by [email protected] | Feb 18, 2026 | Cohesion, Creativity, Heritage, Slough
Slough has officially announced its intention to bid for UK Town of Culture 2028, and at Together As One we are incredibly proud to be right at the heart of it.
This is more than a title. It is a bold opportunity to reshape how Slough is seen nationally. For too long, our town has been reduced to tired stereotypes and outdated narratives. This bid is about replacing those with something far more truthful and powerful, a confident, creative, future-facing Slough defined by its people.
A Town Ready to Rewrite Its Story
Slough is one of the youngest and most ethnically diverse towns in the UK. We sit at the centre of the Thames Valley economy, next to Heathrow Airport, shaped by migration, movement and global connections. We are home to major data centres and digital infrastructure that power huge parts of the UK’s internet traffic.
Beyond the statistics is something even more important. Slough is a place where culture is lived, not staged.
It lives in our faith spaces, community choirs and spoken word events. It is expressed through visual arts, contemporary public art transforming everyday spaces, internationally connected music and dance communities, and the creative talent that feeds into Britain’s film and television industry. It is found in the resilience, enterprise and reinvention that define our industrial and migratory heritage.
This bid is not about putting on a show for a year. It is about using culture to drive skills, participation, pride and long-term opportunity.
Together As One’s Role
A new Town of Culture Steering Group is being formed to oversee the bid, bringing together leaders from business, education, culture, the voluntary sector and youth organisations. Our Chief Executive, Rob Deeks MBE, has been asked to chair the group.
Rob, who was recently awarded an MBE for services to young people and the community in Slough, said:
“Our bid for Town of Culture will be rooted in Slough’s everyday stories, its resilience, and its creative ambitions. Culture here is expressed through the arts and events, but also through how people come together, share identity, and shape the place they live. It is about making space for everyone to participate, belong and thrive.”
For us, this is a natural extension of our work. Together As One exists to champion young people, strengthen community participation and build pride in place. This bid aligns directly with those values.
Slough Does Not Need Reinvention. It Needs Recognition.
The bid will be managed by Vineet Vijh, Director of Viva Slough, who has been leading efforts to promote culture, wellbeing and skills development across the town.
As Vineet puts it:
“Slough does not need reinvention but needs recognition. We are digitally connected, globally diverse and full of creative energy. Town of Culture gives us the chance to turn those strengths into pride, opportunity and long-term change.”
Support across the town has already been strong. Leaders from business, arts and education are backing the campaign. Young people are stepping forward to shape it. Arts organisations that have quietly delivered incredible work for years now see an opportunity to tell Slough’s story on its own terms.
Built by Slough, for Slough
Crucially, this bid will be shaped by local voices.
Over the coming weeks there will be intensive community consultation to ensure the final proposal reflects the real Slough. This includes:
- Town Hall meetings to gather “Untold Slough” stories
- Youth summits in schools, colleges and youth centres
- A public webinar on 3 March
- A small business briefing on 24 February in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses
- A developer forum on 23 February
We are especially pleased to see young people being placed at the centre of the process from the very beginning. Decisions about towns are too often made without them. That will not happen here.
Looking Ahead
The UK Town of Culture competition, run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will award £3 million to the winning town, alongside the title for one year. However, bids are judged on long-term impact rather than one-off events.
Slough is competing in the large town category, with the Expression of Interest deadline set for 31 March 2026.
For Together As One, this is about more than a campaign. It is about confidence. It is about pride. It is about ensuring that the creativity, resilience and ambition we see every day in our young people and communities are recognised nationally.
Slough is ready.
And we are ready to help tell its story.
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.
