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Southend-on-Sea Faith and Belief Network
Who are we?
Members of the network are representatives of the local faith and belief congregations, groups, and projects, Southend City Council staff, and representatives from partner agencies we have over 100 subscribers to our page getting regular news from the Faith community and communications from Southend City Council, NHS, 3rd sector organizations and invitations to our monthly meetings organizations subscribe to keep informed.
What do we do?
We bring together faith groups and public services committed to
pro-actively build relationships and trust between faith groups and public services
creating opportunities to raise awareness and share learning and knowledge between different faithcommunities, and within the public services
seeking opportunities to bring people together to serve the community, particularly the mostdisadvantaged
We meet monthly to share good practice, hear from invited speakers and support each other in activities which support the above commitments.
Content
On this page there is a wide range of resources for faith groups, from funding opportunities specifically for the faith community, to community initiatives, events, links to useful information as well as news relevant to the faith community feel free to add your event, your place of worship into our map and subscribe to join our monthly meetings and get our newsletters.
News : The latest information for Faith and Belief groups.
Have your say! : Tell us your views, surveys, and funding applications!
Map : Add your place of worship and contact details, other can use this information to reach out, find out where you are or worship!
Events : Subscribers can add their events and invite others.
Who can join?
The network is open to faith and belief leaders, congregational members, community leaders, projects members inspired by their faith and beliefs and professionals and agencies wanting to supporting the network’s aims and objectives.
Background story
The council has a long history of working with the diverse faith and belief community in Southend which is making an immense contribution to the wellbeing of residents in Southend. They provide spiritual guidance and also get involved in serving the most disadvantaged in Southend, from food, housing and employment based activities, through to using their assets to host play groups, sports clubs and social and community events.
The Southend Interfaith Working Group was set up to support this work but when the when the pandemic started in 2020 we had to engage with as many people as we could in a short space of time. The more agile and peer-based Southend Faith and Belief Network was born out of this with weekly then monthly meetings. It proved againthe role our faith and belief communities playas an invaluable source of support to the residents of Southend, from sharing messages to congregations, assisting with covid testing and vaccinations, supporting vulnerable families in need and generally ensuring that people have felt less isolated and more valued.
The work of Southend’s Faith and Belief Network has naturally evolved since then. The members have been meeting monthly to discuss issues such as safety compliance, the health and wellbeing of community members, support for the Afghanistan and Ukrainian families in Southend on Sea, where they have been able to support their community needs and have generally been getting involved in projects happening across the City as well as working solidly to support their own congregations.
The tragic events related to the death of Sir David Amess in 2021 brought us together as a network with ideas such as the 1000 Conversations, the 2022 Unite in the Light event at the Cliffs Pavilions (23 plus congregations represented) and Eid in the Park with over 4k residents attending. We come together many times as a group, to be a powerful, united voice and group and the Southend City Council joined the Essex Faith Covenant.
In 2023 the network followed through with Unite in Light: One Planet event bringing together congregations to showcase how they look after the environment informed by their faith and belief.
The network keeps on growing and sharing ideas so please do reach out to find out more by emailing:
Members of the network are representatives of the local faith and belief congregations, groups, and projects, Southend City Council staff, and representatives from partner agencies we have over 100 subscribers to our page getting regular news from the Faith community and communications from Southend City Council, NHS, 3rd sector organizations and invitations to our monthly meetings organizations subscribe to keep informed.
What do we do?
We bring together faith groups and public services committed to
pro-actively build relationships and trust between faith groups and public services
creating opportunities to raise awareness and share learning and knowledge between different faithcommunities, and within the public services
seeking opportunities to bring people together to serve the community, particularly the mostdisadvantaged
We meet monthly to share good practice, hear from invited speakers and support each other in activities which support the above commitments.
Content
On this page there is a wide range of resources for faith groups, from funding opportunities specifically for the faith community, to community initiatives, events, links to useful information as well as news relevant to the faith community feel free to add your event, your place of worship into our map and subscribe to join our monthly meetings and get our newsletters.
News : The latest information for Faith and Belief groups.
Have your say! : Tell us your views, surveys, and funding applications!
Map : Add your place of worship and contact details, other can use this information to reach out, find out where you are or worship!
Events : Subscribers can add their events and invite others.
Who can join?
The network is open to faith and belief leaders, congregational members, community leaders, projects members inspired by their faith and beliefs and professionals and agencies wanting to supporting the network’s aims and objectives.
Background story
The council has a long history of working with the diverse faith and belief community in Southend which is making an immense contribution to the wellbeing of residents in Southend. They provide spiritual guidance and also get involved in serving the most disadvantaged in Southend, from food, housing and employment based activities, through to using their assets to host play groups, sports clubs and social and community events.
