Report on Nottingham’s faith groups encourages them to work together more in building citizenship

Nottingham's faith communities will examine new ways of working together to build citizenship when they meet next week (Wednesday 21st March) at Bluecoat School to celebrate the contribution they make to the wellbeing of the city and county.

The Sherrif, the Lord Mayor and the Vice-Chair of the County Council will attend the Engaging Faith conference, together with officials and staff from the City and County Councils and many voluntary and community organisations.

A co-ordinator for the event, Patricia Stoat, who is the Director of Social Responsibility at the Diocese of Nottingham and Southwell, will present the results of research into the faith communities and their community and social welfare activities.  The research, which was funded through the Nottinghamshire and Nottingham Voluntary Sector Infrastructure Consortium, recommends greater partnership and co-operation between faith communities and other organizations.

The report concludes: ‘It is not enough to be tolerant we must seek to understand one another, to nurture trust and co-operation, to value our differences as a source of strength and creativity….All of our traditions call us to seek justice, honour and respect our neighbour, look for peaceful solutions to our inevitable conflicts, and care for the world around us. The task of citizenship of the working together for the common good, requires the best that each tradition can offer.’

Patricia said: “It's hard to overestimate the contribution the faith communites make, almost all using volunteers, to support families, educate and encourage young people, make sure older people are looked after, maintain social and cultural networks, and now to reach out to one another across cultural boundaries.”

Speakers include Muhammad Khan, a youth worker and academic who will talk on distinctive aspects of Muslim youth work; Nick Spencer of the Theos consultancy, author of "Doing God: a future for faith in the public square"; and Ted Cantle of the Institute of Community Cohesion.

The conference has been organised by Nottingham Interfaith Council, and is supported by the County and the City, as well as funded through the Government's CapacityBuilders.

Copies of Engaging Faith Communities: a study of faithful capital in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will be available at the conference and afterwards from the Social Responsibility Office at Dunham House.

ends