Archived decisions
Young Inter-Faith Projects
Bid for funding from Hampshire SACRE
1. Overview
Project Title: Living Difference: Faith in the 21st Century
The project title reflects that of the new agreed syllabus in Hampshire (shared with Portsmouth 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.
The title also reflects the ambition of the project to ensure that there is increasing understanding of and respect for cultural and religious differences within the community in order to promote social cohesion.
Aim
The aim of this bid is to set up a sustainable project that will raise the profile of the importance of acknowledging and responding to faith and diversity and working to common inter-faith and inter-cultural objectives with young people in Hampshire
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 Hampshire County Council's Corporate Strategy and its equality and inclusion agenda, and SACREs commitment to promote social inclusion through inter-faith dialogue between religious and non-religious groups.
In the context of this document `inter-faith' is understood to include both religious groups and non-religious. The premise for this is that social cohesion needs to involve dialogue that is both `intra-religious' and also embrace secular stances, such as Humanism, as `faith' or `spiritual' positions. Evidence gained from interviews with young people on Hampshire County Youth Council suggests this need is especially relevant to the younger generation in Hampshire.
Objectives
· Inform and develop Hampshire County Youth Council and Hampshire SACRE and through existing links the Hampshire Strategic Partnership
· Address and challenge stereotypes of faith adherence
· Address issues of exclusion, vulnerability and social cohesion
Outcomes:
· Broad representation of young people from different faith backgrounds, religious and otherwise
· Effective links with other relevant Hampshire strategic bodies and initiatives in order to, as a sub-group of Hampshire County Youth Council, bring faith matters to the attention of the Council
· Informed distribution of matters affecting young people from different faith backgrounds in Hampshire through SACRE, the Hampshire RE Newsletters and establishing its own distribution network
· Evidence of consideration of faith matters within key corporate strategies and plans of the County Council, for example the Corporate and Community strategies and the Children and Young People's Plan.
2. Background
Hampshire's population is predominantly both white and nominally Christian, in terms of religious affiliation. However, approximately 5% of the pupils population is ethnically diverse with 84 languages spoken in 540 Hampshire schools spread over a wide area. Many faith groups are represented and many different countries of origin where the practice of these faiths may well differ from elsewhere. For Hampshire this presents opportunities and challenges, especially in terms of social cohesion.
Hampshire's neighbouring cities, Portsmouth and Southampton in the south, and Reading and Woking to the north, have diverse populations in terms of both faith and ethnicity. There is significant and increasing interaction between these larger urban populations and Hampshire's demographic. Hampshire County Council is aware of the need for its own citizens to become more sensitive and pro-active toward inter-faith and intercultural issues within and beyond its borders and in relation to global affairs. This is a priority identified within its strategic plan and agenda for inclusion as an aspect of its response to Every Child Matters.
Within the county there are diverse religious communities that, at present, lack full and appropriate representation beyond that afforded by SACRE, or sufficient facilities for their growing needs. For example, a proposal has been made to Hampshire County Council for a mosque in Winchester and Muslim Taxi drivers at present say their Friday prayers in temporary accommodation set aside in Winchester Guildhall. The Council wishes to be pro-active in not only meeting the needs of minority faiths in Hampshire but also encouraging communities to take advantage of representation to make their needs known.
We are aware of some basic needs in relation to members of minority faith communities requiring places of worship in their own localities without travelling to Southampton, Bournemouth or Portsmouth and the consequent priority of establishing faith community identities within Hampshire. We are aware of difficulties that already exist in this respect with families moving out of urban environments into Hampshire and subsequently returning due to lack of sufficient infrastructure for their faith and community needs, for example in relation to access to a Gurdwara. We wish to address this sense of isolation, particularly in relation to youth nurture and inclusion. We are also aware of the changing demographic in Hampshire that exacerbates these problems. For example, in one Hampshire village 20% of the population are now of Indian descent. We are also aware of how these issues impact generally on ethnic and `race' relations.
At a youth level Hampshire County Youth Council acts as a forum for young people to democratically involve themselves in debating current issues and developments and advising the County Council. Matters of faith and diversity do not, at present, appear on their agenda. A young people's inter-faith project would add this dimension to their work.
Action is already underway to develop adult inter-faith dialogue. An Inter-Faith Forum is being established in Hampshire which will draw on the experience of the Southampton Council of Faiths and other regional inter-faith groups. At its inaugural meeting it confirmed the need for a young people's project as a priority in moving inter-faith awareness and representation forward in Hampshire. This proposal for a youth interfaith forum will meet this need and steps will be taken to establish clear links and dialog between the two forums.
In relation to those young people who do not belong to religious traditions we are aware of the need to involve them in dialogue on inclusive faith and spiritual issues that include but go beyond religious concerns and are germane to the infrastructure of modern society, both locally and globally.
3. Strategy
SACRE has undertaken extensive consultation with Hampshire County Council's Children and Adult Services, Portsmouth's youth inter-faith forum, Southampton's new chair of SACRE and Southampton Council of Faiths. Support has been given to the project by the Hampshire County Youth Council and the Hampshire adult inter-faith forum.
Consultation has also taken place with other initiatives already established in the UK, notably the Bradford Youth SACRE Project.
The project will liaise closely with the Hampshire County Youth Council and Youth Service, the Hampshire Adult Inter-Faith Forum, the Ethnic Minority Achievement Service and the Rights, Respect And Responsibility initiative in Hampshire schools. It will also inform Hampshire's intercultural policy for and practice in promoting diversity and equality with children and young people.