The Southend Interfaith Working Group was set up to support this work but when the when the pandemic started in 2020 we had to engage with as many people as we could in a short space of time. The more agile and peer-based Southend Faith and Belief Network was born out of this with weekly then monthly meetings. It proved againthe role our faith and belief communities playas an invaluable source of support to the residents of Southend, from sharing messages to congregations, assisting with covid testing and vaccinations, supporting vulnerable families in need and generally ensuring that people have felt less isolated and more valued.
The work of Southend’s Faith and Belief Network has naturally evolved since then. The members have been meeting monthly to discuss issues such as safety compliance, the health and wellbeing of community members, support for the Afghanistan and Ukrainian families in Southend on Sea, where they have been able to support their community needs and have generally been getting involved in projects happening across the City as well as working solidly to support their own congregations.
The tragic events related to the death of Sir David Amess in 2021 brought us together as a network with ideas such as the 1000 Conversations, the 2022 Unite in the Light event at the Cliffs Pavilions (23 plus congregations represented) and Eid in the Park with over 4k residents attending. We come together many times as a group, to be a powerful, united voice and group and the Southend City Council joined the Essex Faith Covenant.
In 2023 the network followed through with Unite in Light: One Planet event bringing together congregations to showcase how they look after the environment informed by their faith and belief.
The network keeps on growing and sharing ideas so please do reach out to find out more by emailing:
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CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
'Unite in Light One Planet' event takes place on Sunday
Wednesday 12 April 2023
The Faith and Belief Network event 'Unite in Light One Planet' will take place on Sunday 16th April from 2-5pm at the Park Inn Palace in Southend-on-Sea.
The “Unite in Light One Planet” celebrates how faith groups respond to and look after the wonderful gift of our planet, especially now during our current climate change challenges. The lead that faith communities take over is an important task, and provides hope and light for our communities in the future.
People from our diverse faith communities will be sharing their hopes, thoughts, and scriptures during the event.
The event has been organised by Southend-on-Sea Belief and Faith Network in partnership with Citizens Essex and Southend-on-Sea City Council.
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Have you wanted to get involved with the teaching of religion in your child’s school, but didn’t know how to go about it? Or perhaps you’re a teacher or subject lead who wants to involve community groups in the teaching of Religion and Worldviews in your school, but you’re unsure how to approach the conversation – or you’re looking to reduce parent withdrawals.
We have an opportunity locally, to work with local schools and faith leaders are you interested ? Are you a faith leader wanting to engage with Local Schools are you a school ? or a parent to find out more please email mariamedina@southend.gov.uk
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Unite in light 2022 was voted one of your favourite moments from 2022, as a result you voted in our strategy day to have another event this year and so on
The elected theme, for 2023 is around One Planet, this gift we have been chosen to look after, scripturally or practically this is our gift to preserve for future generations.
We are looking at hosting together an event in the Cliffs Pavilions as per last year to be an opening event, where we can, both rejoice having this wonderful gift and our responsibility to look after it or practically what do we do? or intent to do? to help look after it.
We are now currently meeting to plan our opening event this April and this to be a launched as the first of many events through out the year. Where you can take part of in your Church, Mosques, Synagogues, place of worship or thinking spaces, where in your community, we can plant, grown, and support this wonderful work.
Recycle, plant a tree or re-love or upcycle and item all we do to support our work be sustainable and long lasting.
If you are interested in been part of the event an speak about this gift scripturally or practically at the launch event, or if you are interested in been part other events in the year, do you have an idea or initiative we can join in? do you want to plant a tree? start a community allotment, have bicycle repairs in your place of worship or become a ECO church, mosque, synagogue, temple or other.
Please contact us in 01702 212 704 or email mariamedina@southend.gov.uk To find out more and get involved, subscribe to this page and attend our meeting please see key dates to be updated.
Share News / Youth Interfaith Summit unites young people to tackle climate change
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Youth Interfaith Summit unites young people to tackle climate change link
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
A youth-run summit in London this month brought young people from different faith backgrounds together to tackle the issue of climate change.
The Youth Interfaith Summit, on 6 February 2023 at The London School of Economics (LSE) brought some 200 people together from many different faith and belief groups, uniting people across differences to create a movement for positive change. The summit, which coincided with UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, was organised by the Faith & Belief Forum’s Youth Council. The Youth Interfaith Summit moved the discussion around tackling climate change away from an individualist perspective and towards a focus on community and collective action. In the words of the organisers, the summit shows how climate change can’t be a reason for communities to become divided, but instead we must unite to make change.
