SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON FUNDS FOR CHURCH GARDEN

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Setting the record straight on funds for church garden

RJ Bingham ("Why not everything in these gardens is lovely", Mailbox, May 20) is concerned about the Diocese of Leicester's plans for funding Cathedral Gardens.

He wittily suggests that as the wall obstructing views in and out of the Guildhall is currently being reduced, so we also remove the "wall of silence" from the diocese on the whole topic, although the rest of his/her letter seems to contain remarkably few actual questions on which we could be accused of being silent.

What it does contain is a number of inaccurate statements, which I'm glad of the chance to respond to.

Firstly it speaks of the diocese "accepting a £1.9 million grant from the city".

I'm not sure where these figures are supposed to have come from but the fact is that no such "grant" exists.

What is proposed is that the city will undertake work to the adjacent highways that it is responsible for, which is likely to amount to about £1.5 million.

The city's capital programme is there for public works and this is an excellent example of such works that will bring benefit to the whole city and its many and increasing number of visitors – which will, of course, itself bring benefits to the local economy.

The cathedral is looking to raise the balance of the funds needed from grants and benefactors – a significant amount of which has already been pledged.

Then the suggestion is made that by entering into constructive partnership with the city authorities in one area, the Church somehow forgoes the right to be critical of any other aspects of their work.

The truth is that, as a Church, we are always ready both to support those in need – as witness the considerable work already carried out both from St Martin's House and parishes up and down the city and county.

We are also always ready to speak up where there is a proper case to be made. Bishop Tim has been foremost among those challenging the Government cuts which are themselves the background to the changes the city has been forced into in its support for homeless people.

Finally, that old cliché about "the Church's millions" is rolled out.Yes, the diocese has capital assets – though considerably less than many local individuals, for example.

These are held in trust for a wide range of work, mainly for the support of parishes, and are fully put to use for that purpose.

The cathedral, unlike more ancient foundations, has very meagre endowment funds and it's just not true to say it can lay out large sums on a whim.

What it can do – and is doing under the leadership of David Monteith, its new Dean – is offer a generous welcome in God's name to all the people who live in or visit our city and provide a healthy challenge to the dominant story of our age, that money is all and the things of the spirit are of no significance.

We have a story that began in one garden in Eden, passes through another in Gethsemane and ends in a heaven often portrayed as a garden of paradise. It's no surprise we'd like to welcome as many as possible through our own gardens in the years to come – and will gladly partner with whoever shares our vision for the healing of humanity.

Pete Hobson, acting Canon Missioner, Leicester Cathedral

LEICESTER CHILD POVERTY COMMISSION CONFERENCE

This morning I'm at St Martins House, Peacock Lane, where the Leicester Child Poverty Commission conference is taking place in the Grand Hall. I'm glad to see Cllr Manjula Sood, Assistant Mayor with portfolio for Community Involvment, Partnerships and Equalities (and Chair of Leicester Council of Faiths) here today.

This is the second annual event on this topic. The first was held on 25 May 2012 at De Montfort University and was reported in the Leicester Mercury.

Today's conference is opened by Rachel Dickinson (Strategic Director, Children, Leicester City Council) opens the meeting - and chairs the rest of the day.

Cllr Rory Palmer (Deputy City Mayor and Chair of Leicester Child Poverty Commission) welcomes delegates. Here are a few extracts from his letter of welcome included in our packs:

Since last year's conference the Leicester Child Poverty Commission has published 66 recommendations, a number of which have been implemented. Significant work is taking place across the public, private and voluntary sectors to make progress in implementing all of the recommendations. The Commission has continued work with partners to raise awareness of child poverty in the city, to develop new thinking on how to address this challenge and how to monitor the impact of public spending cuts, welfare changes and falling household budgets. Amongst other activities the Commission make a formal response to the Government's consultation on how child poverty should be measured, we held a meeting with businesses and employers to talk about the economic impact of pverty and thge role of the private sector in tackling poverty, and we have worked to ensure child poverty is an issue discussed by other key organisations like the new Health & Wellbeing Board.

