REDP CORE PARTNERS MEETING

At Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living this morning, for a meeting of the four Core Partners of the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership. The Core Partners, all Leicester-based Voluntary and Community Sector organisations, are: 

• Leicester Council of Faiths
• Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living
• Leicester LGBT Centre
• The Race Equality Centre

We used to meet on the first Tuesday morning of the month, but haven't done so since the funding for this project ended, in June this year.

It soon becomes apparent that there's life in the old dog yet, though. We spend the first half-hour or so catching up on what our particular organisations have been doing since last we met, where we are now, and what our futures might hold.

Our attention is focused on the forthcoming Choice Unlimited event, to be held at Leicester Tigers Stadium, Wednesday 21 November (1000-1800). The first Choice Unlimited, held in April this year, presented information, ideas, innovation, services, products for disabled people. It was an unexpectedly successful occasion, exceeding all our expectations in terms of interest and support. The November event will focus on the same sort of things, but for young people in what's called the "transition period" (14-25 years of age).

Since Choice Unlimited is taking place in the middle of Inter Faith Week (18-26 November) I'd assumed that the Council of Faiths (and, more specifically, I) wouldn't be able to take part in it, but I'm glad to say that we've come up with a plan for having a celebration of Inter Faith Week inside Choice Unlimited itself. Since I have to make sure that our exhibition in Highcross is kept going all that day, I'm not quite sure how we'll go about this, but where there's a will ...

I'll play as active a role as I can in promoting the next Choice Unlimited, through our various outlets - beginning with taking a clutch of fliers and posters to the AGM of Network for Change at the Guildhall this evening.

SUDDENLY, I'M NOT HALF THE MAN I USED TO BE

After more than five years working for Leicester Council of Faiths in a full-time capacity, my job goes part time from today. I'll be contracted to work 20 hours per week, based at the Welcome Centre (our HQ in Pilgrim House, Bishop Street, Town Hall Squarte) on Tuesdays (1330-1730), Wednesdays (0900-1730) and Thursdays (0900-1730). These contracted hours can be worked flexitime on other days, at other times or at other venues in pursuit of these tasks and duties, but they should not exceed 80 hours in a four-week period.

This is the only way to sustain the post in this period when our funding (like so many other VCS organisations) has flatlined. As it is, we have no guarantee of any funding at all beyond the end of 2012. What can I say? We hope for the best but plan for the worst.

This present position is the result of lengthy, detailed and rigorous consultation with the Board of Leicester Council of Faiths and particularly with my Line Manager, Tony Nelson. I'm grateful to everyone who has taken part in the consultations that have brought us to this state.

Below is a description of my duties in the new post. If you've been paying attention, faithful reader (and I trust that you have) you'll see that they're not all that different from my duties in the old one; but for the moment I'll have to do less of them and get paid less for doing so. This is a general outline of course, the specific ways in which these tasks and duties are met are largely up to me, in agreement with my Line Manager, the Personnel Management Group (consisting of three current members of the Board of Directors) and above them, the Board itself.

Apologies to Sir Paul McCartney for the title of this blog entry.

LEICESTER COUNCIL OF FAITHS: EQUALITY & DIVERSITY OFFICER

1. Promote accurate knowledge of the diverse communities of religion or belief in Leicester and environs. 

2. Help members of Leicester Council of Faiths (communities and individuals) to consult and co-operate on matters of common concern. 

3. Strengthen links between Leicester Council of Faiths and relevant service providers and VCS organisations in Leicester and environs. 

4. Bring together members of the diverse communities of religion or belief in Leicester and environs to participate in relevant activities. 

5. Contribute fully to SACRE by participating in its meetings and assisting with relevant tasks outside meetings. 

6. Organise and assist members of Leicester Council of Faiths (communities and individuals) to participate in inter-faith activities for the benefit of the people of Leicester and environs. 

7. Collaborate with Leicester City Council to ensure that the views of the city’s communities of religion or belief may be taken into account in the planning, delivery and monitoring of services and that City Council’s policies, practices and procedures reduce discrimination. 

8. Seek appropriate funding to sustain this post and obtain income for Leicester Council of Faiths.

I STILL SAY PROJECT IS WASTE OF £3 MILLION

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

I still say project is waste of £3 million

As the dissident who put forward his views on the Cathedral Gardens 'Focus on the social issues, not gardens' (Mercury, September 22), I wish to respond to Peter Hobson, director of the Cathedral Gardens project (Mercury, September 25), as my letter, clearly, has hit a raw nerve within the Diocese of Leicester.