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Who We Are: We are a group of faith-rooted individuals who have a desire to learn and practice Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) as we engage with our local communities. (Members of this community could be staff, clergy, agency directors, volunteers - whomever has been called to lead and inspire others as they work with their local communities.)
Our Core Values: As an ABCD Community of Practice we will strive to embody the shared principles defined by the international ABCD community, which can be found here.
Our Purpose: To gather people of faith communities, working in the areas of mercy, justice, and community development, to learn from, network with, and share stories, experiences, tools and challenges with one another. Our hope is this is an opportunity to build on the assets in our neighborhoods and communities, addressing shared or recurring challenges and how we turn them into opportunities.
MEMBER BENEFITS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
This Community of Practice is committed to supporting one another by creating a space that is:
Participatory: ABCD doesn't happen if you're doing work for someone or to someone; authentic community building occurs when we do our work with one another. This CoP will strive to create a space for mutual exchange. There are no “experts”, only peers. This is not a webinar series.
Co-Created: Participants will co-create the content by sharing their knowledge, skills, ideas, tools, techniques, resources and provide feedback and suggestions to other participants.
A Networking Opportunity: Facilitators will provide networking opportunities with the opportunity to make connections and build deeper relationships outside the group if so desired.
On-going Learning: Focused on ongoing dialogue and learning rather than the production of an end product.
NETWORK FACILITATION:
This group is sponsored by the ABCD Institute and co-hosted by World Renew, Episcopal Relief & Development and Embrace Communities.
If you have questions or would like more information about the Faith-Rooted ABCD Community of Practice, please email Jodi Koeman at jkoeman@worldrenew.net or Sean McConnell at smcconnell@episcopalrelief.org with the subject line: "Faith-rooted ABCD COP”
This community of practice meets bi-monthly on the 4th Tuesday of even months at 2pm EST.
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Southend-on-Sea City Council pledges support to the Essex Faith Covenant
Southend-on-Sea City Council has pledged its support to the Essex Faith Covenant (EFC).
Launched in October 2017, the EFC is part of a national initiative to encourage faith and community groups and public services to collaborate more closely in the care and provision for residents, especially those who are vulnerable, and to strengthen community cohesion.
Cllr Stephen George, leader of the council, said: “Southend is an inclusive and welcoming city. By pledging our support to the Essex Faith Covenant, the council is building on its existing work with the 70-member strong Southend Faith and Belief Network. The network supports multiple collaborations in areas such as homelessness, combating loneliness and poverty, COVID response and very successful events that have brought our diverse communities together such as Unite in Light and Eid in the Park.
“We are joining regional partners that have pledged to follow a joint vision that together we are stronger, and we recognise and value the benefits of diversity and inclusiveness in our city, where people from different backgrounds are valued and get on well together.”
Rob Polkinghorne, chief executive of the council, added: “The council’s equality objectives were reviewed earlier this year in consultation with residents and partner organisations and some of the most important issues identified were mental health and racial equality.
“We have witnessed the benefits that social cohesion can bring to underrepresented groups including those from disadvantaged communities, people with mental health issues and disabilities. We will work to bring equality, diversity and inclusion issues into sharper focus and seek out improvements to our services and work environment, and working with the Essex Faith Covenant will be an important part of the process.”
The Rev. Canon Ivor Moody, chair of the Essex Faith Covenant steering group, said: “I am delighted Southend-on-Sea City Council has pledged its support for the Essex Faith Covenant. This will greatly increase the scope and possibilities for the covenant.
“Since its launch many public services, organisations and faith groups have signed up to the covenant and begun real collaboration on various community projects to share ideas, resources, and training.
“This means that more people in Southend and across Essex, including minority groups, are having their voices heard and better services provided for them. An example being the early stages of development of an Essex Mind and Spirit Cluster Group in Southend looking at the connection between spirituality and wellbeing.”
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Unite in Light
The “Unite in Light” event, which is a celebration of hope and light for our City year, saw people gather from Southend’s diverse faith communities at the Maritime Room, Cliffs Pavilion, to share their hopes for the City of Southend and explore what light symbolises in their faith. The event is supported by Southend.City, Citizens Essex and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council.
Additional photos can be found here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/southendbc/albums/72177720296870199/with/51897455880
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Eid in the Park
Eid in the Park first of his kind open event at Garon Park.
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Unite in Light 2024: One Planet
The second UiL event bringing together local groups and congregations. This time they shared how they look after the environment inspired by their belief and faith.
nted to get involved with the teaching of religion in your child’s school, but didn’t know how to go about it? Or perhaps you’re a teacher or subject lead who wants to involve community groups in the teaching of Religion and Worldviews in your school, but you’re unsure how to approach the conversation – or you’re looking to reduce parent withdrawals.
