Memorial held for muslim community stalwart

Father-of-two Mr Soomro collapsed at his Wash Common home on New Year’s Eve with a suspected heart attack and died en route to hospital.
He was aged 47.
Mr Soomro’s funeral was held at the mosque in Pound Street, Newbury, last Thursday, January 3.
Afterwards, non-muslims were invited to pay their respects, too, and people lined the street as the funeral cortege passed.
Mr Soomro, who was a founding member of West Berks Minority Ethnic Forum and director of Empowering West Berkshire, was then buried in the Hainault Gardens of Peace muslim cemetery in east London.
However, Mr Soomro was such a tireless campaigner and organiser of cultural and inter-faith events, and a chairman of the Police Independent Advisory Group and a member of the Thames Valley Crown Prosecution Service Advisory Group, that many more people are expected to want to say their goodbyes.
His friend and colleague from West Berks Minority Ethnic Forum, Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera, said: “It’s anticipated that several community groups will want to get involved. We’re organising a celebration of Nadeem’s life and also his work, so that we can see how best to take it forward into the future.
“We want to celebrate his legacy and carry his work onwards, not just look to the past.”
The memorial is scheduled for Saturday, February 2, at Shaw House in Newbury, between 9.30am and 12.30pm.
Mr Uduwerage-Perera has asked that anyone wishing to attend should let him know in advance via email at