North West

The following few case studies, some of which were used in the report Building Faith in the Future, are from the North West region. They follow the same order as the chapter headings in the report.  Please note that it may not have been possible to find case studies for every heading.  If you know of other cases which may be of interest, please let us know.

CHURCHES AS A CENTRE OF VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITY

Monsignor John Devine in partnership with the Northwest Development Agency, Faith in England’s Northwest: the contribution made by faith communities to civil society in the region, November 2003

Report produced by the Churches Officer for the Northwest in partnership with the Northwest Development Agency.

This was a survey of every place of worship in the Northwest which covered a total number of faith communities of  4,400. 2,300 faith communities (54%) across eight faith groups (Hindu (39%), Moslem (43%) and Sikh (68.9%), Anglicans (63%), Methodists (59%), Roman Catholics (60%) and Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic (22.4%)) responded revealing the important contribution they make to areas that range from neighbourhood renewal to tourism.

One of the key findings of the survey was that when mapped against the Index of Multiple Deprivation responses returned demonstrate that faith communities, while represented in the most affluent areas, are concentrated in areas of highest social need.

More than 5,000 important projects were identified with faith communities running or managing schemes to address homelessness, racism, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, health, skills development, art, music and environmental improvements. Particularly evident is that they are extensively involved in providing services for some of the most vulnerable social groups, including older people, children and the more deprived neighbourhoods of the region.

Buildings very important. Of those who responded 34% had responsibility for listed buildings, and 2282 (nearly all) had buildings which were used by the wider community.

Cultural and sporting activities: Faith communities have been major patrons of culture and the arts for thousands of years. Survey revealed that out of those faith communities who responded, 80% had a choir, 58% were involved in instrumental music activities, and 20.77% in dance,  36.68% in drama, 21.21% in Art, and 8.24% in Poetry recitals and a further 5.50% in other cultural activities.  

51% revealed regular and organised involvement in football, 10.31% in rugby, 11.46% in tennis. 37.97% in bowling, 8.35% in basket ball, 3.11% in cricket, 8.51% in badminton, 16.20% in martial arts, 33% in fitness training and 4.99% in other sports.

In rural areas this survey shows that almost half of our rural churches were involved in schemes to counter the Foot and Mouth crisis. This showed the faith communities can provide a crucial role during periods of crisis.

The survey also showed that almost all the important work carried out by faith communities is voluntary.  Based on the estimates of those who responded, there are  more than 45,500 volunteers working through faith communities on non-worship related projects in the Northwest Region.

The report also revealed that these activities are largely self-financing. Out of the 2,300, 27% had received public funding, leaving the majority who had not. Local Authorities, English Heritage and the Lottery were the main sources of funding.

Out of the 2,300 who responded 248 are involved in Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) schemes, 224 in Sure Start, 62 in Learn Direct and 95 in other regeneration initiatives including their Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs). Survey also showed that a lot more could be done to involve faith communities. Although the Government has indicated the value that faith communities can bring to LSPs, the message has not got through to all faith communities or all local authorities. There is progress.  40% of all Christians who responded are aware of LSPs, of whom 53% have been approached by Local Authorities to participate. Significantly faith communities who responded from within non-Neighbourhood Renewal Fund areas identify themselves as having made the least progress.

The report describes what faith communities can to contribute to partnerships, namely a value base that provides extra motivation, a long term presence in all areas, a channel to hard to reach groups, a source of volunteers and community resources such as buildings,  while at the same time highlighting what it sees as the barriers to greater participation in the partnership agenda. These can be summarised as the difficulties of ensuring that faith  networks are inclusive of and accountable to all faiths, the fact that faith communities do not always fit neatly into the same areas as local authorities, in some areas the continuing suspicion that faith groups have a proselytising agenda and a lack of knowledge as to what faith groups have to offer. There is also a need to capacity build within faith communities themselves so that they are more aware of the potential of partnership initiatives and subsequently can engage as professional organised equal partners.