The Rt Revd Tim Stevens, Bishop of Leicester, gives the keynote address. I am always impressed by what Bishop Tim has to say on the subject of poverty. He gave the keynote address at the 2012 Annual General Meeting of Leicester Council of Faiths, with the title, "The Recession and its Effects on Inter-Faith Relations". He has been in print on the topic many times and put in a memorable appearance on BBC2's Newsnight in January 2012 where he more than held his own in the face of a rigorous interrogation by Jeremy Paxman about opposition from the Bishops in the House of Lords to the Welfare Reform Bill.

After Bishop Tim's keynote address, we move on to workshop discussion. We're asked to consider the role of communities and organisations in combating child poverty, facilitated by Voluntary Action LeicesterShire. There are two questions to help focus our discussions:

• What practical things can you do to support the recommendations of the Child Poverty Commission?
• What do you need the Child Poverty Commission to do to help you achieve these things?

Themes have been allocated to different groups of tables:

• Early years (five tables)
• Income, personal finance & housing (four tables)
• Health & wellbeing (three tables)
• Economy, work & transport (three tables)
• Policy & governance (two tables)

Our table, at the back of the hall, is shown on the diagram, but it doesn't have a theme allocated to it. I guess ours would be "latecomers" or "nearest the coffee". We're allowed to pick our own theme, so we go for "Early years". I do half an hour on this one (during which we're joined by Dr Katherine Duffy, one of the 11 members of the Leicester Child Poverty Commission). For the second part of this session I move to another table to discuss "Income, personal finance and housing". Then coffee, I'm glad to say.

The workshops prompt a couple more questions that will fit in the Resilience Audit I'll be conducting with places of worship and faith-based community centres in Leicester over the next few months on behalf of the Council of Faiths.

After the break there's a panel on stage, discussing issues surrounding child poverty from their own areas of interest and positive examples of actions taken so far.

• John Willets (Project Director, FareShare Leicester)
• Imran Hussain (Head of Policy, Rights and Advocacy at Child Poverty Action Group)
• Jon Ashworth MP (Labour, Leicester South)
• Catherine Stretton, Head Teacher, Marriot School

Each has the opportunity to speak briefly, then respond to questions from the floor.  This fills an hour of the programme.

Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, makes the closing remarks. I managed to write down a few of the things he said, from a short speech that was both rousing and reflective: "Poverty affects many people in this city in ways which many other people in this city find repulsive. [...] it has sometimes been said that communities in Leicester lead parallel lives - this is true, but not along ethnic, racial or religious lines; in more practical, meaningful terms, this is determined by differing levels of income." If I was able to transcribe faster, I'd have written down more.

Today we heard about a recent study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) that the number of children living in poverty would increase by 50% by 2020. I searched for this online and found an article in the London Evening Standard (7 May 2013) part of which I quote below:

More than one million more children will fall into poverty in the UK by the end of the decade, new research has predicted.

The assessment by the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the projected increase from 2010/11 to 2020/21 will reverse the reductions in child poverty rates witnessed in the previous decade.

As I leave the conference, I reflect on what has more power to change things. You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't have the will, the desire to make a difference, what good can it do. Now that the money that we were all getting used to being available is being taken off the table, we have to fall back on the power of that will and desire. And to judge by what I have heard today, there's plenty of that on tap.

SEEING IS BELIEVING: EXPOSING THEMES FOR DIALOGUE

At St Martins House this evening for a seminar accompanying the display of winners and finalists of the national photographic competition, Faith Through a Lens.

The seminar, entitled Seeing is Believing: Exposing Themes for Dialogue, is led by Revd Canon Dr John Hall, Director of St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society, which is hosting the Faith Through a Lens exhibition (under the title Faith in the Community) for a week here in Leicester.

John walks the group around the exhibition, leading and encouraging discussion and reflection on the twelve photographs in turn and how each of them fits into the three themes of the competition: Moments of Faith; Community Spirit Against the Odds; and A Year of Service.

