Stephen McPartland was invited to be the guest of honour and officially launch the new "Probashe Proyashe" community group at the Oval in Stevenage.

The group is aimed at the Bengali speaking community in Stevenage and wants young and older members of the community to come together to celebrate a variety of festivals and take an active part in Stevenage's voluntary work.

Stephen said "I was honoured to be given the opportunity to launch this new community group which is focused not just on celebrating festivals but rewarding young people for good exam results and community work. The focus on hospitality and helping one another is deeply rooted in Stevenage and both the British and Bangladeshi cultures. I wish them every success with the new group and look forward to coming back to make the awards to some young people and learn more about their work."