IFN Newsletter November/December 2023

Inter faith relations in the UK following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and subsequent Israel-Hamas war

https://reporthate.victimsupport.org.uk/hate-crime/Following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October and subsequent Israel-Hamas war there have been raised levels of hate crime and impact on inter faith relations in the UK.

Levels of reported antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents rose sharply from 7 October.

The CST (Community Security Trust) reported on 13 December the highest ever total of antisemitic incidents (2,093) reported to it across a sixty-eight-day period from 7 October – a 534% increase on the same period last year -https://cst.org.uk/news/blog/2023/12/13/antisemitic-incidents-13-december-update and Tell MAMA reported on 14 December that it had recorded 1,350 anti-Muslim cases between 7 October and 6 December, by contrast to 177 cases during the same period in 2022 (a 663% increase) - https://tellmamauk.org/tell-mama-saw-more-than-a-seven-fold-increase-in-anti-muslim-cases-since-october-7/.

Publicly reported incidents targeting Jews and Muslims have ranged from defacement of posters, antisemitic placards, hateful graffitiing in places such as schools, attacks on premises such as restaurants and physical attacks and threats of attack. There has also been a virulent swirl of verbal attacks and misinformation on social media.

IFN’s Board addressed this increase in hate crime in the UK as part of a statement on standing together against hate crime, https://www.interfaith.org.uk/news/standing-together-against-hate-crime, which includes the following:

As well as responding through reporting hate incidents and raised security, it is vital that we stand together and respond in solidarity where people would seek to divide through inflammatory rhetoric or intimidation.

Views on situations and actions in the UK and internationally may differ (indeed may differ profoundly, with people deeply affected by events); what cannot and must not waiver is our commitment as people of different faiths in the UK to maintaining a safe environment for our lives together and to sustaining and continuing to develop relationships of trust and respect.”

As at all times, IFN encourages people to stand up to hate and stand with those who are at risk and feeling vulnerable to hate crime. Information on reporting hate crimes is below. Faith and inter faith groups have a very important part to play in responding to hate crime and community tensions. This is reflected in IFN’s guidance, Looking after one another: the safety and security of our faith communities  https://www.interfaith.org.uk/resources/looking-after-one-another-the-safety-and-security-of-our-faith-communities-2023.

The Jewish festival of Chanukah has recently taken place and the safety of public Chanukah menorahs has been a focus of concern. In the case of one local authority, the London Borough of Havering, display of a chanukiah outside the city hall was initially ‘paused’ due to security concerns in the light of increased hate crimes with the council

citing "escalating tensions from the conflict in the Middle East". The decision was later reversed. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67601261 Elsewhere in London, two public Chanukah menorahs were vandalised. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/two-menorahs-attacked-prompting-met-investigation/ar-AA1lvYmO

In November, the London Borough of Hounslow Council postponed, at short notice, a planned hosting of the Board of Deputies of British Jews’ Jewish Living Experience exhibition saying “... due to the current situation in Gaza and associated increase in reported hate crimes, there is significant heightened risk to personal safety across London and consideration of this had to take precedence.” https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/hounslow-council-cancel-jewish-living-experience-exhibition-safety-gaza-israel-london-b1125529.html https://www.thejc.com/news/outrage-over-councils-cancellation-of-jewish-life-exhibition-lt55xwlo

On 26 November, a march against antisemitism, organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism, took place in London. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67537351

There has been an impact on inter faith relations and community relations, both in terms of inter faith engagement by local and national faith communities and within different sectors such as workplaces, schools, FE colleges and universities. https://www.cipd.org/uk/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/insight/support-workforce-israel-gaza/ https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/10/19/israel-hamas-conflict-advice-schools-ministers/ https://solutionsnotsides.co.uk/learning-resources https://feweek.co.uk/how-colleges-can-foster-safe-engagement-with-the-israel-palestine-conflict/