John explains that this is the third in a series of touring exhibitions that St Philip’s Centre has put on in 2012-13 (one per academic term). The previous two were Religious Tolerance - Islam in the Sultanate of Oman (July 2012) and Multi Faith Spaces (October 2012). The Centre hopes to make this a regular part of its public programme.

In the photo above, Revd Canon Dr John Hall and Maureen Hebblewhite (Centre Manager at St Philip's) are shown with the overall winner of Faith Through a Lens Photography Exhibition 2012, “Brothers in Arms” by Paul Tiller.

I'll pick out a couple of the photos we looked at and talked about this evening.

Ayyam-i-Ha

by Ronnie Bindra

This photo was taken at the National Bahá'í Centre in Knightsbridge during Ayyám-i-Há, a short period that precedes the Bahá'í period of fasting every March. During Ayyám-i-Há, acts of charity, generosity and hospitality are emphasised. In this photo, people of many faiths and traditions are collecting toiletries to distribute to vulnerably homed people as part of a Year of Service project. I spoke about Ayyám-i-Há to the group this evening - and the Fast that follows it and Naw-Rúz that brings the Fast to an end. Perfect timing too, as we were looking at this photo if not right on sunset, as close to it as makes no difference. So I said that it was Bahá'í New Year right now. Everyone was very nice and wished me Happy New Year. Except I realised soon after that I was a day early! I didn't own up though; didn't want to be a buzzkill!

Helping Hands

by Bobbie Cook

This one gave me pause for thought. When I was younger, I hoped I would be the guy on the left, lending a helping hand. Nowadays, I begin to hope that when I'm the guy on the right, someone else will be there to lend me a helping hand!

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

FAITH IN THE COMMUNITY: AN EXHIBITION

All this week at St Martins House, St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society  presents a collection of inspiring images from winners and finalists of Faith Through a Lens, an annual photographic competition attracting entries from all over the UK. Profiling faith in the community, entrants were judged across three categories:

• Moments of Faith
• Community Spirit Against the Odds
• A Year of Service

Judges for the 2012 competition included renowned photo journalist Don McCullin, Minister for Faith and Communities, Baroness Warsi and the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP.

All copy below comes from the exhibition catalogue. All images are the property of  Congregational & General Insurance Company, sponsors of the competition.

Brothers in Arms

by Paul Tiller
OVERALL WINNER

This winning entry was praised by all the judges as an exceptional photograph focusing on two Romanian drug addicts who were helped by a Christian ministry. As an image it has immediate impact and was praised for clearly conveying the message of a moment of faith. It has fantastic use of light and has been closely cropped to create a real intensity in its composition. The New Testament seems almost luminous and there is a sense that the two men are in a world of their own as they read these words from the Bible. The photo was a unanimous favourite amongst the judges, with its compelling subject matter and excellent composition making it a worthy winner indeed.

Alfred's Lunch

by Sarah Phipps

Sarah's photograph was highly praised by the judges for profiling the work of unsung heroes who do so much "behind the scenes" in society. it's a simple act of giving someone a meal, but it's a powerful act nonetheless and portrays a positive community spirit message. It's a photograph that has both warmth and visual interest.

There but for the Grace of God

by Bob Boler

Excellent composition and good tonal balance makes this image stand out. There is a connection between the two people and the expressions on their faces are very well caught. it was judged to be powerful, with a sense of movement and several points of interest around the central characters. It's not just a case of "down and out" or a negative portrayal of homelessness. The photograph clearly portrays a service.

Receive

by Angela Broadberry

Singled out for its clear Eucharistic overtones, this photo was praised by the judges for its quality and tone of light. The composition was well liked there is a softness to the photo and calmness much like a still-life painting. The clarity of the lines on the person's hands gives the photo added character and depth.

Hands of Love

by Jennifer Humphreys

This photo was judged to have a strong composition and was well like by the judges with an overall image that symbolises community and openness. The photo speaks of an openness to receive and the strong bonds that exist between members of faith communities across the UK.

