Appendix 1

Young Inter-Faith Projects

Bid for funding from Portsmouth SACRE

Project Title: Making a Difference

The project title reflects that of the new agreed syllabus in Portsmouth, Hampshire and Southampton, Living Difference, in order to show the common link between the two projects, within formal education and within the community as a whole, especially its youth. This identifies a way in which formal education can be connected with developments leading to community benefit.

Aim

The aim of this bid is to set up a sustainable project that will raise the profile of the importance of celebrating diversity and working to common inter-faith and inter-cultural objectives with young people in Portsmouth.

Rationale

The project seeks to have a positive influence, through the younger generation, in overcoming some of the difficulties faced in promoting inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue. In this way it will be complementing both the overall aims of Portsmouth City Council and its equality and inclusion agenda, and SACRE's commitment to promote social inclusion through inter-faith dialogue.

Background

Portsmouth has launched projects that address diversity through equalities and inclusion agendas. Its award winning directory of diversity in the city `One City, Many Cultures' has led to tours of different cultural and faith communities within the city, through which greater understanding has been gained by residents of differing faith, ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Portsmouth has a young people's council, initiated in September 2004 and is moving toward establishing a young people's parliament.

Portsmouth is host to diverse faith communities. The Muslim presence in the city is well-established, with a larger Sunni community, mainly of Bangladeshi origin, and a smaller Shia community, mainly of Asian-East African origin. There is also a considerable Muslim student population studying at Portsmouth University. There are also smaller Sikh and Hindu communities, amongst a range of others including differing Christian groups. There are certain levels of deprivation in the city not conducive to enabling interaction and common aims between different groups. In the longer term the project wishes to positively address issues arising from deprivation through the youth of those groups and communities involved.

Portsmouth SACRE is fortunate in having a wide range of faiths represented, with an enthusiastic and increasing membership. Meetings have alternated over the last three years between the Civic Offices, to establish a certain familiarity, and other venues to meet the Community. These have included a Baptist Church, a Mosque, both Anglican and Roman Catholic Cathedrals, and several schools. To encourage attendance by the public, our agendas and minutes are on the Portsmouth City Council website.

Portsmouth SACRE, the County Council and schools have an established annual conference for key stage 4 students on faith issues in the modern world at which faith speakers address the students on topics relevant to their studies through seminars, workshops and plenary sessions in which students pose questions to the speakers.

In the region there are established initiatives that address cultural diversity through the arts that the project can draw upon, most notably for example, the Pukaar Band in Southampton that regularly organises days celebrating inter-cultural awareness involving music, dance, art and food. The Pukaar Band's experience and expertise will be drawn upon to successfully establish the project's initial objectives.

The focus of Portsmouth's progress to date has been on cultural diversity. Faith diversity needs to be addressed to the same degree in promoting the value of social cohesion. This will be the major contribution of this project to Portsmouth's equalities and inclusion agenda. Also, where faith issues are discussed, for example in the South East Faith Forum, this is an adult initiative. The project wishes to give due opportunity to the agency of young people, as emphasised in the Children's Act 2004 and Every Child Matters, in order to complement other ongoing projects. Faith, in this context, embraces `belief and unbelief' in the religious and secular sense of these terms.

Outline of the Project

Phase 1: Initial Phase

The Making A Difference Project seeks to identify a representative group of young people in the 15-18 age range with different faith allegiances who will provide the focus for and direction of the project with a paid coordinator. Initially, the aim will be to organise a fundraising event for a specific cause that is both locally and nationally of concern. The Pukaar Band will be involved at this stage since they have practical experience and expertise in organising such events in Southampton, for example in relation to refugees. They are also experienced in finding financial support for such ventures.

The celebration of diversity event will be expected to attract 200 young people, by targeting schools, faith communities and the general public. It will be held in an indoor venue, such as a local school, on a weekend date. An entrance fee of £5 per head will ensure £1,000 is given to the cause in question. Also, from the local businesses funding 50% will be given to the cause (see budget below). This will amount to £2,000 overall plus further donations given on the day.

