Paisley’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021 has been backed by members of a group designed to bring together all the area’s different faiths.

Members of the Renfrewshire Interfaith group gathered in Paisley Abbey to show their support for the Paisley 2021 bid, which is due to be lodged in April.

The group is one of the regional branches of Interfaith Scotland and has members from various Christian denominations, as well as the Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and pagan communities, plus many more.

Their aim is to work together to promote and foster unity between Renfrewshire’s different faith communities, and to build good relations between people of different beliefs.

Last year, the group was successful in a bid to host the launch of the Scotland-wide national interfaith week at Paisley Town Hall, which took place in November.

Stephen Haggerty, chair of Renfrewshire Interfaith Group, said: “Renfrewshire is a wonderfully unique, diverse and multi-cultural place, where people of many different faiths and beliefs all live and work side by side, that is something to be celebrated.

“An opportunity lies for us to work much closer together to build a society rooted in values we all treasure.

“For this, Interfaith dialogue becomes incredibly important – it provides us with a chance to find common ground, and foster mutual respect, openness, and understanding with others who have beliefs different from our own, and to build on our shared hopes and values for the benefit and betterment of society.

“We hope through Interfaith work and dialogue we can go some way to helping to achieve that goal.”

Paisley 2021 Bid Director Jean Cameron said: “Our various faith groups make up a really important part of Renfrewshire’s cultural fabric and we are thrilled to have the interfaith group on board with the bid.

“For the bid to be a success, it needs to be able to show support from throughout the local community, and we have been delighted by the way the people of Renfrewshire continue to come forward to be a part of what is happening.”

For more information on the Paisley 2021 bid, visit paisley2021.co.uk