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THE URBAN CHALLENGE

The Parish Nurse Project, Hyde, Chester Diocese

This is currently a three-year project which employs a Parish Nurse to develop and deliver holistic health care across three parishes in the Diocese of Chester. This role will include health education, support groups for carers and the bereaved, advocacy, home visits, referrals to other services where necessary. The nurse will also relate to other faith communities (one of the parishes has a significant Bangladeshi population). The idea for this came first from anecdotal evidence of the need (clergy had noticed the poor health of congregations, particularly children and were frequently asked for advice on health matters). One of the parish priests commented:

“In an area of multiple deprivation, where health needs are high, the employment of a Parish Nurse is seen within the context of the total mission and ministry of the Church.”

Valuable in an area of low skills, and low wages such as Hyde where there is a lot of poor health, depression and behavioural problems that affect whole families.

Funded by the Church Urban Fund, and Churches Together. Supported by the local NHS Trust and other local agencies, and spiritual support comes from the Convent of St John the Devine in Birmingham, the religious order that supplied some of Florence Nightingale’s nurses.

[NB. There are currently 7 such nurses starting work nationwide].

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THE RURAL CHALLENGE

The Rural Churches in Community Service Programme (RCCS)

The success of the RCCS scheme, under which 99 churches in rural areas from all Christian denominations throughout the UK received grants from the Millennium Commission to assist them in adapting their church buildings to enable them to be used for community activities, underlines the potential of church buildings in rural areas. 66 of them were within Anglican churches.

Projects from the North West which received RCCS funding:

The Lingla Centre at St Paul’s Church, Frizington, Cumbria

Frizington is in an area of high unemployment and deprivation and falls within a European Objective 2 programme and the Cumbria Rural Development area. The church is Victorian and not listed.

The project, which cost £223,000, re-ordered the whole church to create a modern discrete area for worship, to set up a Community café, with a full catering kitchen, to provide toilet facilities, a large meeting room and office space at first floor level, and to provide disabled access throughout via a new entrance and lobby area with a lift.

It now provides nutritious, affordable meals twice a week at lunchtimes, a Jobclub for unemployed people, training courses for Health and Hygiene (for catering), and as far reaching as anger management,  nursery nursing and recreational activities.  A lot of local organisations use the Centre for meetings - Hospice at Home, Alzeimers support group, West Cumbria CVS to name but a few. The centre is also popular for social gatherings where catering is required. However the most successful venture is the Community Café, which now opens 6 days per week. In addition to serving meals at the Centre, the kitchen also provides a mobile meals luncheon delivery service for elderly people. The café has helped to bring back to life some of the spirit of the village.

Impact on church and community

The meeting facilities attract community groups from within and beyond Frizington. The impact of the Community café in particular has grown and is now tremendous. The project is run by a strong management committee and is one of the few RCCS projects that employed staff. Due to the numbers using the café, building work is currently underway to double the size of the kitchen and to increase the size of the café, which means moving the café to the first floor level.

(Source: A Review of the Rural Churches in Community Service Programme, Susan Rowe February 2004)

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EDUCATION

Manchester Cathedral

"Our philosophy is that learning is for everyone, at any age, and can take place anywhere. As the Cathedral is one of the earliest and most significant buildings in Manchester, understanding of the history of the Cathedral is the key to understanding the early development and growth of Manchester itself. In addition to this, Manchester makes a wonderful starting point for the study of a whole range of other subjects, and thus has a unique role as an invaluable learning resource located in the heart of a great city." (Mission Statement of the Manchester Cathedral Education Department 2004)

"All visits to Manchester Cathedral are FREE as it is felt important that no person or school should be ‘excluded’ because of cost. The Cathedral sees itself as a resource for the entire city of Manchester regardless of race, age, faith backgrounds or no faith." (Joanna Booth, Education Officer, Manchester Cathedral May 2004)

The Education Department at Manchester Cathedral is relatively young. The first full-time member of staff was appointed in January 2002. Already a range of  key partnerships have been formed with schools, and LEAs (there are 12 in Manchester Diocese)  and the three Manchester and Salford Universities. A programme of INSET for teachers has been established and some very successful sessions have taken place throughout 2003, both school-based and in the Cathedral Education Centre. An even more ambitious programme is planned for 2004-5.

