Local authorities
It is particularly helpful to develop a
good working relationship with your local authority. For a number of
local inter faith and multi faith bodies, an important dimension of
their work is giving input on areas such as local authority policy and
service delivery and working with the local authority.
Some local authorities now have a staff member and/or a councillor
with a special responsibility for faith and inter faith issues. Find
out who this is and arrange to talk with them about your initiative
and to find out about potential areas of common interest and action. A
local authorities faith communities link has been developed by the
Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) in partnership
with the Government Offices for the Regions. It involves most multi
faith authorities and links their officers with responsibility for
faith issues. Further information about the Link can be obtained from
the
Cohesion and Faiths Unit of CLG.
| Forum of Faiths Kensington and
Chelsea has been running since early 2002. It developed out of the
Chief Executive of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's
meetings with Borough Deans. It has participation from eight faith
traditions and has an elected chair and two vice-chairs. All its
meetings are open ones. The Forum has become an independent, multi
faith body which is used as a sounding board by many different
Council departments (and by others such as the Police) who are
given slots to come and speak with the Forum at its meetings. It
also carries out project work, such as working to establish a
women's dialogue group and looking at chaplaincy issues and work
with the elderly. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's
Community Relations Section volunteered the time and support of
its Community Information and Initiatives Officer who has, since
the outset, had responsibility for servicing the Forum.
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| Southampton Council of Faiths (SCOF)
grew out of the Southampton Inter Faith Link and has developed
alongside this more informal body. SCOF came into being to address
the growing need for faith representation in the city. It has
built a strong relationship with the City Council, engaging with
it on areas such as community cohesion and community tension and
on specific issues such as appropriate burial arrangements for
Muslims. Since 2003, it has provided the Mayor with ‘faith
advisers’ from each of the seven faiths it links. It is a source
of faith representation at events such as the Remembrance Sunday
service and the marking of the 60th anniversary of VE and VJ days
which are organised by the Mayor’s Office for the City Council. |
To find out more, download The Local Inter
Faith Guide
Useful links
Community Cohesion and Action Guide |
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In this section
Find a local inter faith
body
Getting started
Checklist
Aims and names
Venues for meetings
Practical matters
Membership patterns
Groundrules
Constitutions
Calendar matters
Catering for events
Times for meetings
Media
Statements
Web sites
Financial issues
Charitable status
Volunteers and staff
Premises
Local Authorities
Local Strategic Partnerships
Activities
Awareness raising
Charity fundraising
Discussion meetings
Diversity training
Environmental
projects
Health and emergency services
Joint events
Special events
Multi faith civic ceremonies
Pilgrimages
Prayer and worship
Responding to tensions
Social gatherings
Trips and exchanges
Visiting places of worship
Women
Working with schools
Young people
Local Inter Faith Survey
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