Malcolm
Stonestreet writes:
Our
Five Year Business Plan aims to appoint Regional Workers in
each of the nine Regions by September 2008. We have made appointments
in the North West (Shamus Maqsood ) and in Yorkshire and Humber
( Nahida Majid). We are ready to make an appointment in the
North East and in September wish to do likewise in the East
and West Midlands and the East of England.
The
responsibility for making such appointments is considerable.
The need for such appointments is not questioned. Each worker
costs salary and on costs (£24,500), Travel and Administrative
costs (£6,000) and project delivery costs (£27,000).
Looking
at some figures for the North West recently I recognised that
only very few pieces of Inter Faith Work are financed more
than a year ahead – many have a much shorter secure life.
Yet daily we are asked to deliver our four projects in different
parts of the country.
The
projects are.
•
Faith evenings (we hope to deliver at least
six of these in each Region each year). At these events one
hundred guests come together for an evening and, apart from
sharing refreshment, each participant finds him or herself
engaged in a conversation with someone of a different faith
and different generation. A conversation about their spiritual
journey. Evaluation shows the long term benefits of these
conversations which John Battle , the Prime Minister's Inter
Faith Envoy, has described as ‘vital building brick in our
future society'.
•
The Spirit of the Nation . Twenty young adults
from a town or city and drawn from the different Faith Groups
agree to meet on a regular basis for four months (including
one residential) and select from each faith group in their
town someone who makes a positive contribution to the local
economy or community. They photograph this individual both
at work and at prayer. The exhibition which is called Spirit
of name of town, shows the interdependence we all
have upon each other and the rich and diverse prayer life
that sustains the community. Such diversity is a Blessing
not a Threat. The Exhibition then tours all Schools, Colleges,
Faith and Civic Centres in that community. .Four such projects
in each Region each year.
•
Shared Sacred Space . The Trustees would
like to see some ten acres of land in each Region being developed
by one hundred congregations as Shared Sacred Space. We are
hoping to be able to develop Burnthwaite, on the outskirts
of Bolton , with support from Bolton Borough Council and the
Bolton Inter Faith Council as the first such Space. A CD Rom
of this proposed development is available and a Development
Worker will be appointed shortly.
•
Regional Workshops . In each Region we wish
to see an annual, three day residential Regional Workshop
for Inter Faith Workers. The first of these is planned for
November in the North West .
The
Enviroment
There
is enthusiasm from young adults of all faiths to make a statement
together on the Environment. It seems that this may be possible
through the Workshops, the Shared Sacred Space and possibly
a projected National Conference in London later this year.
Finance
We are
grateful to all of those who fund our work. the Faith Communities
Capacity Building Fund, the Church Urban Fund, the Trustees
of The Lord Rothschild European Fund and many others. Our
work can only be sustained and rolled out throughout the country
if funding is available. Quite apart from any costs in the
development of Shared Sacred Space in each Region we need
£323,851 in 2007 and £505,951 in 2009 to deliver
our Regional work.
Sustainability
We plan
to fund workers, projects and workshops from central funds
for the first two years following an appointment, thereafter
we expect Regional Groups to take control of the work and
the funding. This is reflected in our budgets for 2010 and
2011 which are down to £267,050.
Malcolm Stonestreet
March 2007
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