Halifax Minster’s Festival of Faith public conversations hosted by Bishop Smitha are going from strength to strength through Lent.
Bishop Smitha recently talked with Prof Adeeba Malik, High Sheriff of West Yorkshire, who spoke of her parents coming to this country, their struggle, her upbringing, and her passion for justice, equality, and of her work to bring people together, in understanding and mutual respect.
Prof Malik is Deputy Chief Executive of award-winning Bradford based QED Foundation. Currently she is a Board Member of the Home Office Strategic Race Board, Member of a State Honours Committee, Member of the UK-Pakistan Advisory Council at the Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office, Director of the Bradford Culture Company (2025 UK City of Culture). 
The 2025 series of talks began with Dr Edward Kessler, a Cambridge academic and expert on the Abrahamic Faiths and Bishop Smitha has also had a conversation with Rebecca Newby, the Governor of HMP Leeds.
Her next Festival of Faith In Conversation is with Alison Lowe MBE Monday, March 31, 6pm to 7pm.
Alison is a passionate black woman from Yorkshire with two gay children and who has served as Chief Executive of Touchstone, a mental health and wellbeing charity, Chair of the West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, and represented Armley as an Elected Member on Leeds City Council. She has worked across the Voluntary Sector for over 30 years.