7. WPoF Pilgrimage 2026: walking together for unity and purpose
On Saturday 13 June, Woking People of Faith brought the community together for the WPoF Pilgrimage 2026: Walk for unity and purpose, a shared walk of friendship, learning, and reflection across places of worship in Woking.
EVENT REPORTS
Kawther Hashmi
7/14/20262 min read
Blessed with a beautiful sunny day, over 50 people joined the walk, representing different faiths, Christian denominations, and community backgrounds. The walk began at St Dunstan’s Church, with an opportunity to observe Catholic Mass, before moving on to the Christian Science Church, United Reformed Church, Shah Jahan Mosque, and finally St Paul’s Church, where other faith traditions, including Hindu, Bahá’í and Quaker representatives, were also present through stalls and conversations.
As a symbol of the day’s message, Woking People of Faith gave out white ribbon-shaped badges to all walkers, representing peace, unity, and shared purpose. This small but powerful gesture helped create a visible sense of togetherness as the group travelled through Woking, learning about different faith communities and the values that unite them.
The walk was warmly welcomed at each place of worship. Speakers shared the history, beliefs, and community work of their faith traditions, while participants had the chance to ask questions, reflect together and build new relationships. At the Shah Jahan Mosque, walkers heard about the mosque’s remarkable history, including how a Jewish linguist, a Christian architect and a Muslim princess all played a part in creating one of the UK’s most historic mosques, a story that beautifully reflected the spirit of the day.
The event received very positive feedback. Participants described the day as “heart-warming,” “eye-opening,” “informative,” and “interesting.” Many said they valued the opportunity to meet people they would not usually have the chance to speak to, and to visit places of worship they had never been inside before.
One participant shared: “Everyone has been incredibly welcoming, and the event has been managed so well. I really appreciated the openness of all the speakers.” Another reflected on the value of walking together, saying they appreciated: “The opportunity to chat and reflect together.” For some, the event opened the door to new understanding and future involvement. One person described the impact as: “Eye-opening, widening the point of view and improving relationships within the Woking community.” Another participant particularly valued the welcome at Shah Jahan Mosque, commenting that John’s (Yahya) welcome, introduction and brief history were excellent, adding that they hoped to build on this and develop stronger interfaith links.
A recurring theme in the feedback was how meaningful it felt to visit different places of worship as part of one shared walk. Participants valued seeing the similarities between communities, learning about differences in a respectful way, and recognising the common attitudes of hospitality, service, prayer, compassion, and community care across faith traditions.
The day was not only a walk between buildings, but a journey of connection. It reminded everyone that unity is strengthened when people take time to listen, learn and walk alongside one another. The Pilgrimage showed the very best of Woking’s interfaith spirit: diverse beliefs, united action, and a shared commitment to peace.