Across the UK, many efforts have been being made to retain important links and connections. IFN’s website carries examples of a number of local and national inter faith vigils and statements https://www.interfaith.org.uk/news/inter-faith-statements-vigils-prayer-gatherings for example:

• Prayers for peace events, such as those in York https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/23881998.york-interfaith-group-hold-event-israel-hamas-conflict/ and in Derby https://multifaithcentre.org/events/city-wide-prayer-for-peace. · Local vigils, such as one in Blackburn https://theshuttle.org.uk/peace-vigil-for-israel-and-palestine/ and at a national level, such as one organised by Together for Humanity, held opposite Downing Street on 3 December https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/vigil-london-archbishop-of-canterbury-b2457728.html.
• Statements by faith leaders such as those from the Birmingham Faith Leaders Group https://twitter.com/BishopAnneH/status/1714771225224827192; faith leaders in Bradford https://twitter.com/toby_howarth/status/1712063234331619381/photo/1; the Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester https://www.muslimjewish.org.uk/Past-events/Gaza-statement-2023-10-11.html; Oxfordshire faith leaders https://www.oxford.anglican.org/violence-and-hatred-can-never-be-the-solution.php; and Scottish faith leaders https://www.gov.scot/news/leaders-reaffirm-inter-faith-solidarity-in-scotland/.
• There have also been discussions between local faith leaders, such as at a meeting of Jewish and Muslim leaders at the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque in Liverpool. https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/liverpool-faith-leaders-to-strengthen-understanding/
• There have been a number of events held to explore how to remain in dialogue and building on commonalities, as well as inter faith responses focusing directly on events in Israel and Gaza, such as the Woolf Institute’s ‘How to keep on talking’ webinar https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/blog/how-to-keep-talking-the-woolf-institute-addresses-interfaith-relations-in-light-of-the-latest-misery-in-israel-gaza, workplace dialogues such as one held by Barts Health Interfaith and Belief Network, and podcasts such as https://leedssanctuary.org.uk/2023/12/04/the-leeds-sanctuary-podcast-justice-international-conflict-and-local-communities/ with local Muslim and Jewish contributors.
• Inter Faith Week, last month, provided a number of contexts for engagement by Jews, Muslims and others of a kind that has lessened in many other contexts since 7 October. Some, such as the Chair of Northampton InterFaith Forum, which held activities to mark the Week, commented on the message of solidarity sent by coming together at this time. https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/interfaith-debate-and-discussion-about-justice-4421574

Note: There have also been many actions taken by the Jewish and Muslim communities relating to the Hamas Terrorist attack; the Israel Hamas war; hostages; and the deaths of civilians. These have ranged from vigils for hostages taken from Israel to marches to advocate for ceasefire; and materials produced to support pupils of that faith community in schools or give guidance on legal parameters for protests. IFN’s focus is UK inter faith relations and so the focus of the report above is on the UK. Even on that basis, this piece cannot be comprehensive of all developments and readers are referred to other publications for more in depth coverage.

Inter faith engagement of The King

One of the events that took place in Inter Faith Week was a reception hosted by the Archbishop of Canterbury for His Majesty King Charles, at Lambeth Palace Library. The King spoke with a number of faith leaders and community representatives about their experiences at the present time. IFN’s Co-Chairs and Executive Director were honoured to be present. Reports on that reception can be seen at https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2023-11-18/the-king-marks-inter-faith-week-with-faith-leaders-at-lambeth-palace and https://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/news/news-and-statements/archbishop-canterbury-welcomes-king-and-uk-faith-leaders-lambeth-palace. The visit was described by the Archbishop of Canterbury as a ‘wonderful encouragement to remain united in partnership and friendship – as many people of faith are doing across the country’ in the context of ‘challenging times for faith communities in the UK, particularly with the ongoing war in the Middle East’.

