Common Ground
From the screen
to the street
Meet the neighbours. Visit the places they love. Learn the words that matter to them. Do something together. And know what to do if you see hate.
In this series
14 minEpisode 1: Places to visitThese places of worship and museums welcome visitors, and many welcome school groups too.
14 minEpisode 2: Days out and things to do togetherIdeas for schools, faith groups and community groups: visits, shared meals, walks, film nights, social action, all through the year.
5 minEpisode 3: Words worth knowingTwenty words that matter to Jews, Christians and Muslims: what each means to the people who use it, how it gets misused, and how to say it well.
9 minEpisode 4: Overcoming hateHate grows when people are strangers. It shrinks when they meet. Here is what really helps, what you can do today, and who to call.
10 minEpisode 5: Remembering togetherA walled garden in Woking. A white marble dome on the Sussex Downs.
2 minEpisode 7: Talk CardsGood questions for a kitchen table, a classroom or a church, mosque or synagogue hall.
9 minEpisode 8: FastingTwenty-five hours without water. Forty days without meat. A month of nothing from dawn to sunset. And a Guru who said the truest fast is truth itself.
8 minEpisode 9: GivingA coin box by the door, a tenth of the wages, 2.5% of savings, an envelope on the plate.
8 minEpisode 10: The Golden RuleTreat others as you would want to be treated.
7 minEpisode 11: How we praySome sway, some kneel, some touch their foreheads to the floor, some sit in silence for an hour.
7 minEpisode 12: One family albumOpen the album of Jews, Christians and Muslims and the same faces keep turning up. It begins with one household and two brothers at a graveside.
4 minEpisode 13: Alḥamdu lillāh: praise be to God'Praise and thanks belong to God.' The Arabic ḥamd joins praise and gratitude in one word.4 minEpisode 14: Allāhu akbar: God is greater'God is greater', meaning greater than anything you can name or imagine. Often translated 'God is greatest'.4 minEpisode 15: Bismillāh: in the name of God'In the name of God.' The full form, the basmala, adds 'the Most Merciful, the Most Kind'.4 minEpisode 16: In shā' Allāh: if God wills'If God wills.' Said of anything planned for the future.3 minEpisode 17: Jazāk Allāhu khayran: may God reward you'May God reward you with good.' A way of saying thank you that hands the repayment to God.4 minEpisode 18: Mā shā' Allāh: what God has willed'What God has willed', said in admiration of something good that has already happened.5 minEpisode 19: Salām and shalom: peace be upon you'Peace be upon you.' The same greeting, from the same root, in Arabic and Hebrew. The answer turns it round: 'and upon you be peace'.4 minEpisode 20: Subḥān Allāh: glory be to God'Glory be to God', or more literally, 'God is far above' any flaw or limit we could imagine.
8 minEpisode 21: The shared tableThree strangers come out of the midday heat, and an old man runs to feed them.Watch with your neighbours2 minEpisode 22: Watch with your neighboursIf you see hate2 minEpisode 23: If you see hateMeet the neighbours3 minEpisode 24: Meet the neighboursWords that heal2 minEpisode 25: Words that heal
8 minEpisode 26: This month across faithsWhy is Christmas always on 25 December while Easter moves? Why does Ramadan arrive about eleven days earlier every year? The answers are in the sky.
9 minEpisode 27: When the doors openedIn the small hours of a June night in west London, a tower caught fire. Before most of the city woke, its neighbours were already at the door.8 minEpisode 28: Women who spoke to GodA whispered prayer the priest mistook for drunkenness.Where to start
5 min
KnowWords worth knowingTwenty words, what they mean and how they're misused.
Shared life
The things we all do, each in our own way: giving, fasting, sharing a table, praying, and the rule nearly every faith teaches.
Why it works
Meeting changes us
Across 515 studies in 38 countries, meeting people of another group reduced prejudice almost everywhere, mostly by easing anxiety and building empathy (Pettigrew and Tropp, 2006).
Even on screen
When Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool, hate crime in Merseyside fell 16% against a comparison area (Alrababa'h et al., 2021). Familiar, liked people living their faith openly make a difference.
Most of us are ready
88% of Britons say they are comfortable with people of other faiths (Ipsos, 2023). The neighbours are nearer than we think.
People who bring us together
Each described in its own words; registered charities or long-running programmes. Listing is not endorsement, and no organisation here is our partner.