At the Universities, work is being done with Departments of Medieval studies and Heritage studies, ITT, Humanities and Tourism and Leisure. At Manchester Metropolitan University RE students do a course on ‘how do you know you’ve walked from a secular to a sacred space?.’

 Areas of study covered with schools include Art (trails and workshops), RE (dressing up in the Children’s Vestments collection), History (Tudors (the interactive Tudor Reformation Trail), medieval life, misericords, Geography (settlement studies). Overall, an extensive range of teaching and learning resource materials including a complete module of work to support the Key Stage 2 History Curriculum, have been published and are now used in a number of Manchester Schools.

One very exciting initiative is the Heartstone Odyssey Project which was a response to the Oldham race riots and has so far worked with 650 pupils from 17 Oldham schools. Through dance and story, this national initiative aims to challenge racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. This project will be repeated during 2004/5. The promotion of interfaith understanding and building bridges is continuing through other sessions with schools looking at all aspects of Christianity and Christian worship and learning how to ‘read’ a church. This is proving very popular and is increasingly being attended by schools who have a majority of Muslim pupils. Links are also being made with the local Buddist Centre and the Jewish Museum.

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TOURISM AND VISITORS

The North West Multi-FaithTourism Association

The Association has also now been in existence for four years and offers help and support to places of worship and faith based groups interested or engaged in welcoming visitors to the many wonderful sacred places and tourist attractions in the North West. Their membership includes local government tourist officers, tourist guides, people from the Regional Development Agency, the North West Tourist Board, and the Mersey Partnership. A Study was commissioned by the North West Tourist Board and funded by the North West Development Agency to gather information about the North West’s Faith Tourism product and markets. The report North West Faith Tourism: Scoping Study (Conor & Co. June 2003) illustrated how well Faith Tourism fitted into the emerging tourism vision for  the North West and in the cultural agenda for the region. It also pointed to the potential role of Faith Tourism for regional development and regeneration, as well as community development. This ranging from the 7 NW Cathedrals with annual visits in the order of 1 million at Chester, 300,000 at Liverpool Anglican, 200,000 at both Liverpool Metropolitan and Carlisle, and 20,000 at Manchester, to Daresbury Parish Church where Lewis Carroll’s father once served as vicar  brings visitors and economic benefit to a small rural parish.

Liverpool, Walk of Faith 

'The City of Liverpool is fortunate to have been a world port which has in turn educated and developed an attitude of appreciation to a multitude of faiths and cultures.By trying to understand differences and confronting prejudices, these many diverse communities have contributed enormously to the past and present of Liverpool. This guide is just one way we can ensure future generations recognise and celebrate the benefits of this simple but amazing lesson." (Councillor Warren Bradley, executive member for leisure and culture at the City Council, May 2003)

"Liverpool is an example of religious tolerance and co-existence between a multitude of faiths and cultures, and the Walk of Faith is a symbol of these strong links." (Wally Brown, co-ordinator of Faith in One City, May 2003)

Launched in May 2003 in partnership with Liverpool City Council, Church and Community Connections, and Hope College, as part of preparations for the Liverpool Year of Faith and Communities in 2004 and also as a contribution to the build up for the Capital of Culture events in 2008.

The rise of the City’s port has meant that Liverpool has been home to many diverse communities. These communities have contributed enormously to the past and present of Liverpool. Their legacy includes their wonderful places of worship and community centres which are physical expressions, still being used, in stone of the faith and culture and people who built them. 

The Free Guide details a walk of six miles which starts at the city's Anglican Cathedral, and ends at the Metropolitan Roman Catholic Cathedral, taking in along the way the Prince's Road synagogue, the Ar-Rahma Mosque on Hatherley Street, the first Mosque in England on Brougham Terrace, the Scandinavian Seamen’s Church, the Hindu Cultural Centre, the German Church of Liverpool, the Sikh Community Centre on Wellington Avenue, The Greek Orthodox Church, the Friends Meeting House and the Ullet Road Unitarian Church.

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© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2004