The following multifaith and interfaith organisations are all active within the North East of England:
The Churches Regional Commission (CRC) in the North East was formed in 1995, mainly to support the social action of churches working together in the region. Fully ecumenical, governed by all the region's church leaders and based at Ushaw College Durham, CRC also acts as an initial point of contact for various regional bodies wishing to consult with the churches and vice versa. CRC is working increasingly interfaith.
In partnership with North East Christian Churches Together (NECCT), and working with Tees Valley Ministry (TVM), which is part of CRC, the Tees Valley Faith Communities Regeneration Group (TVFCRG) was formed in 2001. This is an interfaith group and was responsible for the first survey of 'faith communities' in the region, carried out in Redcar & Cleveland. Four practical projects developed form this: one in Redcar, another with South Bank Mosque, a third in partnership with Connexions Tees Valley, and the fourth was a region-wide faith communities survey, for which CRC was funded by the Home Office.
The report on this survey "Faith in the North East", and a regional faiths database, can be found on CRC's website, www.northeastchurches.org.uk. CRC has also compiled a Directory of Community Projects which provides a signpost to the projects and facilities provided by faith groups for their local communities in each local authority area. What the Directory clearly reveals is the immense contribution to social capital made by faith communities through their engagement in project activity. The Directory will encourage networking, provide information for potential users and serve as an initial signpost for public authorities and agencies. This can also be found on the website.
CRC is currently seeking ways of helping faith communities to engage more effectively with local authorities, public services and public partnerships - and vice versa. It will soon produce a good practice guide for this. Shortly, it will also launch a new booklet on "Understanding Faiths" to help this process. This is a joint initiative by the three northern CRCs with funding from the North West Development Agency.
The CRC is playing a lead role in setting up a regional faiths network. A Faiths Task Group, comprising members from all the regions interfaith bodies, is organising regional events which will assist the formation of the network.
CRC, in partnership with Durham University, has recently published the report from a large project researching ways in which faith communities involve and support young people within local communities. This is supported with a DVD which will help faith leaders and youth workers to promote engagement between faith groups and young people.
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The County Durham Faiths Network is in the early stages of formation and is currently working on Terms of Reference. The proposed purpose of the network is:
• To provide a voice for Faith Communities
• To enable faith representation at a variety of forums both local and countywide
• To provide a resource from a faith perspective to public and statutory agencies and a means whereby public agencies can consult with and respond to the needs of faith communities
• To share in the understanding of different faiths
• To encourage and enable people of faith to work together on issues of common interest
• To promote and publicise faith events
The group currently has representation from : Bahá'í Community, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, together with other locally represented organisations with faith concerns (currently Unitarians & Quakers).
For further information about the County Durham Faiths Network Please Contact:
Paul Southgate
CRC NE
Ushaw College
Durham
DH7 9RH
Tel: 0191 373 5453
e-mail: Paul Southgate
or
Ian D. Hunter Smart
Community Development Team
Durham County Council
The Rivergreen Centre
Aykley Heads Estate
Durham
DH1 5TS
Tel: 0191 370 8745
e-mail: Ian Hunter Smart
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Darlington Multi-Faith Forum was formed in September 2005. Since then it has begun to establish channels of communication between representatives of the different faiths, encouraging mutual exploration and debate. It is made up of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists. According to 2001 census material, all other faiths represent 1.2% of Darlington's population while those declaring themselves to be Christian represent 79.8%. The need to increase understanding between the faiths is, however, still regarded as a priority.
The forum holds meetings every other month, alternating between visits hosted by the different faiths and general discussions, often on neutral territory.
Contact:
The Chair, The Rev'd John Dobson
or
The Secretary
Darlington Multi-faith Forum
c/o Darlington Town Hall
Darlington
DL1 1QT
Tel: (01325) 388 287
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Led by teacher, trainer, lecturer and educational consultant Phil Andre, Equalities Ink specialises in supporting anyone seeking to improve their knowledge and understanding about our increasingly diverse society through quality training, use of original resources produced by Equalities Ink itself, and direct encounters with groups and communities reflecting something of that diversity within the Northern Region. Day-long trips to Newcastle and Bradford are specialities that allow delegates to deepen their understanding of our multifaith, multiethnic and multicultural society in a particularly enlightening and enjoyable manner.
1 Burleigh Place
Darlington
DL3 7SR
Tel: 01325 251 130
e-mail: Phil Andre
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FACE stands for Faith, Arts, Culture and Environment. It is a Durham University Society, which aims to develop projects and events concerning the above themes.
FACE's primary aim is to bring people together, from whatever background, through ideas and understanding. It also aims to re-imagine society by acting as a forum for new ideas and social initiatives. It seeks to reach out to both students and the community, to local organisations and national networks.
By taking the steps in understanding each other and recreating opportunities for sharing ideas and visions we are daring to think of a world in which thinking around our problems may just take the place of war, greed and inequality.
President: Mr Philip Maybank
e-mail: FACE
web: www.dur.ac.uk/face.society
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The NEFEIP is an initiative instigated by the North East Further Education (NE FE) Interfaith Forum: an ecumenical and multi-faith body supported by the churches national FE team and the National Ecumenical Agency in Further Education (NEAFE).
In its inaugural meeting (June 2006) the forum identified a wide range of issues in further education including:
• The need to include faith matters in the curriculum
• Staff training in these areas
• The capacity of different faiths to support FE colleges
• The experience of interfaith chaplaincies
• The value of an FE interfaith forum
The forum has obtained funding for 18 months (from April 2007) from the Learning and Skills Council and the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund to employ a project worker to look at the issues raised above.
The project worker, John Hames, is based at Church House, North Shields. John is currently carrying out an initial audit of the current provision for faith and the related issues of spiritual, moral, ethical, social and cultural considerations within the pastoral provision of FE colleges in the NE.
For further information about the project or the work of the interfaith forum please contact:
John Hames
FE Interfaith Project Worker
Church House
North Shields
NE29 6HS
Tel: 0191-270 4101
e-mail: John Hames
Or
Roger Lowans
Chair
FE Interfaith Steering Group
Church House
North Shields
NE29 6HS
Tel: 0191-270 4101
e-mail: Roger Lowans
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(Details updated May 2007)
Our origin
For more than 37 years - probably since just after the Second World War - a 'People to People' programme has been organised in several UK cities on the initiative of the International Friendship League (IFL). Newcastle upon Tyne was one of the founder members. Owing to its success and the amount of organisational effort required, responsibility for running the events was taken on in 1984 by People to People North East, made up of representatives of all the participating organisations interested in bringing people of different origins and religions together. Our Patron is the Lord Mayor of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Our aim
Our main aim is to arrange cultural and social activities to promote harmony, understanding and unity among the peoples of the North East. This would invariably involved both inter faith and multicultural events.
How we achieve our aim?
The organisation holds an annual general meeting and meets regularly to organise the events of the forthcoming programme. The programme includes visits to places of cultural and religious interest, thereby learning about the traditions and religions of people who have come to live in the North East from all over the world. What we do this year is not necessarily what we did last year; it is up to those who join the organisation to decide what they would like to have. We welcome both new members and new ideas.
Membership
£6.00 for an individual
£12.00 for an organisation
We have a very small budget and would always welcome donations.
Current contacts
Chair: Mr Andy Lie. e-mail: Andy Lie
Secretary: Mrs Sylvia Harding. Tel. 0191 4952151
Please note that we could respond to invitations for talks or to address issues concerned with inter faith and multicultural topics.
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