UKHolocaust Memorial Day TrustHolocaust Memorial Day, 27 January, which also remembers Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.You can: Learn; host an event · hmd.org.uk ↗
UKAnne Frank Trust UKChallenges prejudice through education based on Anne Frank's diary.You can: Schools programmes · annefrank.org.uk ↗
UKMuslim Women's Network UKNational Muslim women's organisation, with a helpline.You can: Get support; learn · mwnuk.co.uk ↗
MidlandsLeicester Council of FaithsA Leicester interfaith body bringing the city's faith communities together and advising civic bodiesYou can: Attend civic interfaith events; ask for speakers · www.leicestercounciloffaiths.org.uk ↗
ScotlandInterfaith GlasgowA Scottish charity that promotes and facilitates positive engagement between people of diverse faiths and beliefsYou can: Events, dialogue programmes, volunteering · interfaithglasgow.org ↗
ScotlandInterfaith ScotlandThe national interfaith organisation for Scotland, working for good relations between religion and belief communities; runs Scottish Interfaith WeekYou can: Scottish Interfaith Week (8–15 Nov 2026); schools work; dialogue events · interfaithscotland.org ↗
ScotlandEdinburgh Interfaith AssociationEdinburgh's interfaith association: events, newsletter, 'Stories of Belief' podcast, volunteeringYou can: Attend events; listen to Stories of Belief; volunteer · www.edinburghinterfaith.com ↗
Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland Inter-Faith ForumEstablished to build bridges between Northern Ireland's religious and belief communities, bringing representatives together in mutual respectYou can: Events; school and education resources · niinterfaithforum.org ↗
WalesInter-faith Council for WalesWales's national interfaith body; a member of the Welsh Government's Faith Communities ForumYou can: Through local Welsh interfaith groups; Inter Faith Week in Wales · www.gov.wales/faith-communities-forum/terms-of-reference ↗
WalesCymru Global (formerly the Welsh Centre for International Affairs)Wales's centre for global learning, peace heritage and international action, based at the Temple of Peace, CardiffYou can: Temple of Peace tours; global learning for pupils; peace heritage projects · cymru.global ↗
UK-wideHolocaust Educational TrustEducates young people about the Holocaust and its lessons today (Lessons from Auschwitz; survivor outreach)You can: Lessons from Auschwitz (post-16); survivor testimony in schools; HMD resources · www.het.org.uk ↗
UK-wide (Batley roots)The Jo Cox FoundationCarries on Jo Cox's belief that we have 'more in common'; runs the Great Get TogetherYou can: Hold or join a Great Get Together in June · www.jocoxfoundation.org ↗
North WestTim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for PeacePromotes non-violence among young people and supports victims of violent crime and terrorism; founded after the 1993 Warrington bombingYou can: Peace education workshops; survivor support · timparryjohnathanballfoundation.org.uk ↗
UK-wideRamadan Tent ProjectA UK charity, since 2013, creating spaces where people of all faiths and none meet, connect and learn; runs Open Iftar and the Ramadan FestivalYou can: Book an Open Iftar; volunteer; 'Fast a Day' · www.ramadantentproject.com ↗
North WestFaith Network for Manchester (FN4M)Greater Manchester's network of faith communitiesYou can: Events; local interfaith contacts · fn4m.org ↗
YorkshireSheffield InterfaithSheffield's interfaith website and network: events and blogYou can: Attend events; join the network · sheffieldinterfaith.org.uk ↗
South EastInterfaith MKMilton Keynes's interfaith organisationYou can: Local events and Inter Faith Week activities · www.interfaithmk.org.uk ↗
UK-wideCitizens UKThe home of community organising: alliances of faith groups, schools, unions and charities acting together on local issuesYou can: Join a local alliance through your mosque, church, synagogue or school · www.citizensuk.org ↗
LondonCoexist HouseFounded to create a global centre in London to change public understanding of faithsYou can: Nothing at present · www.coexisthouse.org.uk ↗
If you see hate
If you see hate
- Is someone in danger right now? Call 999. If it is not an emergency, call 101. If you can't hear or speak on the phone, use Relay UK: dial 18001 then 101.
- Report it online, for any faith or none: True Vision is the police's own hate crime website for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Your report goes to your local police: report-it.org.uk ↗
- In Scotland: call Police Scotland on 101, or report online at scotland.police.uk ↗
- Hate against Jewish people: CST runs a 24-hour national number, 0800 032 3263, and an online form at cst.org.uk ↗
- Hate against Muslims: British Muslim Trust helpline, 0808 172 3524 (10am to 3pm), or online, WhatsApp and live chat at any time: britishmuslimtrust.co.uk ↗
- Damage to a church or other place of worship: tell the police (999 or 101) or True Vision. The National Churches Trust gives advice on keeping buildings safe.
- Don't want to go to the police yourself? A friend can report for you, or you can use a third-party reporting centre. Citizens Advice explains how: citizensadvice.org.uk ↗
We never collect reports on this site. Numbers checked 8 November 2026.
Printable companion sheets
One side of A4 each: print them for a visit, a film night or a classroom.
Phrases you hear every day
5 min
Words worth knowing · a phraseAlḥamdu lillāh: praise be to God5 min
Words worth knowing · a phraseAllāhu akbar: God is greater5 min
Words worth knowing · a phraseBismillāh: in the name of God5 min
Words worth knowing · a phraseIn shā' Allāh: if God wills5 min
Words worth knowing · a phraseJazāk Allāhu khayran: may God reward you5 min
Words worth knowing · a phraseMā shā' Allāh: what God has willed5 min
Words worth knowing · a greetingSalām and shalom: peace be upon you5 min
Words worth knowing · a phraseSubḥān Allāh: glory be to GodWatch with your neighbours
New · for groupsTalk Cards877 questions to talk about together, with a big-screen mode for classrooms and halls.
Deal the cards →Watch more: From the screen to the street
6 films and talks, chosen for this page. They play here.
Who Are Our Neighbours? – Abdal Hakim Murad
Cambridge Muslim College · 21 min
Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks speaks on interfaith dialogue in multicultural Britain
The Rabbi Sacks Legacy · 4 min
Neighbors – Timothy Keller [Sermon]
Gospel in Life · 44 min
3FF's Interfaith Education Workshops
The Faith & Belief Forum · 3 min
The Faith & Belief Forum: its interfaith workshops in UK schools.
How the Interfaith Movement Engenders Mutual Understanding and Appreciation
Parliament of the World's Religions · 4 min
Parliament of the World's Religions: how the interfaith movement builds mutual understanding.
Abrahamic
whoisallah.org.uk · 1 min
- More films and talks on F-ILMWatch free