The King met again with a different range of faith leaders and community representatives at a specially convened discussion at Buckingham Palace on 13 December about inter faith relations. The backdrop of many of the contributions was the impact of current events on those. You can read more about that at The Royal Family Facebook 13 December and https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/andrew-smith-charles-israel-hamas-buckingham-palace-b2463469.html. IFN’s Executive Director highlighted, during the discussion, the importance of conversations at local level, such as those within local inter faith bodies and bilateral groups; education for religious literacy (including RE); opportunities for learning and dialogue - including about difficult issues; and faith community cooperation on social issues.

Scottish Government Hate Crime Delivery Plan

In Scotland, the law currently recognises hate crime based on prejudice towards the following groups: Disability, Race, Religion, Sexual orientation and Transgender identity. In November the Scottish Government published its Hate Crime Strategy Delivery Plan. This sets out the activity that the Scottish Government and partners will undertake between 2023 and 2026 to support delivery of the commitments within the Hate Crime Strategy for Scotland that was published earlier this year.  https://www.gov.scot/publications/hate-crime-strategy-delivery-plan/

Faith community ‘warm spaces’

Places of worship and faith centres across the UK have again opened their doors as warm spaces for those who are struggling to heat their homes.  Many of these are doing so through the Warm Welcome initiative, an initiative of the Good Faith Partnership. A list of all warm spaces registered can be found at https://www.warmwelcome.uk. The mission of the initiative is to support organisations to open their doors and provide a warm welcome.   Information on setting up and registering a warm space can be found at https://www.warmwelcome.uk/spaces.

In November, the UK Health Security Agency published Warm spaces in England: an evidence review and toolkit for local organisations. This provides a framework for organisations seeking to develop or evaluate a warm space for their local population during the winter. The toolkit also includes case studies sharing examples of best and promising practice as well as signposting to resources to support organisations in developing their warm space offer.

Faith groups and food for those in need

A number of places of worship run local food banks or provide free meals, for example the Sikh Soup Kitchen in Birmingham https://www.facebook.com/thesikhsoupkitchen/ or collect for a local food bank such as this recent Diwali donation to a local foodbank https://london.ctvnews.ca/let-s-celebrate-diwali-with-the-community-london-food-bank-receives-significant-donation-1.6656445. 

The Trussell Trust works with the support of many churches in the UK https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-involved/church-support and the Church in Wales has a Food and Fuel Project https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/about-us/our-campaigns/food-fuel/.   Other programmes such as Mitzvah Day work with different foodbanks, such as Foodbank Aid in North London. https://mitzvahday.org.uk/project/foodbank-aid-north-london-network/ 

In some areas, faith communities run homelessness projects, such as this one set up by Merton Faith in Action which provides hot food, showers and a night shelter  http://www.mertonfaithinaction.org/ and this one run in the Manchester region by Muslim Charity https://muslimcharity.org.uk/project/uk-homeless-project/. 

Some local inter faith groups, such as Faiths Together in Croydon, have received food donations via local schools and other groups to  pass on to families in need. https://twitter.com/WhitgiftSchool1/status/1736794258634363157   

2023 Equality and Human Rights Monitor

In November the Equality and Human Rights Commission published The Equality and Human Rights Monitor 2023. This charts how Britain is performing on equality and human rights.  It is split into chapters for the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010, including one on religion or belief.  Its key findings for the sector, in the order presented in its summary, are:

• Outcomes for Muslims in Britain have improved in higher education attainment, employment, reduced economic inactivity and median hourly income. However, these are still poorer outcomes than for most other religious groups. Adult and child poverty and severe material deprivation remains high among Muslims.
• In Britain, educational and employment outcomes for Hindus have improved. Hindus are the most likely group to have a degree level qualification and, along with Jewish people, to have higher hourly earnings.
• Overall prevalence of religious hate crime in England and Wales has not changed, while other types of hate crime have fallen in the long term. Sudden increases in racial or religiously motivated offences have been seen around major political or terrorist trigger events, including the EU referendum, July 2017 terrorist attacks and the Black Lives Matter protests and counter-protests in summer 2020.
• There has been significant emerging case law clarifying the scope of protections for beliefs and expression of beliefs, and the extent to which provision of services can and cannot be restricted on the basis of religion and belief.

The full report can be found at https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/our-work/equality-and-human-rights-monitor/equality-and-human-rights-monitor-2023. 

Faith communities and elections

The Prime Minister has said that the next General Election will be held in 2024.  Ahead of that, a number of bye-elections are being held.

Earlier this month the Charity Commission and Electoral Commission chairs shared advice for charities, including faith-based charities, engaging in public debate. https://charitycommission.blog.gov.uk/2023/12/01/charity-commission-and-electoral-commission-chairs-share-advice-for-charities-engaging-in-public-debate/  This notes that charities also need to know about the new Non-Party Campaigner Code which came into effect on 1 December.  This notes that electoral law requires charities to register as non-party campaigners if they spend over a certain amount on regulated campaign activities in the 12 months leading up to the next election.

Campaigning undertaken by charities must align with their charitable purposes and further them. The guidance for charities on campaigning and political activity produced by the Charity Commission for England and Wales sets out a framework when considering any campaign for a charity. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/speaking-out-guidance-on-campaigning-and-political-activity-by-charities-cc9 The Commission also has additional guidance on campaigning and political activity at the time of elections and referendums. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/speaking-out-guidance-on-campaigning-and-political-activity-by-charities-cc9/charities-elections-and-referendums

Similar guidance for charities in Northern Ireland is at https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/charity-essentials/charities-and-politics/ and in Scotland at https://www.oscr.org.uk/media/2899/v14_faqs-charities-and-campaigning-on-political-issues.pdf.

Faith community support for asylum seekers and refugees

Faith groups help asylum seekers and refugees through many routes from community sponsorship, to provision of essentials and, in some instances, engagement with Government over relevant policies. In a recent example of the latter, leaders from faith and belief institutions across London asked the Home Office to re-examine a recent change in practice which has meant that, since August, refugees are having much less notice that their asylum support will end than the stated policy of 28 days. https://www.london.anglican.org/articles/faith-leaders-call-on-home-office-to-re-examine-seven-day-evictions-practice/

There are a number of agencies and initiatives in this field – some of which in the UK, such as Scottish Action for Refugees, City of Sanctuary and Citizens UK, have a direct link to faith communities or significant involvement from faith organisations. Such initiatives often see faith communities working side by side in inter faith response. 

Payments for bereaved parents who have been supported by local faith groups

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is looking to share information with bereaved parents who lost their partner between 9 April 2001 and 8 February 2023 and may be eligible for a backdated government payment even if they no longer have dependent children.  The DWP has worked with several national bereavement support charities but think they may be missing bereaved parents who could have turned to their local community religious/faith-based groups for support.

In February the Government extended eligibility for Bereavement Support Payment (BSP) and Widowed Parent’s Allowance (WPA) to cohabiting parents with dependent children. These payments can be backdated to 30 August 2018.  These benefits were previously only available to bereaved parents who were married or in a civil partnership. DWP opened a 12-month window for cohabiting parents to backdate their claims. The deadline for backdating claims is 8 February 2024.

Further information is at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/reminder-for-bereaved-parents-to-check-eligibility-for-financial-support.

Review of RE in Northern Ireland recommended

The final report of the Independent Review of Education in Northern Ireland was published earlier this month.  The Panel undertaking the Review concluded that there are a number of areas which need particular consideration at pace by the Curriculum Taskforce in the short term and the Curriculum Council in the longer term. These include Religious Education. It notes that: “It may be that the outcome of litigation ongoing at the time of the publication of our Report may make the drawing up of a new religious education syllabus an immediate necessity. However, we consider that the increasing diversity of Northern Irish society makes it highly desirable that a review be undertaken in the near future, regardless of the legal processes.” https://www.independentreviewofeducation.org.uk/key-documents/investing-better-future

Scottish People’s Panel key findings

In November Research findings from the Scottish Government’s 'People's Panel' on community resilience were published.  The ‘People’s Panel for Wellbeing: 2022 and beyond’ was set up with the aim to enable members of the public to provide up-to-date and relevant views, opinions, experiences, and ideas on the wellbeing of people in Scotland. This panel specifically focused on the COVID-19 recovery period, whilst also addressing other significant issues such as the cost-of-living crisis and community resilience. The ‘key findings’ from the research note that many saw the value of local communities. They were recognised as a source of information through speaking to neighbours, attending community cafes and local faith groups. https://www.gov.scot/publications/peoples-panel-community-resilience/pages/2/  

Religious representatives’ voting rights removed in Scotland

It was noted in the last issue of the Newsletter that Councillors had voted to remove voting rights from unelected religious representatives who sit on Edinburgh Council's Education Committee.  East Lothian Council has this month voted to do the same. The decision followed a consultation in October in which 84% of respondents said religious representatives should not retain their vote.

Meeting of IFN Faith Communities Forum

A meeting of the FCF was held on 6 December. On the Agenda were: ‘Community relations in the UK and responding together to hate crime in context of recent Israel / Hamas / Gaza impacts’; ‘Faith communities and organ donation and transplant’, with a presentation by Professor Gurch Randhawa DL, Professor of Diversity in Public Health, Director of the Institute for Health Research (IHR) at the University of Bedfordshire and Director of the IHR’s Organ Donation and Transplant Research Centre; Inter faith engagement of faith communities, (including Inter Faith Week and updates on faith communities’ inter faith projects/meetings); ‘A National Content Standard for Religious Education in England’, with a presentation by Ms Deborah Weston OBE, Executive Research Officer, National Association for Teachers of RE and Trustee, Religious Education Council for England and Wales; and IFN matters, including IFN’s funding position and long term sustainability.

Oxfordshire faith leader initiative

The Bishop of Oxford and Imam Monawar Hussain hosted faith and community leaders from across Oxfordshire at a gathering in October. The new group has been meeting regularly since then to give a collective voice in promoting understanding, peace, and strong community relations across the area. https://www.oxford.anglican.org/violence-and-hatred-can-never-be-the-solution.php

Stockton Interfaith Forum

A new local inter faith initiative has been set up in Stockton.  The Interfaith Forum, set up by the Amal Project, Catalyst Stockton and others, held its first meeting in November which was attended by faith leaders and community groups. https://www.catalyststockton.org/event/stockton-on-tees-interfaith-forum/

West Midlands Faith Alliance violence prevention strategy

During Inter Faith Week, the West Midlands Faith Alliance, launched a three-year strategy to understand and prevent violence. It is the first regional network of its kind in the UK. At the launch event at the Nishkam Centre in Birmingham, the Alliance said its plan was to “make tangible and positive differences to the lives of young people and communities in the West Midlands and to contribute towards an overall reduction in violence across the region”.  The strategy can be found at https://westmidlands-vrp.org/faith-and-communities/faith-alliance.

London Violence Reduction Unit Multi Faith Network

The London Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has set up a new Multi Faith Network.  The Network, which is working with faith leaders and faith organisations across London on how faith communities can work in partnership with the VRU and others across the city in supporting young people affected by violence, was launched during Inter Faith Week. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/london-s-violence-reduction-unit_interfaithweek-activity-7131299465138728960-iF-0

Welwyn Hatfield Faith Covenant

A number of local authorities in the UK have developed and signed 'faith covenants' with faith groups in their areas. The latest to do so is Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. https://one.welhat.gov.uk/news/article/135/welwyn-hatfield-borough-council-adopts-faith-covenant Faith Covenants were established in 2014 by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society to facilitate partnership working between local authorities and faith groups.  The Covenants are used as a tool to develop activity around uniting communities to better serve their residents.  More information is at  https://www.faithaction.net/working-with-you/appg-on-faith-and-society/.

Councils marking religious festivals

A number of local authorities in the UK, such as Leeds City Council, have programmes to mark a range of religious and community festivals by lighting up buildings.  Norwich City is an example of a Council which has recently begun a programme to do so.  It began by displaying a Menorah on its City Hall to mark Chanukah and Council officers are exploring how the council should mark Eid and Diwali, amongst other festivals. https://www.norwich.gov.uk/news/article/684/city_of_tolerance_and_diversity_to_mark_a_wider_range_of_festivities

Leicester Council of Faiths Cancer and Faith project

Leicester Council of Faiths, in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, has launched a new Cancer and Faith project. https://www.lcof.org.uk/our-work/ During 2024 it will be running listening events for faith communities and creating Cancer and Faith support networks. During the project they will be engaging, with and listening to faith communities, learning more about the barriers they face in respect of cancer, and feeding back to Macmillan Cancer Support to enable them to develop their provision for faith communities. As part of this it has launched a Cancer & Faith WhatsApp group. https://twitter.com/counciloffaiths/status/1736707632612659633

St Ethelburga’s Lifelines project

St Ethelburga’s has begun a new Lifelines project. 20 leaders from a diversity of faiths and backgrounds have been taught the skills to lead a volunteer group from their own community to plant hedgerows and woodland on a UK farm. Throughout the winter months, these leaders will be joined by group leaders trained last year. In total 30 different groups will plant another 20,000 trees by March 2024. https://stethelburgas.org/projects/lifelines/  

Interfaith Retreat to Holy Isle

Interfaith Scotland will be hosting a retreat to Holy Isle off the island of Arran, in May. It is open to people of all faiths and none who are interested in finding out about the lived experience of people of different faiths, philosophies and spiritual practices. There will be opportunities to try out some creative expressions of spirituality such as walking meditation, art, singing together and a reflective walk to the cave of St Molaise and the Tibetan Buddhist deities carved into the rocks.  For more information, visit https://www.holyisle.org/courses/other/view/interfaith-retreat.

Religious festivals

IFN includes religious festival dates on its website by kind permission of the Shap Calendar Group. The dates for 2024 have been made available by Shap and are now on the IFN website at https://www.interfaith.org.uk/resources/religious-festivals.

In March 2017 the IFN Faith Communities Forum agreed a document setting out two festivals from each community on which greetings from those of other faiths and none would be particularly appreciated.  The document includes greetings agreed by each community. The latest version with the 2024 dates for the chosen festivals has been cleared with FCF members and is also now on the IFN website at https://www.interfaith.org.uk/resources/faith-festivals-guidance-on-sending-greetings. 

HMD Get Involved guides

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place on 27 January each year. It is a “time for everyone to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust, under Nazi Persecution and in the genocides which followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur”.   The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has produced a number of guides for getting taking part in HMD.  The guide for faith and inter faith groups can be found at https://www.hmd.org.uk/resource/your-faith-interfaith-group-and-holocaust-memorial-day.

Home Office faith security training

The Home Office has announced the launch of piloting for the Faith Security Training project. This is a new course developed by the Home Office, in consultation with experts from security and policing partners, that will be a free learning resource for faith communities, with the aim of raising awareness of security risks and how to respond to them. The Home Office has been piloting face-to-face delivery sessions with members of faith communities, particularly people in positions of leadership or responsibility for security at places of worship, to provide feedback on the content and delivery. For more information, email FaithSecurityBooking@cdsds.uk.

The Inter Faith Network for the UK - Volunteers

The Inter Faith Network for the UK currently has an opportunity for online volunteers with good desk research and writing skills who would like to offer 4-8 hours a week to help on different aspects of IFN’s work to promote inter faith understanding and cooperation in the UK.  To express an interest in volunteering, please complete the application form at https://www.interfaith.org.uk/involved/vacancies/volunteering.

Faith & Belief Forum - Volunteers

The Faith & Belief Forum has opportunities for volunteers from different backgrounds to take part in its ‘Encountering Faiths and Beliefs’ workshops for schools. More information is at https://faithbeliefforum.org/about/careers/volunteer-speaker-programme/.

St Ethelburga’s Centre - Volunteers

The St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace currently has a number of volunteer roles available, from fundraising and communications internships to garden volunteers. More information is at  https://stethelburgas.org/get-involved/vacancies-and-volunteering/.

King Charles III Charitable Fund

The King Charles III Charitable Fund has a small grants programme for UK registered non-profit organisations supporting grassroots projects in diverse and deprived communities. The next round of applications opens in January. https://www.kccf.org.uk/grantmaking/ 

UK Government Find a Grant programme

The UK Government’s Find a Grant programme currently includes 53 grant schemes and can be found at https://www.find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/

Funding websites

My Funding Central is a database of grant funding and social investment sources. This service is free for organisations where annual turnover is under £30k. https://www.myfundingcentral.co.uk/ Websites providing information on funding opportunities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can be found at
Funding Scotland - https://funding.scot/,
Funding Wales - https://funding.cymru/ and Grant Tracker for Northern Ireland - https://www.grant-tracker.org/.

FCC Community Action Fund

The FCC Communities Foundation is offering grants between £2,000 and £100,000 for projects which involve the provision, maintenance or improvement of public amenities including community spaces in places of worship, which are registered charities.   Projects must be based within 10 miles of an eligible FCC Environment waste facility.  The next round closes on 28 February. https://fcccommunitiesfoundation.org.uk/funds/fcc-community-action-fund

Special Weeks/Days/Months

The Great Winter Get Together will be from 12 to 15 January.  This is a project of the Jo Cox Foundation. https://www.greatgettogether.org/winter.

Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on 27 January.  Its theme in 2024 is ‘Fragility of Freedom’. https://www.hmd.org.uk/  

World Interfaith Harmony Week takes place from 1 to 7 February.  It is a UN recognised Week which was proposed to the UN General Assembly by HM King Abdullah of Jordan.   https://worldinterfaithharmonyweek.com/  

International Women’s Day falls on 8 March. The theme for 2024 is #InspireInclusion. Many faith and inter faith bodies mark the day.  https://www.internationalwomensday.com/ 

Great British Spring Clean Keep Britain Tidy runs an annual Great British Spring Clean campaign, which in 2024 will run from Friday 15 March to Sunday 31 March.  Every year lots of faith and inter faith groups take part.  https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/get-involved/support-our-campaigns/great-british-spring-clean

The Big Lunch will be taking place from 1 to 2 June.  Across the years millions of people from different backgrounds have joined together to take part through street parties, BBQs, iftars and picnics. https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/get-involved   

Refugee Week will take place from Monday 17 to Sunday 23 June. Refugee Week is a nationwide programme of arts, cultural and educational events that celebrate the contribution of refugees to the UK, and encourages a better understanding between communities.  The theme for the 2024 Week is ‘Our Home’.  https://refugeeweek.org.uk/   

Fairtrade Fortnight will be moving to September next year as part of its year-long 30th anniversary celebrations.  It will be held from Monday 9 to Sunday 22 September. Many places of worship take part each year. https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/get-involved/current-campaigns/fairtrade-fortnight/ 

Diary Dates

A few examples of forthcoming events are listed below.  They are virtual, except where noted.  

In addition to the examples below, IFN carries inter faith activity listings on its website at https://www.interfaith.org.uk/involved/events.

Bedford Council of Faiths  is holding an online gathering to say prayers for peace, as part of the Solstice Peace Project, at 7.30pm on Friday 22 December.  Participants are invited to share a short prayer, poem or thoughts for world peace, if they so wish when asked by the moderator. Participants are also invited to place a candle in their window on December 22nd. For more information, email bedfordcounciloffaiths@gmail.com. 

Council of Christians and Jews Manchester branch is holding its next event on Monday 5 February. The topic will be ‘Jewish Christian relations since the Second World War: A miracle in our lifetime?’ and the speakers will be Sister Teresa Brittain NDS, Revd Canon Steve Williams and David Arnold MBE.  It is being held at 7.30pm. To register, visit https://bit.ly/JewishChristianManchester.

Hillingdon Interfaith Community will be holding an event on Monday 10 January. This will be an Interfaith Leaders' Visit to the Mayor’s Parlour with a tour of the Council Assembly Room.  It is being held from 2pm to 3.30pm. Spaces are limited. To book, email hillingdoninterfaithcommunity@gmail.com.

Northamptonshire Inter Faith Forum is holding a Health and Wellbeing Workshop on Saturday 13 January.  There will be yoga and meditation, reiki crystal healing, a sound bath, refreshments and much more. It is being held from 11am to 3pm at SCCYC Waterside, 35-37 St James Mill Road, Northampton NN5 5JW.  For more information, email pukhelen4@gmail.com.

The Muslim Jewish Forum of Greater Manchester is holding its annual Kosher Meal on Sunday 14 January. It will be held at 6.30pm for 7pm at Celia's Kitchen, 7 King's Rd, Prestwich, Manchester M25 0LE. Participants must book in advance. For more information, visit https://www.muslimjewish.org.uk/Future_events.html.

Interfaith Scotland is co-hosting the Annual Holocaust Memorial Day Concert, in partnership with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Glasgow City Council on Wednesday 24 January. The concert will feature young performers from the Royal Conservatoire, Glasgow schools and special guest performers from Turin.  It is being held at 6pm at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow. For more information and to book, visit https://www.rcs.ac.uk/box-office/performance/book/435606/.

The SAFE programme (Security Advice for Everyone) is a programme of the Community Security Trust.  SAFE shares CST’s security knowledge with groups outside the Jewish community that are vulnerable to violence, extremism or hate crime.  Information about its upcoming free webinars can be found here.  Its next webinar on basic security is at 2pm on Wednesday 17 January and on hate crime is at 2pm on Thursday 25 January.

Interfaith Scotland is holding the next in its series of Interfaith Interactions on Tuesday 6 February. The theme of Pilgrimage will be explored by Dr Dorothea Christiana, Sunna Kaleem and Nicola Maule.  It is being held from 7pm to 8.30pm. For more information, and to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/interfaith-interactions-pilgrimage-tickets-726146693307.

Camden Interfaith Network is holding its next meeting on Wednesday 7 February. The meeting will be exploring the theme of children and young people and the role of faith organisations in engaging youth interfaith.  It is being held at 5.30pm at Hampstead Synagogue, 1 Dennington Park Road, NW6 1AX.  For more information, email faith@camden.gov.uk.

The Faith & Belief Forum and LSE Faith Centre are hosting the 2024 Youth Interfaith Summit on Thursday 8 February. The key topics will be: Climate, Intersectionality, and Faith Identity; Communication and Climate Change; Youth Influence on Climate Policy; Legacies of Colonialism, Land, and Faith. It is being held from 6pm to 9pm at LSE Centre Building (CBG), Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE. For more information and to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/youth-interfaith-summit-2024-faith-and-climate-for-a-sustainable-future-tickets-773019541257.

More information on events and projects in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales:

Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum:  www.niinterfaithforum.org

Interfaith Scotland:  www.interfaithscotland.org

Inter-faith Council for Wales:  https://www.interfaithcouncilwales.cymru/

IFN also carries news and information at www.twitter.com/IFNetUK www.facebook.com/IFNetUK and, about Inter Faith Week, at https://twitter.com/IFweek and www.facebook.com/IFWeek.