The event will consist of performances, talks, workshops and seminars germane to faith and cultural diversity, the arts and the community. This will be presented through headline or keynote presentations and performances and a timetabled carousel of opportunities to engage in music and arts workshops and inter-faith discussions on contemporary issues.

Timetable Phase 1

· Appointment of co-ordinator/director for young people's faith forum (May 2005).

· Setting up of young people's faith forum through contact with SACRE members, schools, council services and faith groups (June 2005).

· Organisation of a fundraising celebratory event, on the theme of faith and cultural diversity to raise awareness of diversity and the ways in which it enriches the city's potential, organised by the co-ordinator/director and members of the young people's faith forum in liaison with the Pukaar Band (September 2005).

Phase 2: Sustaining the Project

The purpose of the project is not only to initiate awareness but to bring about change through integrating the aims of the project with other ventures within Portsmouth City Council and relating to the remit of SACRE regarding social cohesion. This will be done in the following ways:

· Identifying a particular issue to focus upon and debate within the young people's faith forum and emerging from the event identified in phase 1 that is germane to the diversity agenda locally, in Portsmouth, and nationally.

· Networking with other local organisations and relevant departments within the city council; for example the equalities unit, the youth council, youth services and religious groups, to address development in relation to faith and culture.

· Integrating the young people's faith forum into the development of Portsmouth's aims and objectives addressing diversity and the spirituality of young people across faith and cultural differences.

Timetable Overall

Phase 1: April 2005 - September 2005

Phase 2: October 2005 - Easter 2006 and beyond

Budget

In order to provide the budget for the project finances will be sought from this bid to NASACRE/Westhill Trust and beyond. In particular the Award for All Trust and local businesses will be applied to. The expectation, following initial enquires, is that the estimated budget available will be as follows with regard to projected income. In phase 2 the project co-ordinator/director will be responsible for obtaining funds to further the project beyond Easter 2006.

Projected income:

£5,000 from Westhill Trust

£5,000 from Award for All

£2,000 from local businesses

Total: £12,000

Projected expenditure

Projected expenditure in phases 1 and 2 is itemised as follows.

Phase 1

Staging event: £2,500

Administrative and marketing costs: £1,000

Project co-ordinator/director: £2,500

Total: £6,000

Phase 2:

Administrative and co-ordinating costs: £1,000

Costs toward initiating future strategies and events: £1,000

Project co-ordinator/director: £3,000

Total: £5,000

Evaluation

An evaluation of the project will be undertaken after September 2005 and Easter 2006. In each case groups and individuals involved, within the young people's forum, the council and faith groups, will report on their perception of the impact of the project through questionnaires and interviews to the project's co-ordinator/director. An evaluative survey will also be carried out in relation to attendees at the Celebrating Diversity event in September 2005. The evaluations will form part of the ongoing means by which the focus of the project is sustained, developed and directed.

COUNCILLOR MALCOLM HEY BSc Civic Offices

COPNOR WARD Guildhall Square

Portsmouth PO1 2AL

Conservative Spokesman,

Environment & Public Protection Tel: 023 9282 2251

Chairman, Portsmouth SACRE

Home: Email:Cllr.Malcolm.Hey

1d Merrivale Road @portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Hilsea

Portsmouth PO2 OTJ

Tel: 023 9266 2603

HEAVEN'S LIGHT OUR GUIDE

14 March 2005

Dear Camilla

Young Inter-Faith Projects - Portsmouth SACRE

I am very pleased to submit the attached bid for NASACRE funding of a project in Portsmouth.

The competition comes at an appropriate time for us as we have just initiated a review of how well we are meeting our aims, and it has galvanized us into action on a real project which we see as an exciting and key role in raising the profile and understanding of faith in the City.

I am very happy to answer any further questions you may have, either by email above or by telephone at work (7.30am to 4.00pm) on (01962) 768 227.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Malcolm Hey

Chairman, Portsmouth SACRE

Camilla O'Connor

School of Education

The University of Birmingham

Weoley Park Road

Selly Oak

Birmingham

B29 6LL