At the Welcome Centre this evening, for a meeting of the Council of Faiths Board of Directors. Seven out of the eight member faith communities are represented round the table. I'm able to present a report of my activities since the last of these meetings (14 Sep), as listed below. New readers start here:
EDL/UAF demonstration & counter-demonstration
Attended VCS briefing by Leicester City Council & Leics Constabulary (Thu 23 Sep); organised LCoF contribution to Peace Vigil in Cathedral (Fri 08 Oct); wrote and circulated LCoF statement, in Chair’s name (Fri 08 Oct); acted as “single point of contact” for police and City Council on day of demo (Sat 09 Oct); organised LCoF contribution (stall & personnel) to “Celebrate One Leicester” event, Humberstone Gate (Sun 10 Oct); debriefing for members of Equality and Diversity partnership (Thu 04 Nov).
BBC Radio Leicester
Thu 07 Oct (Ben Jackson Show, recorded input, re pledge in Leicester Cathedral); Mon 11 Oct (Ben Jackson Show, live in studio, re Leicester Speaks); Fri 15 Oct (Ben Jackson Show, recorded input, re “Picnic in the Park”); Wed 01 Dec (Jonathan Lampon Show, live in studio with Dr Allan Hayes of Leicester Secular Society, re national “Not Ashamed” campaign).
Leicester Speaks - AKA Local Democracy Week
Appointed by steering group as Joint Chair (with John Coster of Citizens’ Eye Community News Agency) of this week-long event (Mon 11-Sat 16 Oct), supported by Adult Skills and Learning Service, Leicester City Council. Organised four dialogue meetings for LCoF across the week, involving each of our member faith communities (Jain/Sikh; Baha’i/Christian; Buddhist/Muslim; Hindu/Jewish) as well as planning and hosting other events across the week (particularly public launch in Humberstone Gate). Planning group met Fri 17 Sep; Fri 24 Sep; Fri 01 Oct; Mon 04 Oct; Wed 06 Oct; Fri 08 Oct; Fri 15 Oct.
Centre for Excellence in Community Cohesion
Member of full group and working party for Leicester City Council Chief Exec’s project (met Mon 25 Oct; Tue 30 Nov).
Equality Impact Assessment on effects of Comprehensive Spending Review
Member of group working on this for Leicester City Council (met Thu 04 Nov; Mon 08 Nov; Tue 07 Dec).
Engaging with Faith Communities in Leicester
Continuing involvement with series of booklets, offering guidance for school staff. Started off with team of six doing this, now down to just two of us (met Mon 15 Nov; Mon 06 Dec; Fri 10 Dec).
Inter Faith Week
Organised and co-ordinated whole week of exhibition showcasing all eight member faith communities in Highcross, Sun 21 – Sat 27 Nov). We’re assured that there may have been as many as 500,000 footfalls over the course of the week. More than 50 people from various faith communities (some from none in particular) volunteered to help on the display, giving out material and engaging with members of the public. Highlights included front-page coverage in The Wave (young people’s supplement, 70,000 copies distributed free with Leicester Mercury, Wed 24 Nov) visit to display by Sir Peter Soulsby MP (Thu 25 Nov) and visit by City Councillor Wayne Naylor (Fri 26 Nov). And we’ve already been given tentative consent to do it again in 2011!
NHS Leicester City / Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust
Preparing ground for launch of “Faith Communities Health Champions” project, in context of Service Level Agreement (met with representatives of NHS Leicester City or Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Wed 14 Oct; Thu 21 Oct; Fri 10 Dec).
Other notable activities, events, projects in this period:
Attended Chief Constable’s Inter-Cultural Reception, Police HQ, Enderby (Tue 28 Sep).
Contributed to Leicester Uni Chaplaincy exhibit at International Student Fair (Wed 29 Sep).
Hosted visit to Leicester by Blackpool Inter Faith Forum for Youth (Sat 02, Sun 03 Oct).
Participated in “Together” inter faith family day at Beauchamp College (Sun 03 Oct).
Organised five speakers for Philosophy Panel at St Paul’s RC School (Tue 05 Oct).
Assisted “Sacred Spaces” training, Leicester Cathedral Church House (Wed 06, Thu 07 Oct).
Participated in Action for Children Family Intervention Project Diversity Day, Oak Centre, Braunstone (Fri 22 Oct).
“One Leicester: Faith for the Future” RE conference for gifted & talented children, Holy Trinity Church, Regent Rd (Fri 29 Oct).
Continued involvement in consultation re Certificate in Religious Studies with Leicester Uni Institute of Lifelong Learning (met Thu 04 Nov; Fri 12 Nov).
Launch of Council of Faiths YouTube video channel (Fri 12 Nov).
Contributed to staff inter faith training event, Connexions, Halford House, Charles St (Thu 25 Nov).
Contributed to staff training event, Leicester City Council Adult Skills and Learning Service, Adult Education College, Wellington St (Wed 08 Dec).
Kept up involvement in local networking through involvement with Amplified Leicester, Café Creatif, Community News Café, CreativeCoffee Club, Philosophy in the Pub, To Be Creative and similar opportunities.
No comments:
Post a Comment