“Many generations people have made the UK their home, built it up and found they can belong here. But we cannot take our diversity for granted. It is no use sharing a street or a suburb with people from different backgrounds if we do not know them. Loneliness is at epidemic levels, prejudice threatens to pull communities apart.

We cannot love our neighbour if we do not know our neighbour, understand them, their culture and identity. We all need to build friendships that cement our society together, crossing differences that can become barriers such as age, social background, ethnicity, sexuality, gender and faith – working for peace alongside all people of goodwill.

’Love your neighbour’ started in Birmingham – a city blessed with a great diversity of people – but the need to love one another and stand against discrimination of any kind remains the same across the country. The ‘love your neighbour’ campaign is owned by us all and seeks to draw people together and to believe the very best for our cities and regions.

We must meet hate with love, confusion with hope, anger with peace and fear with joy.

So go… know your neighbour… love your neighbour.”