As leaders such as Matthew Ashimolowo of Kingsway International Christian Centre stated at their recent meeting with Rev Chalke, “Faith-based organisations are the heartbeat of our community. There is a need for recognition of what these charities are doing and a deeper understanding of the fact that a robust regeneration of British communities will only take place if these organisations are active participants in the process.”  

Churches and centres of worship are often the first port of call for many members of Britain’s minority communities and a survey of over 3,000 churches commissioned by the Faithworks Campaign revealed that:

• 90% of UK Churches across all denominations run practical projects to help their community. These projects range from drug rehabilitation programmes to play schemes and parenting classes.
• One in five of all churches (and 28% of black-majority churches), that provide community projects feel that they have been excluded from government funding or support because of their specifically Christian basis.
• 86% of churches say that they would run more projects aimed at helping the local community if increased government help were available.

Faithworks has met with the leaders of all three main political parties and Chancellor Gordon Brown to ask for more to be done by government to work with these faith communities in tackling the deep-seated social problems which we all face. During these meetings, campaigners have asked for a level playing field for effective and accountable faith-based projects, calling on the government to ensure that such projects in every local authority area can access government funding without having to ‘water down’ the essential faith which motivates what they do.

The Faithworks Campaign has drafted a Declaration which calls on the incoming Government to establish objective funding criteria for government and local authority grants to local community projects, based on best practice and value to the community which do not discriminate against the faith which is vital to the success of the Church’s work. Over 50,000 Christians have already signed it all over the country. Campaigners are eager to gather more signatures before June 19th when the petition will be presented to the Prime Minister by Rev Chalke, The Bishop of London and other church leaders.

“Now is the time for Christians to take action and ensure that their voice is heard in the maelstrom of debate.  Promises and political rhetoric abound, but to ensure that your voice continues to be heard after the hubbub of Hustings, and effective church-based community work is supported without prejudice, sign the Faithworks Declaration and call on politicians to recognise that faith should be an essential
part of any programme for a new Parliament.”
                                        Steve Chalke, Faithworks Founder
        

Hundreds of churches have also used the Faithworks Hustings Guide to help them to organise a meeting where they can quiz their local parliamentary candidates about their attitude to faith-based community work. The Conservative manifesto makes explicit reference to their support for faith-based projects, and Labour and the Liberal Democrats recognise the need to involve the private and voluntary sectors in providing welfare services. This issue could therefore prove to be significant in deciding the votes of many Christians in marginal seats at next week’s election.