London Faith Groups Explore Role in Community

Members of different faith groups in the London borough of Lambeth came together Thursday evening to discuss the development of an effective role in the local community, where a massive 70 per cent belong to a faith group.

The 'Faith in Lambeth Forum' is the first in a number of planned seminars aimed at bringing members of Lambeth's faith communities together to explore closer and more effective ways of working together.

Speakers at the evening's event, organised by the local Lambeth Council, included Hyacinth Parsons, Public Order and Community Cohesion at the Government Office for London, and Lambeth Chief Executive Derrick Anderson who addressed the audience on 'Community Cohesion in Lambeth'.

Mr Anderson, highly regarded for his commitment to good relations with the local faith communities, elaborated on the success of the Lambeth Faith Groups Steering Group in strengthening Council relations with faith groups and between faith groups through a number of events it has helped to organise.

"Faith groups are absolutely critical in terms of drive to create a cohesive local community," he said, as he considered the ongoing challenge of ensuring that faith groups work together effectively without any group feeling excluded.

Ms Parsons said that faith communities were "a good starting point" for discussions on difficult issues facing the local community of Lambeth, which include the large disparity between and segregation of rich and poor as well as high levels of crime.

"Faith groups need to carve out a vision of what their role should be in the community," she said as she stressed that results were not going to be achieved only through discussions but also needed real action.

Sonya Brown, development worker with Southwark Diocesan Welcare Faith in Regeneration Project, welcomed the Faith in Lambeth Forum as a "starting point" for closer collaboration between faith groups but said it was necessary for local governments to improve access of information to them. Many faith groups feel frustrated and unconnected from local government, she said.

A number of workshops were led by local faith groups including the Clapham and Stockwell Faith Forum, the Southwark Diocesan Welcare Faith in Regeneration Project, Faiths Together in Croydon, the South London Inter Faith Group and the highly successful All Nation's Centre.

The All Nation's Centre is a Pentecostal Church in the Kennington area of London which has made such a contribution to the community that it has welcomed visits from Prime Minister Tony Blair, his wife Cherie Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown.

Just some of its projects that are transforming the community include the Lighthouse Saturday School for disadvantaged schoolchildren and an after-school club, both led by fully qualified teachers; the lowest priced day nursery in the capital with a long waiting list of eager parents; Positive Parenting courses; a keep-fit club that offers among other things one-to-one dietary and exercise advice completely free of charge; a youth mentoring service.

The centre's Rev Emmanuel Nbakwe said that, although the centre has a number of high profile supporters, there were "still elements in the Council who do not understand the role of faith groups or feel it doesn't work for them".

"There are still pockets that need to be persuaded," he said, adding that one of the biggest problems facing the centre is the fierce competition for premium land in central London, much of which is being sold to housing developers with little thought for the standard of services on offer for the existing local community.

"The council needs to take account of the third sector," he said. "There are bigger issues that have to be dealt with than housing."

Chair of the Clapham and Stockwell Faith Forum, Catriona Robertson, said, "It's fantastic to meet so many people of faith in Lambeth. There are a lot of positive things we could do together across the boundaries of faith."

Councillor Lorna Campbell, Deputy Cabinet Member for Inclusion and Tackling Poverty, expressed her belief that faith in Lambeth is going to grow into something "strong" and "robust". "We want to support faith groups in Lambeth so that faith in the borough will become separate from the council but working with the council."