Houses of Parliament Press Briefing
Faithworks hosted a press briefing in the Houses of Parliament in October 2005, where a '6 Point Plan to Developing a Better Understanding of Faith in Society' was presented to Government Minister Stephen Timms MP. The briefing aimed to address the prevalent fear and confusion surrounding the involvement of people of faith in areas such as politics, education and public services. Click here to download a copy of the 6 Point Plan.

The Faithworks Lectures
As part of the 2004-5 Building Trust campaign, Faithworks hosted a series of lectures in the run-up to the General Election. These events provided an opportunity for Tony Blair, Michael Howard and Charles Kennedy to address the Church about the subject of how churches and other faith groups can build trust within society as well as providing Christian leaders with an opportunity to put their questions to the party leaders ahead of the election. The three lectures were webcast live from www.faithworks.info. Click here to read more and view the speeches in full.

Government Office for London
The Government Office for London recently commissioned Faithworks to map the community work of different faith groups in London, helping them to identify the capacity and resource needs of these organisations. Click here to download a copy of this report.

Civil renewal consultation
As part of the Home Office’s Civil Renewal Consultation, Faithworks hosted a one-day conference in Birmingham in March 2004 to examine how faith groups could contribute to civil renewal in the UK. Representatives from churches and other faith groups took part in the consultation, which formed part of the government’s review of support offered to faith groups and other groups involved in community development. Download the executive summary from the right hand panel.

‘Releasing the Resources of the Faith Sector’
In November 2003, Faithworks presented the ‘Releasing the Resources of the Faith Sector’ report to the Prime Minister’s envoy to faith communities, John Battle MP. The report outlines the potential for faith groups to form partnerships with the government for the purpose of delivering local services, also highlighting the many benefits that faith groups bring to society and specifically to community development. The report was read  by John Battle MP and passed on to the Home Office Faith Communities Unit, where it was reviewed by several civil servants and Government ministers.

Futurebuilders
In Summer 2003, Faithworks submitted its response to the Government’s Futurebuilders consultation. Faithworks is directly involved as one of the supporter organisations of this £125m fund, with a specific interest in helping faith-based organisations get involved in accessing funding to enable them to deliver public services.

Easier access to government grants
Aware that faith groups were struggling to access government funding for their community projects, Faithworks undertook a concerted lobbying effort of Government ministers on this issue. Following representations from Faithworks, The Home Office unveiled a website in July 2002, www.volcomgrants.co.uk, which makes it easier for churches and community groups to access government grants and funding with a single application form.

Keep the Faith campaign
In February 2002, Faithworks launched the ‘Keep the Faith’ campaign as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure that the new employment legislation did not undermine the community work of churches and Christian organisations.

Meetings with representatives from the DTI and the Home Office accompanied the campaign, which culminated in the presentation of a 17,000 strong petition to the DTI in March 2003. Faithworks continued to meet with civil servants and Government ministers in the lead-up to the introduction of the legislation in December 2003, ensuring that the legislation would allow some flexibility for religious employers to employ people from the faith base of their organisation.

Local government guidelines
In February 2002, the Local Government Association issued guidelines to local authorities on how to promote better relationships with churches. ‘Faith and the Community: A Good Practice Guide’ took on board several recommendations from Faithworks on how local authorities can work more closely with churches and other faith groups. A copy of this guide can be downloaded from the right-hand panel.

Faithworks campaign
In January 2001, the Faithworks Campaign was launched by the Oasis Trust to encourage Government to recognise the vital contribution that faith groups make in delivering public services and to ensure that these groups are not discriminated against when applying for government funding. After several meetings with high-profile politicians including Tony Blair, William Hague, Charles Kennedy and Gordon Brown, the campaign concluded with the submission of a 75,000 strong petition to No. 10 Downing Street.