As the debate about faith in public life continues to gather momentum, the Faithworks Awards have celebrated the transforming contribution that projects motivated by Christian faith are making to communities across the UK, at a ceremony in the House of Commons last Tuesday (November 7th).

The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP and Gary Streeter MP hosted the Awards. In opening, Stephen Timms said the work of the shortlisted projects was making a real difference to their communities, and showed the huge importance of faith in the public arena:

”What we’re seeing is a new social movement, whose significance we haven’t yet fully understood. It’s one of the most fascinating developments of our time. What’s happening is that people who wrote off faith years ago are now being somewhat startled to discover that some of the most influential ideas and projects are now coming out of the faith communities.”

The three recipients are all Christian-motivated projects, working on the ground in their communities, reaching needs that no one else does, demonstrating excellence and innovation in their work. All rely heavily on the contribution of volunteers. They are:

Open Door - Tyneside: Recipient of the Spring Harvest Award for New Projects
This church-founded project is seeking to eradicate the need for failed asylum seekers to sleep outdoors in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Beachy Head Chaplaincy Team, Eastbourne: Recipient of the Spring Harvest Award for Developing Projects
This Chaplaincy team is an integral part of the emergency services’ response to suicide attempts at Beachy Head.

Barnabas Workshops, Ilford, Essex: Recipient of the Congregational Award for Excellence
This project offers basic skills training, and job search information and advice, to equip people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the skills and confidence to succeed in a competitive job market.

Robina Rafferty MBE, former Chairman of Housing Justice also received a Faithworks Lifetime Achievement Award. Rafferty, who retired earlier this year, was honoured for her unstinting dedication to issues of housing and homelessness in the UK over a 30-year career.

In a keynote address, the former Chief Executive of the Refugee Council, Maeve Sherlock, paid tribute to the very distinctive contribution Christian groups are making to society:

”You can change individuals but changing the world takes time. Church projects are in it for the long haul, day in, day out, because people need it. I’m hugely inspired by that,” she said. “When the report Faithful Cities was published, the church was criticised for wading into politics by talking about asylum. But that report showed that people had gone into communities, on the ground, and asked: what is happening? Who is no one else reaching?
“You are reaching people that no one else can or will reach. That’s the kind of witness they will hold in their hearts.”

She also thanked Faithworks for its work in developing independent standards that could help give the public confidence that faith-motivated groups receiving public money could be trusted to deliver services in professional and non-discriminatory ways.

Malcolm Duncan, leader of the Faithworks Movement, said the challenge for Christian groups was now to help government and the public at large to understand the positive contribution that faith makes to society:

”Authentic Christian engagement in British society can never be oppressive, exclusive, conditional or violent. We cannot barter our services, threaten our withdrawal, or insinuate that we will become violent with either our words or our actions. Instead, we must always reflect the commitments and example of Christ, who served unconditionally, was clear about his identity, and committed to the service and wellbeing and others…

“The challenge as we move forward is for the Government to understand the issues around faith and identity more fully… Faith identity is not just about what we wear or do not wear, it is also about how we relate to the world and the values and ethos that motivate us.

“The challenge for churches and Christian projects is to work out our own contribution to partnership. We must be servant-hearted, confident of our own identity, and ready to both engage with others and embrace those who are different. We can build a better world, but we are not the only answer, we are part of the answer.”

More than 260 projects from across the UK applied for the prestigious awards, sponsored by Spring Harvest and Congregational & General Insurance, which bring a grant of £5000 along with consultancy and support from Faithworks. Shortlisted projects included counselling services, community centres, education initiatives, projects aimed at tackling rural or urban exclusion, and services for refugees, homeless people or the bereaved.