Eyes On Me

by Elija Paul Villanueava

A visually interesting image created through the use of colour. This photograph was praised for having a painting-like appearance, much like a Canaletto. The composition was also highlighted being strong with St Paul's Cathedral central to the image conveying a message of faith.

Love of Faith

by Ravin Mehta

The judges felt that this lively image reflected a positive powerful force. There is good colour balance and the setting of Trafalgar Square, the scene of many gatherings over the years, adds dynamism to the scene.

Interfaith Iftaar

by Riaz Ravat

A strong photograph demonstrating the cohesion in society as represented by many different faith and community groups coming together. It communicates diversity and multi-faith strongly and speaks of community spirit too.

Ayyam-i-Ha

by Ronnie Bindra

There is a great deal of vibrancy and activity within this photograph, with people giving, talking and sharing. This was thought to be a good representation of the category as well as being pleasing to the eye. It has a positive image of everyone working together. [I should add here that this photo was taken at the National Bahá'í Centre in Knightsbridge during Ayyám-i-Há, a short period that precedes the Bahá'í period of fasting every March. During Ayyám-i-Há, acts of charity, generosity and hospitality are emphasised. In this photo, people of many faiths and traditions are collecting toiletries to distribute to vulnerably homed people as part of a Year of Service project. - GMB]

Realisation

by Gary Watson

This was thought to be a nicely composed photograph which captures a poignant moment that speaks about faith. The photographer has chosen to highlight certain elements of the scene with colour which draws attention and invites the viewer to question why?

Hope, Faith & Love

by Kamal Mostofi

The image portrays a very strong and dramatic image depicting uncomfortable subject matter. The central character's face shows the pain that homelessness can bring. The power of this photo comes from its clear and gritty portrayal of humanity, but its clear and gritty portrayal of humanity, but its photographic beauty comes from the fact that there is always hope, even in the midst of despair.

Helping Hands

by Bobbie Cook

This simple almost self explanatory street scene was singled out for its very powerful composition; in particular the figures of the elderly man stooped and walking with crutches in juxtaposition to the young helper. It portrays a sense of humanity and the prospect of hope in humanity and the prospect of hope in society too. This was judged to be an uplifting and poignant image.

Faith in the Community runs till 1200 on Friday 22 March. Revd Dr John Hall, Director of St Philip's Centre, presents Seeing is Believing: Exposing Themes for Dialogue, a reflective seminar discussing  themes of the exhibition's imagery and exploring the possibilities for further inter faith dialogue at 1800 on Tuesday 19 March in The Wycliffe Suite at St Martins House.

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

INAPPROPRIATE USE FOR OUR CATHEDRAL

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Inappropriate use for our cathedral

I write in support of Kevin Fletcher's letter ("Cathedral should not be market", Mailbox, February 23), regarding market traders in Leicester Cathedral.

In November, I e-mailed the cathedral authorities expressing similar concerns but have yet to receive a response.

Whenever I am in town, about once a week, I like to pop into the cathedral, light a candle and have a few quiet moments to say a prayer.

I attempted to do so on Saturday, November 17, and was charged £1 to be admitted.

I was happy to pay because I assumed there was a Christmas fair, or some sort of charitable event taking place.

However, when I got inside I found out this was not the case.

The cathedral had taken on the appearance of a market place and I was told the stall-holders were traders who had paid a fee to be there.

While I appreciate it is good for the Church to reach out to the community, and that revenue obtained by the cathedral from the stall-holders might be put to good use, I feel the atmosphere in the building on that day was inappropriate.

I believe the cathedral has other premises, such as St Martin's House where the event could have been held. I do not expect to have the Cathedral building to myself – and it is nice when the cathedral is full of people.

On November 17, however, it did indeed feel like the sort of place where Jesus would wish to overturn the tables.

I was able to light my candle (for which I made a voluntary contribution, as usual) and say a quick prayer, but I felt very uncomfortable.

