Purpose
The purpose of the faith based engagement work is to provide support, training, advice, advocacy, information and resource services to those Faith Based Organisations interested in or engaged in community work as an expression of the churches mission.
Community Faiths’ Forum
We also sponsor the work of a Community Faiths’ Forum to ensure purposeful engagement between the faith sector and departmental policy makers. The Community Faiths’ Forum was established in May 2010 as a two year pilot initiative that sought to develop a model of engagement between the faith sector and departmental officials working across all areas of the department’s policy remit. Following a successful evaluation of this pilot period the department agreed to continue the forum with the intention of expanding its work to engage with other departments and/or public sector organisations.
Membership of the forum
Individual members of the forum have been drawn from a wide range of faith and church backgrounds including a number from non-Christian minority faiths. All members have substantial experience in the delivery of practical faith-based social action projects working in areas of deprivation and greatest need.
Read more in the Funding for the voluntary and community sector section.