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Pupils attend Lincoln Minister School Faith groups have been receiving increasing levels of attention from the Government since the 1990s – as a sometimes-mysterious part of UK society, a potential force of mobilisation – whether for good or ill – and as a target for consultation and ‘way in' to engage with minority groups. But, rather than just trying to understand and repair relationships through faith groups, the state should be taking a more positive approach. The Government and local authorities need to recognise the contribution faith groups are already making to communities, and moving on still further from there – encouraging them to take a more formal role in society, generally. In other words, members of churches, mosques and other faiths should be helped to play a role in supporting frontline council services. The issue of involving religious groups in civic affairs can be fraught with controversy. Critics have argued that faith groups are unrepresentative and promote their own interests first, that many religious traditions are reactionary and should not be openly encouraged, and ultimately, that religion is essentially just a matter for the private sphere and not the public. At a simpler level though, faith groups are important to people. They provide networks of mutual aid and support between their members and with others on the fringe of their communities. The significance of what has been termed the ‘inner life of communities' should not be underestimated. This is support through life's ups and downs, often based on family and friendship, reinforced by ties of faith and belief. For many groups, getting organised to meet their own needs is the first step to wider service provision. It may well start with activities for children and the elderly. Playgroups and luncheon clubs are typical. Initially, the focus might be on members, but this often spreads to a wider set of ‘customers' in the neighbourhood. Many of these activities are self-funded or financed through small charges. Some make use of funds from businesses, charities and the public sector. And this provision of welfare services can lead to a broadening of concerns for their local communities. But what about employment issues, training and education? What response should there be to poverty and drug dependency? These questions are often answered by the use of ‘community development' solutions. Community centres are created. Training activity or ICT facilities are provided using a range of funding sources. Credit unions may be established and provision for young people made. As part of a recent study of faith groups in Lewisham, I spoke with group leaders, many of whom talked about how they were willingly supporting the council budget for social care. People who were struggling in their lives, for whatever reason, were going to them first. Through a number of initiatives, including the Home Office Faith Communities Unit, recommendations for government and faith group engagement in 2004, and the emphasis on the role of faith groups from the Community Cohesion Panel, relationships have been initiated and developed by local authorities. There has also been the appointment by some councils, such as Lewisham, of specific faith and social action officers with a more ongoing and active remit to develop community projects. Local councils need to take advantage of these improved relationships to address some of the toughest challenges facing UK society, whether it be youth crime or simply the levels of participation in local politics. Each local government function should be developing a plan of practical action for working alongside faith groups – for example, involving faith groups in establishing their willingness and ability to support the Local Area Agreement targets, in developing policy and practice in community cohesion, and for those struggling to manage the impact of migrants from European accession countries, the first places a council might want to find out more about these groups and their needs are Roman Catholic churches. Richard Farnell is a professor at the Applied Research Centre in Sustainable Regeneration (SURGE), Coventry University

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WHITEHALL

Have faith in local groups

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