Faith Communities
Faith communities make a valuable contribution to the regional
economy and the drive to improve our local communities. They have
an excellent record of bridging the gap between the affluent and
the deprived with their volunteer networks and community
infrastructure.
Faith communities in England’s Northwest:
- Contribute between £69.6 million and £94.9 million each
year to the region’s economy
- Generate between £60.6 million and £64.4 million each year
through their networks of over 45,000 faith volunteers
- Generate between £574,755 and £811,472 each year through
premises which they make available to the community
- Attract 679,114 faith visitors and tourists to the region,
generating up to £8.4 million each year.
As part of the NWDA’s commitment to developing the faith
agenda in the region and maximising the contribution these groups
make to the economic and social development of the Northwest,
it supported the establishment of the Northwest Forum of
Faiths.
Made up of 24 individuals representing the nine major world
faith communities from every part of the region, the Northwest
Forum of Faiths aims to:
- Promote good practice in relations between faith communities at
every level of society
- Promote the engagement of faith communities in public policy
(civil society)
- Promote a vision of healthy spiritual values and integrated
communities within the regional economic agenda (social
cohesion)
- Promote the considerable experience and expertise of faith
communities in caring for the weakest and most vulnerable in our
society (service delivery)
- Provide a structure which will allow faith communities to have
a voice alongside other sectors on the Northwest Regional
Stakeholder Forum and in response to other regional
initiatives
- Promote religious literacy among strategic decision makers in
the region.
- Provide a mechanism for responding to consultation initiatives
at short notice
- Explore potential funding opportunities for faith
communities
- Disseminate reports and other documents relating to faith
community engagement at national, regional, local and community
levels.
Visit the Faith in
England's Northwest website