming of Easter and despite popular belief it is in fact the largest Christian holiday (not Christmas!) England was commonly deemed a Christian country however its vast diversity of people ensures that it is the centre of so many other religions for example Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. It is believed that the population of Christians will fall from 64% in 2010 to 45% by 2050, while the proportion of Muslims will rise from 5% to 11%. Linda Woodhead, a professor of the sociology of religion at Lancaster University, believes “We are living through the biggest religious transition since the Reformation of the 16th Century." As these changes occur I began to wonder if as a country we accommodate to our fullest potential all the various religions and cultures which give England, and the UK as a whole, its identity as a multi-cultural hub. Closer to home, Kingston is host to a variety of races, ages and religions. But how accommodating is it to those factors?

With a population of around 173,500 people in the borough of Kingston upon Thames, there are 150 Churches listed. The percentage of Christians following a 2011 census was 53%. The percentage of Muslims was a less substantial 6% with only 2 local mosques at hand. This 6%, although sounding minute, still includes over 9000 people- not quite as small as initially perceived. Even with such a high number of Muslims in our area there are limited facilities for them to practice their religion. This could be a key example of a sign that prejudice acting in our area that we are not always aware of.  

Whilst we embellish our shop fronts with tinsel and trees during the festive season and hide chocolate treats and plush bunnies over Easter, what happens to those who instead celebrate Hanukah or Eid? Is Halal or Kosher food accessible locally? Do we consciously acknowledge holidays we do not celebrate ourselves?