I also think it was wrong to be charged to enter the cathedral in these circumstances.

Ann Stones, Leicester

LEICESTER CITY OF SANCTUARY CHRISTMAS PARTY

This afternoon I pop into City of Sanctuary's Christmas party at their Drop-in Centre in Booth Hall, St Martins House. There are around 50 service users, with about half that number of volunteers in attendance.

There's a lot of good food and drink on the table, all made or donated by volunteers, friends and supporters. My personal favourite: Mike's orange oil and almond sponge cake.

There's a friendly supportive atmosphere to this low-key occasion, which is just as it should be, befitting the people and their purpose.

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

A DIVINE INSIGHT INTO CHURCH

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

A divine insight into church

Internet users around the world can now tour Leicester Cathedral's Gothic interior with the simple click of a mouse.

The historic building is one of the first cathedrals to be featured on Google Maps and visitors to the website can see most of the church's grade II*-listed stonework, alter and vibrant stained glass windows, as well as neighbouring St Martin's House.

Web users can even stand on the cathedral's altar for a vicar's-eye-view of the pews, and explore the building's numerous vestibules.

The panoramic images on Google Maps were taken by Leicestershire photographer Chris Jones.

Chris, who captures many photographs of Leicestershire for Google, said: "I think it's a really interesting building to document – especially with the Richard III connection."

He could take images from 30 specific points, or "steps", inside the church, and those are the points from which the Google Maps visitor can view the cathedral's interior.

Chris, who runs LeicesterPhoto Design, in Littlethorpe, used a digital camera with a panoramic head, taking three shots every 90 degrees.

He then "stitched" the images together with software supplied by Google to give a realistic impression of the building's interior.

In August, he uploaded his first church to Google Maps when he visited St Mary de Castro, in Castle View, Leicester.

He said: "It's up to me what buildings I choose to include in the map and, at the minute, I'm concentrating on heritage sites.

"There's so much history in Leicester it's not hard to think of places which would be of interest to a great many people.

"I think this is a great way of opening up places of interest."

Chris has also added Launde Abbey to Google Maps, which goes live today, as well as churches in Bottesford and Lutterworth.

A spokeswoman for Leicester Cathedral said: "This is a fabulous way to publicise your church and to show those who are nervous about coming over the threshold what it looks like inside."

Stuart Bailey, chairman of Leicester Civic Society, said the new Leicester additions to Google Maps was "marvellous".

He said: "The more we can do to promote our city's heritage the better.

"If someone in Colorado can go on the internet and take a tour of Leicester Cathedral then that's fantastic – and if it encourages them to come to Leicester, that's even better."

To view the cathedral, visit Google Maps and click on the doors of the building.

SACRE AT ST MARTINS HOUSE

At St Martins House, Peacock Lane, this afternoon for the regular scheduled meeting of Leicester SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education). This is the first meeting since Jill Carr, who was Secretary of SACRE, left Leicester City Council to take up her appointment as Head of RE at Leicester Grammar School. Her role is being filled by Fiona Moss (of RE Today Services) at least until Christmas this year and probably beyond. Fiona was doing this role with SACRE when I first became involved, so seeing her back here feels like having come full circle. We worked together on the early drafts of Engaging with Faith Communities in Leicester.

I'm able to flag up the forthcoming Philosophy Panel I've been asked to convene for St Paul's Catholic School next month. A handful of people at this meeting volunteer their services. Catholic schools, of course, exist outside of SACRE's sphere of influence. I thought that of some members of Leicester SACRE could take part in the event at St Paul's, then that would provide a nice crossover experience.

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

AMBITIOUS £3M VISION FOR LEICESTER CATHEDRAL GARDENS UNVEILED

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury (and, oddly, in identical form in the next day's edition too)

Ambitious £3M vision for Leicester cathedral gardens unveiled

Church leaders have unveiled images of proposed new £3 million gardens outside Leicester cathedral.

Staff at the historic building want to create an area with trees and flowers that could host outdoor services and concerts.

As previously reported in the Mercury, the clergy and Leicester City Council are jointly funding the £3 million scheme and yesterday artist's impressions were published.

The move will see the precincts of the cathedral being combined with the car park of the redeveloped St Martin's House diocese building for a new public space.

The gardens will be capable of being turned into an outdoor venue with seating for up to 800 people.

They will include a tranquil graveyard created with the gravestones that stand outside the cathedral.

In 2009, before St Martin's House was started, the cathedral announced plans to transform the grounds but a lack of cash was a problem.

The diocese plans to raise its half of the £3 million through grants and private donations.

The Bishop of Leicester, Tim Stevens, said the scheme, which is waiting for planning permission, was going ahead thanks to the backing of city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby.

He said: "We have long wanted to give the cathedral its proper setting in the city and to make our spaces more attractive. Cathedral Gardens will now allow us to do just that.

"We are very grateful to the city mayor for his backing in getting us to this point and look forward to realising our vision during 2013."

The city council cash will come from the £19 million Connecting Leicester fund set up by the city mayor.

The cash will also be used for a new Jubilee Square at St Nicholas' Circle nearby.

Sir Peter said: "Cathedral Gardens would provide a wonderful setting for our city's cathedral and is an excellent example of what could be achieved through a shared Connecting Leicester vision."

The new gardens will include a central lawn and a water feature outside the cathedral.

The planning application will also include the demolition of a wall on the north side of the St Martins House car park to create a new cafe that will link Cathedral Gardens and the entrance to the Guildhall.

Demolishing the wall is likely to be a stumbling block though.

Chairman of Leicester Civic Society Stuart Bailey said: "The wall is a listed building in its own right and we and English Heritage have expressed our concerns about losing it."

He said there were also concerns about plans to straighten the footpath to the east of the cathedral.

The plans are being sent to the city council and the Church of England's own planning authority for approval. Artist's impressions are available at: www.cathedralgardens. dioceseofleicester.com

MAPPING FAITH & PLACE IN LEICESTER CONFERENCE

The Grand Hall in St Martins House is the venue for this conference, concluding the first phase of the University of Leicester's Mapping Faith and Place project. I haven't been in the Grand Hall before, but it's a setting that lives up to its name, one fit for a queen. Literally, in this case, as HM Queen Elizabeth II was served lunch here on her recent visit to Leicester which kicked off her Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. Some of those attending today were guests on that occasion.

Deirdre O'Sullivan (Lecturer in Medieaval Archaeology at the University of Leicester) welcomes attendees and introduces the project. The rest of the day is taken up with a number of presentations:

Heritage and Multi-Faith in Leicester, Canon Dr John Hall, Director, St Philip's Centre for Study andEngagement in a Multi-Faith Society

English Heritage Policy on Faith Buildings, Dr Lind Monckton, English Heritage

History and Interpretation, Surinderpal Rai, Chair, Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara

Leicester Perspective, CllrManjula Sood, Assistant Mayor (and Chair, Leicester Council of Faiths)

Jain Heritage in Leicester, Dr Atul Shah, CEO, Diverse Ethics

The Church of St Mary de Castro: a Document in our Midst, David Lamb, St Mary de Castro

An Archaelogical Approach to Understanding Religious Buildings, Neil Finn, Archaeological Consultant

The Story of Leicester, Sarah Levitt, Leicester City Council Arts and Museums Service

An interesting variety of presentations, to be sure, but it wouldn't be unfair to say that they're something of a mixed bag. Although the conference is sponsored by the University of Leicester, it's not, strictly speaking, an academic occasion, so it would be wrong to hold all the contributions to the kind of rigorous standard. Let's just say that the standards of preparation and delivery vary today.

Mapping Faith and Place in Leicester has been funded by the Art and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) within their funding stream, "Care for the Future: Thinking Forward Through the Past". After the end of this initial period of funding, the project moves into a new phase, focusing on the past, present and future uses of one faith-related site in particular: Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara on East Park Road.

The Council of Faiths has lent a hand at various stages of the Mapping Faith and Place in Leicester project (although if we'd grasped how significant it is, we'd surely have done more to help). I've posted entries about the launch event in October 2011 and the first, second and third seminars for the project in this blog. We borrowed the project's pop-up banners for our display at Highcross during Inter Faith Week 2011, when we also distributed many copies of the Leicester Faith Trail booklet (the second, updated edition of which is published today). Members of staff Deirdre O'Sullivan and Dr Ruth Young (Senior Lecturer in Archaeology and Director of Distance Learning Strategy) and students from the School of Archaeology and Ancient History took part in that exhibition. There are several members of the Council of Faiths here today and, of course, our Chair, Cllr Manjula Sood, is one of the platform speakers. But I can't help wishing we'd been able to make a more formal presentation. There were some questions from the floor about inter-faith issues in Leicester that some of the platform speakers were unable to answer, that would have surely been part of a proper presentation by the Council of Faiths (regarding consultation with the city's decision-making bodies, for example).

I've enjoyed being involved in this project. It's opened some doors for me and introduced me to some good people I might otherwise never have met. I hope that I (and Leicester Council of Faiths) can play an active part in the project's future development and even find new ways to contribute and collaborate.

As I do at the end of all my blog posts referring to St Martins House, I refer any reader wondering about the omission of the possessive apostrophe from the building's name to a letter from Rev. Peter Hobson, Director of St Martins House, published in the Leicester Mercury, 29 March 2011.

CONSIDERING WORSHIP

This article (regarding the conference rounding off the University of Leicester's Mapping Faith and Place project) appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Considering worship

Places of worship will be the subject of a conference next week.St Martin's House, in Peacock Lane, Leicester, will host the event, which runs from 9.30am to 4pm on Thursday.

There will be guest speakers from faith groups, English Heritage, Leicester City Council and the University of Leicester, and a chance to debate the role of faith buildings.

For more details, call Heather Lomas on 0116 270 0386.

CITY DEAN "HONOURED" BY NEW ROLE AT YORK MINSTER

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

City's Dean honoured by new role at York Minster

Dean of Leicester, the Very Rev Vivienne Faull, has been given the task of running one of England's biggest cathedrals.

Downing Street announced yesterday that Dean Faull was to be the new dean at York Minster – one of the most senior and prestigious deaneries in the Church of England.

Dean Faull, 57, has been responsible for Leicester Cathedral since 2000, when she was appointed provost of Leicester, the first woman to lead a Church of England cathedral. She became Dean of Leicester in 2002.

She said she was delighted and honoured to have been given the task of running one of England's biggest cathedrals.

She also thanked the people of Leicester for their support.

"The people of the parishes of the diocese, and of the cathedral, have gently and generously taken me into their care as I have learnt with and from them how to be a dean," she said.

"It is, of course, daunting to move from one of the smallest to one of the largest cathedrals, but I know there are many people who care deeply for York Minster, its mission and ministry, and I look forward to leading a large team on its continued development."

The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Rev Tim Stevens, said: "I am delighted Viv Faull has been appointed as the next Dean of York.

"She has been a great ambassador for the cathedral and will leave it in a stronger position. I am glad her vision and leadership qualities will continue to be used in cathedral ministry."

Dean Faull has been at the forefront of the role of women in the church and was ordained in 1994.

She has been a member of the General Synod since 2004 and is on the panel of Chairs of Synod.

In 2009, she was elected chairman of the Association of English Cathedrals, the cathedrals' representative body.

She was also one of the founder directors of the company tasked with delivering St Martin's House, in Leicester, as the new centre for mission for the diocese, housing the offices of the diocese and cathedral. She succeeds Keith Jones, who retired in April, and is expected to take up her new post in September.

Although excited to be moving back north, Dean Faull says she will miss Leicester.

She said: "Having lived here for 12 years, I will leave part of my heart here, the city is very special."

Details regarding a service of farewell in Leicester Cathedral and her installation in York Minster will be published soon.

HELP US FIND THE GOOD NEIGHBOUR OF THE YEAR

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Help us find the good neighbour of the year

We all know someone who is a jewel in the community, whether they are visiting the lonely, doing shopping for the housebound or working tirelessly for volunteer groups.

They are the people, often unsung, who bring caring and kindness to where we live.

Today, the Mercury launches a search for the Good Neighbour of the Year.

We have teamed up with the East Midlands Housing Group (EMHG) to find that special someone.

Launching the search today, Chan Kataria, chief executive of EMHG, said: "We want to hear about those neighbours who go the extra mile for others, whether that's keeping an eye on the area through Neighbourhood Watch groups or helping to organise community events, activities and services."

One person who fits the good neighbour category is Sarah Clarke, 69, a former actress and holistic practitioner, who lives in Little Bowden, near Market Harborough.

According to friends, she is always there to lend a helping hand and is active in a number of community groups.

She said: "We all need to try to do our bit to help others.

"I fully support the Good Neighbour of the Year award and would encourage people to nominate those who deserve a bit of recognition for what they do in their communities.

"I am a volunteer at the local credit union which provides people with an opportunity to save and borrow money who are not normally considered by banks."

Sarah is also a member of her church council and regularly takes an elderly parishioner to services on a Sunday.

She is active in a number of organisations dedicated to the improvement of the environment and the quality of life in the town.

"I believe that for society to flourish we need people who put other people's interests above their own and are willing to volunteer and help those who need support," Sarah said.

Mr Kataria said: "We are proud to be sponsoring these awards, which are an opportunity to promote the type of community spirit that clearly exists in areas across Leicester and Leicestershire.

"I'm in no doubt that without these neighbourhood heroes, the health of our communities would be a lot poorer and, instead of prospering, face the difficult symptoms of isolation and social exclusion."

EMHG owns and manages more than 1,700 homes across the region.

Mr Kataria added: "We are a not-for-profit social investment agency and are sponsoring this event because communities are only sustainable when you have lots of people coming together to contribute to that community in some way.

"That way, people want to live there, move into them and actively care about their wellbeing.

"Our evidence suggests that when this happens residents are made to feel they have stake in the people and place they live and the communities are more likely to be successful, stable and prosperous.

"Our philosophy is to recognise and celebrate those individuals who do make an important contribution."

The judges for the competition are the Leicester Mercury's publisher, David Simms, representatives from East Midlands Housing Group Chan Kataria, chief executive, Louise Riley and Jerry Sykes. They will be joined by Capital FM DJs Dino and Pete. The awards will be presented at a ceremony hosted by Dino and Pete at St Martin's House, Leicester, on August 2.

DIOCESE ASKING FOR LESS MONEY AND MOST GOES ON PRIESTS' PAY

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Diocese asking for less money and most goes on priests' pay

The Church of England in Leicestershire continues to serve the whole community through 365 local congregations that witness through worship and action.

Last year, 1,606 people joined or returned to our congregations, well in excess of those who left.

We have opened St Martins House at the heart of the city; refurbished Launde Abbey as a place of retreat, and only recently ordained deacons and priests who have entered their ministry with confidence and hope.This is a very different story to that depicted by John Burrows in his first person column (Mercury, July 15).

It is not about a diocesan bureaucracy seeking more and more money, but a family of Christian congregations mutually supporting this common commitment to all people in all places, not least the poor.

In fact, the diocese has been asking for less in real terms and most of that money is used to pay priests.

It is a remarkable story of generosity and vision on the part of many thousands of people, often those from the wider community who value their local church.

There are challenges, not least in places such as Humberstone, where the local church has been supported by the wider diocese so that the church can be sustained and in time once again take full responsibility for the costs of its ministry.

Venerable Richard Atkinson – Archdeacon of Leicester; Jonathan Kerry – Chief Executive and Diocesan Secretary