A steering group for the project has already been constituted consisting of representation from SACRE, the youth service, the council administration, the LEA and outside partners (the University of Winchester, Winchester Diocese and Southampton SACRE)
Hampshire County Council is prepared to dedicate matched funding to the project beyond outside funding initially received to make the project sustainable for five years. Further outside funding will be sought during that period to sustain the project's involvement in Hampshire's strategic partnership. This will ensure that the project can inform, develop and learn from strategic partners in different areas of the county that are identifying differing and common needs.
The project will receive further support and involvement from the University of Winchester and the Diocese of Winchester's education and youth services.
The project steering group has already identified phases of development to be initiated:
1. Identifying and coordinating appropriate representation of young people that will constitute the forum on which the project will be based
2. Promoting the impact of youth faith representation within the Hampshire Youth Council and the Hampshire SACRE
3. Identifying the foci of the forum's work to impact on raising awareness of faith diversity and youth action within Hampshire's strategic aims. This could be accomplished through a range of projects such as the following:
· The development of a youth faith and culture website and newsletter
· An MSN open forum to encourage discussion of significant topics and issues
· A calendar of religious festivals and events to raise awareness of the significance of these
· A video/CD Rom about local faith communities
· Meetings at the University of Winchester managed by students to debate socio-cultural issues from differing faith and cultural perspectives
· Sporting and other cultural initiatives through music and dance to encourage awareness and integration
· Visits to places of worship and places of artistic, historical and intercultural interest in relation to faith
· Events that raise awareness of issues: refugees, immigration and asylum seekers
· Developing school networks on inter-faith issues, especially between schools with different types of catchment areas, within Hampshire and within neighbouring urban areas.
It is appropriate that the young people to be involved in the project decide on the initiatives they wish to take and generate their own ideas but guided by those who already have knowledge of and can provide support for how specific strategies are likely to be effective in achieving the overall aims of the project.
Through this project SACRE itself will become better informed and be able to be more pro-active in relation to issues of faith and cultural diversity that affect social cohesion. It will also be able to be more responsive to matters that affect young people.
4. Outline of the Project
Phases 1 and 2: Initial Phases
The Project seeks to identify a representative group of young people in the 13 - 19 age range with different faith allegiances who will provide the focus for and direction of the project with the assistance of a coordinator.
Initially, the aim will be for the project to establish itself and make other groups aware of its presence through the Youth Council and SACRE representation. It will be involved in determining its own agenda to present to these bodies with further support from faith and ethnic organisations with which it has networked.
This phase of development will be recorded and presented to local media to highlight the project's profile at this stage. This will be done in conjunction with the Hampshire Youth Council, Hampshire SACRE and Hampshire County Council Press Office
Timetable Phases 1 and 2
· Identification of administrative support/co-ordination for young people's inter-faith project (May 2006).
· Setting up of young people's faith forum through contact with SACRE members, youth council, youth service, schools, council services and faith groups (June 2006).
· Development of project through establishing clear terms of reference and constitution, consider applying for charitable status, liaise with related bodies, within and beyond the council. Establish its direction and media representation. (March 2007).
· Further outreach to Southampton and Portsmouth, to the south, and Reading, Woking and Guildford, to the north, in order to liaise over initiatives and resources within the region
Phase 3: 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 Hampshire County 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 take forward that is germane to the diversity agenda in Hampshire, regionally and nationally.
· Networking with other local organisations and relevant departments within the Council; for example the Equality and Diversity 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 Youth Council and thereby the development of Hampshire's aims and objectives addressing diversity and the spirituality of young people across faith and cultural differences.
Timetable Overall
Phase 1 and 2: April 2006 - March 2007
Phase 3: April 2007 - Easter 2008 and beyond
5. Budget
In order to provide the budget for the project finances will be sought from this bid to NASACRE/Westhill Trust and, dependent on the success of the bid, Hampshire will ensure sustainability of the project for 5 years. During that time further outside funding will be sought to develop its remit, activity and influence and ensure its longevity.
Projected income: Phase 1 and 2
£5,000 from Westhill Trust
£7,000 from Hampshire County Council
Total: £12,000
Projected expenditure
Projected expenditure in phases 1, 2 and 3 is itemised as follows.
Phases 1 and 2 (April 2006 - march 2007)
Co-ordinating and providing administrative support for the project: £8,000
Ancillary costs: travel costs for members of project, liaison with faith communities to promote project and raise awareness: £3,000
Marketing cost (production of promotional materials and liaison with schools): £1,000
Total: £12,000
Projected income: Phase 3
£12,000 from Hampshire County Council and outside funding as required
Administrative and co-ordinating costs: £8,000
Ancillary costs (travel costs for members of project): £2,000
Costs toward achieving project outcomes (website, visits, events, etc): £2,000
Total: £12,000
6. Evaluation
An evaluation of the project will be undertaken after March 2007, Easter 2008 and thereafter annually. In each case groups and individuals involved, within the young people's inter-faith project, the council, faith groups and other stakeholders will report on their perception of the impact of the project through questionnaires and interviews to the project's elected committee. The evaluations will form part of the ongoing means by which the focus of the project is sustained, developed and directed. Evaluation will be based on to what extent the project is effectively addressing the outcomes identified in this proposal, initially within phase 1 and 2, and subsequently within phase 3.