Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

SACRE

5 June 2007

Young People's Inter-Faith Project

Report of the Director of Children's Services

Item 10

1

Summary

1.1

This report provides an update about progress in developing the young people's inter-faith project.

1.2

This paper supports the Corporate Strategies (maximising well being and Hampshire safer and more secure for all) by supporting the Youth Interfaith project. The youth inter-faith forum addresses SACRE's responsibilities in relation to inclusion and diversity.

2

Recommendations

a)

That SACRE notes the report and endorses the continued work of the project.

3

Background

3.1

Hampshire County Council has committed to setting up a young people's inter-faith project as part of its strategic plan for the county.

3.2

Strong support for this venture was given at the first meeting of the adult inter-faith forum on 14 January 2006.

3.3

Hampshire Youth Council has discussed and given their support for this project.

3.4

The project is supported by and liaises with the Hampshire Youth Council and youth service, the adult inter-faith forum, the ethnic minority achievement service and the rights, respect and responsibility initiative in Hampshire schools.

3.5

A bid for funding to support the work of the young people's interfaith project was submitted to the National Association of SACREs in March 2007. The bid has been successful and the project has been awarded £3,000. This is less than requested, but a bid of £5,000 to Hampshire County Council is being prepared to augment this sum. The steering group of the young people's interfaith project and the steering group of the social cohesion project are looking at ways in which the two projects can be interlinked.

3.6

Hampshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (HCVYS) have expressed an interest in helping coordinate the young people's interfaith project and their representative, Ken Hedley, has been invited to attend SACRE to hear about progress to date.

3.7

A young people's inter-faith conference took place at Winchester University on the morning of Sunday 15 April which was part of a larger international academic conference on Faith, Spirituality and Social Change. This was organized by Dr Christina Welch and supported by Hampshire County Council. It was attended by Clive Erricker and Ken Hedley. It was very successful with twelve young people attending from different faith backgrounds including members of Portsmouth's youth inter-faith group `Interfusion' and young people from the Jewish community in Bournemouth. Nevertheless, it had proved difficult to bring these young people together and there was low representation from Hampshire.

LINK(S) TO CORPORATE STRATEGY

YES

NO

Hampshire safer and more secure for all

_

Maximising well-being

_

Enhancing our quality of place

_

This proposal does not link to the Corporate Strategy but, nevertheless, requires a decision because: