by [email protected] | Jul 9, 2026 | Football, Slough, Slough community
We are thrilled to announce that Slough Town Football Club has chosen Together As One as their official Charity Partner for the 2026/27 season!
At Together As One, bringing people together is everything we are about. We know that football has an unrivalled potential to break down barriers, unite diverse communities, and foster a shared sense of belonging. The incredible unifying power of the beautiful game aligns perfectly with our mission as a youth-led charity, connecting young people of all faiths and backgrounds through training, youth work, and creative projects.
Partnering with a major community pillar like Slough Town FC gives us a fantastic platform to amplify this work: empowering young people to drive positive social change and helping to build a stronger, safer, and more connected Slough.
Throughout the season, we will be working closely with the Rebels to create new opportunities for our young people and raise awareness of our community initiatives. This exciting collaboration will culminate in a dedicated Charity Matchday in the spring! To mark the occasion, the club will even be releasing a bespoke retro shirt with more details to be revealed in the New Year.
Our Chief Executive Officer, Rob Deeks, shared his excitement about the collaboration:
“Everyone at Together As One is delighted that Slough Town FC has chosen us as their Charity of the Season. While we have partnered with the Rebels in various ways in the past, this feels like a particularly exciting and dynamic chapter in the club’s history, and we are proud to be associated with it.
“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone at the club for their incredible support. We look forward to working together in the coming months and introducing a new generation of supporters to the Rebels.”
Slough Town FC deeply shares our passion for inclusion and community cohesion. Slough Town Commercial Director, Steve Doyle, added:
“We are delighted to welcome Together As One as Slough Town Football Club’s official Charity Partner. As a community club, we recognise the important role we play both on and off the pitch, and partnering with an organisation that shares our values of inclusion, support and making a positive difference is something we’re incredibly proud of.
“This partnership is about much more than fundraising. It’s about working together to create opportunities, raise awareness and make a genuine impact within our local community. We’re excited to support the fantastic work Together As One does and look forward to releasing a new retro home shirt for our Charity Matchday.”
We are so grateful to everyone at Slough Town FC for their generosity and shared vision. We can’t wait to bring our young leaders, volunteers, and the wider community together at Arbour Park to celebrate the unifying power of football and cheer on the Rebels this season.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Charity Matchday and the retro shirt release in the New Year. Up the Rebels!
To find out more about Slough Town FC, view their fixtures, or grab tickets to an upcoming match, visit sloughtownfc.com.
by [email protected] | Oct 1, 2025 | In praise of..., Slough
This Friday marks the end of an era as Community and Diversity Officer Kulbir Brar retires from Thames Valley Police (TVP).
For more than 20 years, Kulbir has worked closely with Together As One, acting as the vital link between our organisation and TVP. Through times of great change, he has been the one constant, the trusted conduit for partnership work through a range of endeavours.
Over the years, at least seven Superintendents have passed through Slough. Each one found in Kulbir a guiding hand as they sought to navigate the complexities of a town as diverse as it is dynamic. Slough faces many of the same challenges as London, but without the same level of resources, and often, new leaders have been unprepared for its realities. Kulbir helped them understand the richness and complexity of the community, ensuring the police force became more culturally aware, competent, and responsive.
But Kulbir’s contribution went far beyond his official role. He worked hand in hand with our youth workers to proactively engage young people on issues of cohesion and policing. Always approachable, relatable and authentic, he became a positive face of policing, often in stark contrast to the experiences some young people had previously endured. He never hesitated to meet with seldom-heard communities, even when tensions or mistrust ran high. In schools, he addressed prejudice head-on, helping young people understand how their choices and behaviours could shape their futures.
Hate crime awareness posters displayed in Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara Slough, designed by young people, inspired by Kulbir (2013).
Kulbir also pioneered events to break down barriers between young people and the police. Among these was the innovative Slough Games, where young people and officers were mixed into competitive teams. This created opportunities to collaborate, compete side by side, and build bonds, helping both groups to see each other in a different light. Activities like these fostered respect, mutual understanding, and opened up possibilities for different relationships.
Young people from TAO participate in the Slough Games, Dorney Lake, 2012.
The trust we built with Kulbir during quieter times allowed us to respond with strength during moments of crisis. In 2011, during the riots, we worked side by side with him, holding daily meetings with young people to ensure dialogue with the police remained open, helping to ease tensions. Later, when the English Defence League came to Slough to sow division, it was Kulbir’s careful orchestration of partnership work that helped ensure the event passed peacefully, with barely an arrest.
Our CEO, Rob, recalls working alongside Kulbir through the Independent Advisory Group. At the start of each meeting, members signed a pledge to uphold the Nolan Principles: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership. Rob reflects that Kulbir embodied these values completely. He not only held himself to those standards, but also encouraged TVP and all of us to do the same.
Fellow IAG member and community activist, Shaida Akbar, also paid tribute: “Kulbir has been an absolute powerhouse of positive strength and infectious vibes for our entire Slough community – he had this extraordinary gift of beaming smiles even in the toughest of times. I wish him a bucketload of joy and warmth as he embarks on his retirement; he’s still got that youthful sparkle, and I’ve known him for a whopping 20 years!” Rev Linda Hillier recalls Kulbir’s capacity to bring groups together to resolve conflict and commented “I feel privileged to know him in his work and thank him for sharing his work with humour, care for all and a dedication to the diverse community of Slough. I hope he enjoys a long, contented and enjoyable retirement.”
Yet professionalism never overshadowed Kulbir’s personality. At one of the many youth events we hosted, young people asked local leaders to describe Slough in three words. Kulbir’s response? “Not that bad.” It was a light-hearted moment, but it captured his grounded, realistic perspective: acknowledging Slough’s challenges while also recognising its strengths and its unfair reputation.
Kulbir deserved a medal, and he received one. Despite his efforts to keep a low profile, he was recognised in the 2018 New Year Honours with the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to community cohesion.
Kulbir, thank you for being a steadfast friend to Together As One. It has been a privilege to work alongside you, and to share in the journey of building a more cohesive community. We wish you every happiness in your retirement.