To begin with, Peter Hobson was disappointed that I wrote under "name and address supplied", particularly as I am apparently so well-informed. All too often, whistle-blowers seek anonymity, but he may need to ask himself how it is I am so well-informed.

I am all too aware of the good work that goes on within the diocese, on a number of levels, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to do more.

While Peter Hobson claims the Diocese Mission for Social Responsibility has been restructured, it is difficult to know in what way.

What I do know is for the past year, the diocese has, sadly, been without a director of social responsibility.

With reference to whether to invest in capital projects, I understand the need to maintain existing Church properties, but there is a budget of about £8 million per annum set aside for this, through the Diocese of Leicester Board of Finance.

I fail to see how the Cathedral Gardens is a capital investment, as I am unsure in what way this £3 million project would achieve a financial return.

I would not have a problem with public funding being used towards the much-needed repair of the spire of St Mary De Castro Church, as this is part of Leicester's proud heritage.

I take objection to Peter Hobson's repeated references to "the poor", which in my mind demonstrates, as a minister of religion, his "poor" awareness of social issues to simply pigeonhole people in difficult circumstances as "poor".

I simply pointed out that financial resources from public funds would be better directed to projects working with those affected by homelessness, substance abuse, poverty and suffering.

Surely, most people would rather see some money directed to worthy causes rather than the Cathedral Gardens – by way of, for example, organisations such as Macmillan Nurses, which does great work with those in suffering and often placed in abject poverty – rather than see another fountain built in the Cathedral Gardens, at great expense, only for it to end up like the existing fountain in the gardens, which, as I passed it last Sunday, shortly before evensong, contained a green sludge and is little more than a receptacle for discarded drinks cans, beer bottles and used prophylactics.

I think it is time for the diocese to review its plan for the Cathedral Gardens, which is clearly an extravagant gesture in the present economic situation, and for the debate to continue in the community.

As for my anonymity, should Peter Hobson wish to contact me via the editor, he may do so.

Who knows, I might even challenge him to a live debate on local radio.

Name and address supplied

THIS WEEK'S VISITORS (2,362)

Regular update on the number of pageviews received from different parts of the world in the week just ending.

1. United Kingdom 926
2. United States 716
3. Russia 331
4. France 151
5. Poland 97
6. Germany 45
7. Ukraine 31
8. India 24
9. Australia 10
10. Canada 8

This week's total: 2,362 (last week: 1,905). These are aggregates of figures from the top ten countries only. Blogger's analytics doesn't show the numbers of pageviews below the tenth-ranking country and they don’t show the cumulative total including those additional countries, which is undoubtedly larger than the number shown above.

The world map at the top of this post is the graphic that I see on the stats page. The darker the green, the more pageviews from that country. I can see different versions of that map for "now" (i.e. in the last two hours), "today", "this week", "this month" and "all time". They're updated each time I look at them.

"STREET MARKET" COMMUNITY FAIR AT DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNION

Today we're taking part in the "Street market" Community Fair for Freshers Week at De Montfort University Students Union. This is the second year that the Council of Faiths has been asked to be involved in this event. Last year's fair was considerably smaller - and quieter.

Just a couple of days ago, we were helping out our colleagues in the International Chaplaincy at the University of Leicester's International Students Services Fair. That was strangely quiet, compared to previous years, while this  event today appears to be going from strength to strength. There are many more exhibitors covering a much wider range of activities and services, occupying a much bigger and busier space and many more students visiting.

The Council of Faiths shares a table with Christians Aware (thanks to Amanda Fitton for being the other half of our dynamic duo today). In the photo above, three ladies from the Leicestershire Education Business Association (who were exhibiting across the way from us) check out our wares.

SCOUT HUT ROW PETITION IS HANDED IN TO COUNCIL

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Scout hut row petition is handed in to council

Scores of campaigners gathered at the city council offices to submit a petition opposing the handover of a former Scout hut to an Islamic charity.

The group, calling itself the Committee for the Forgotten Estates of Thurnby Lodge and Netherhall, passed the document to City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby yesterday.

They are asking the council not to allow the As-Salaam Trust to take control of a disused scout building located in the heart of the estate.

The charity, whose members have been meeting on the estate for two-and-a-half years, are asking to take over the disused building.

More than 250 Thurnby Lodge residents gathered outside the Leicester City Council headquarters in New Walk last night to witness the handover.

Residents have collected more than 1,500 signatures, which automatically entitle the issue for discussion at a full council meeting.

A spokesman for the group said: "The Scout hut building in Nursery Road is in the heart of the community and much of the community's heart is in it.

"It was built with the youth of the community in mind and it should remain as such."

Campaigner Patrick McShane, 58, said: "We want Peter Soulsby to look at this and see it from our point of view. We want to the building as a facility for the whole community."

Carol Davies, 50, who signed the petition, said: "We've tried to contact our councillors but they're not interested, so we had to take matters into our own hands.

"We're a close community and we'll pull together when we need to."There's nothing here for the children to do and taking away a meeting place like the Scout building would leave even less."

Bridget Massey, 73, said: "Traffic is a big issue. There will be nowhere for all the cars – and this building is meant to be for all of us, not just one section of the community."

Sir Peter Soulsby stood at the steps to the council offices yesterday as he was passed the large list of names.

He said: "The community has quite clearly given this a lot of thought and we will of course listen to any ideas they have about alternative sites.

"It's my job to try and find ways to meet the needs of both groups involved."

Protesters have been holding regular meetings outside the Scout hut.

However, some residents said they would prefer the site to be developed for the wider community.

Up to 400 people at a time have gathered at the building to oppose plans to turn the building into a community centre.

The Mercury was unable to contact the As-Salaam Trust yesterday.

PLANS FOR BANK INCLUDE HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Plans for bank include Hare Krishna temple

Hare Krishna devotees have submitted plans to transform a landmark building into a place of worship.

Members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) are hoping to set up a restaurant, heritage room and an informal library at the former HSBC bank, in Granby Street, Leicester.

The group was left without a place of worship when an explosion tore through its temple in North Evington two years ago.

A planning application for the former bank has been submitted to Leicester City Council.

ISKCON president Pradyumna Dasa said: "We want a spiritual place and to make it available to the public.

"We want to include things such as yoga, meditation and elements of worshipping Krishna.

"Most people don't know the building was by architect Joseph Goddard, who also designed the Clock Tower.

"We want to build a heritage room, telling the story of Goddard."Mr Dasa said a restaurant would serve "wholesome vegetarian cuisine in support of health and wellbeing".

There would also be a library.

"There are 165 language spoken in the city and we want books and literature dedicated to all of them," Mr Dasa said.

"It would be like a very informal library where people could come and read in peace."

He said the temple would also be usable as a venue by community groups and for meetings and banquets.

An official opening date has not yet been set.

"We'll have the odd function here and there as we phase in the work, but we're still going through various planning stages so we can't get an exact opening date until that's done," Mr Dasa said.

He said he could not say how much the project would cost.

Members of the group have been worshipping in rented spaces since the explosion.

They said they were looking forward to moving into the 1870s-built, grade II-listed property.

The building has stood empty since HSBC left in 2008 and was recently added to English Heritage's list of significant buildings at risk of falling into disrepair.

Stuart Bailey, chairman of the Leicester Civic society, said it was "great news" to see the building being made use of.

He said: "This is the building which allegedly made Sir John Betjeman say 'wow', so it's one of our jewels and needs to be treated as such."

HISTORIANS LATER

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Historians later

In his response to my last letter requesting proof of Christ's existence, via the supporting evidence of contemporary historians who lived at the time of Christ but were independent of any biblical connection, Keith Coleman (Mailbox, September 12) points out that Christ is mentioned by the first century historians Josephus and Tacitus.

However, what Mr Coleman fails to mention is that neither of these writers had been born at the time that Christ is said to have lived (c. 7BC or 5BC— circa 30AD or 33AD).

Josephus was born in AD37, and Tacitus in AD55.

Consequently, their accounts about the life of Christ were written quite a few decades after the events were supposed to have taken place and neither of them was in a position to confirm Christ's existence from direct experience.

If the only material available to them were accounts given by the four Gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, whose attestations would eventually form the first four books of the New Testament with descriptions of the life of Christ – all so varied, they sound as if they were played out in four parallel universes – then the reliability of Josephus and Tacitus' writings as factual historical documents is very questionable.

That is unless they had access to the writings of contemporary and reliable independent historians who lived at the time of Christ and could confirm his existence. If that is the case, who were they?

Alan Pendragon South Knighton

DOUBTS SOWED IN USE BY SATAN

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Doubts sowed in use by Satan

There have been many letters to Mailbox about the existence of God. Some people demand proof of God's existence, although the nature of the required proof is not clear.

Perhaps the only acceptable proof for them is when they meet God face to face.

Doubting Thomas was only convinced when he could thrust his hand into Christ's side.

Satan knows full well that God exists, but chooses to go his own evil way. He does his best to sow doubts into the minds of all people.

He even offered the world to Jesus. He said: "It's mine, but I will give it all to you if you will only bow down and worship me." