In the light of recent events, faith’s potential to make a positive contribution to public life has been placed under intense scrutiny.  However, ‘Faithworks: Stories of Hope’ declares that faith groups are making a transforming contribution to local communities across Britain.  This engaging book demonstrates that faith-based projects, working in partnership with statutory agencies, can deliver welfare that works, and even in areas of religious division and racial conflict from Bradford to Belfast, faith can be a force for good.

Faithworks: Stories of Hope, written by Rev Tom Jackson, a vicar and community worker in London, and Faithworks Founder Steve Chalke, describes how eight churches from across the UK have put their faith into practice.  These congregations have worked with people from other religious communities to find creative ways of helping those struggling with intractable social issues ranging from debt and domestic violence, to homelessness and unemployment.

The launch, hosted by Andy Reed MP, and attended by a Government Minister and MPs from all major parties, included an interview with Rev Paul Hackwood, Manager of the Thornbury Centre in Bradford, which is featured in the book.  The work of the Thornbury Centre has been acclaimed by statutory agencies and Muslim leaders as ‘good news’ for members of all faiths in a needy community. The Thornbury Centre is situated in an area of Bradford that is 80% Muslim-populated, and people of all faiths and none benefit from its facilities, which include Home Start programmes, a library, arts facilities and training for the unemployed. During his interview, Paul Hackwood echoed recent calls from both the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prince of Wales for Christians and Muslims to overcome any racial or religious intolerance and to work together for the good of the neighbourhoods that they share.

Since its launch in February 2001 Faithworks has made great progress, securing cross-party support and substantive changes to government policy:

• The Faithworks Declaration gathered over 75,000 signatures calling for a level playing field between faith-based and secular community projects.
• The Government is about to endorse new guidelines that equip local councils to partner faith groups.
• Easier, less bureaucratic access to Government Funds for church community projects and improved communication between churches and government.

As it looks to the future, Faithworks is drawing together a broadly based Movement of Christian agencies and Denominations, which will equip churches to put their faith into practice. It is hoped that ‘Faithworks: Stories of Hope’ will inspire and equip thousands more churches to increase their community work and to foster social inclusion across religious and social divides.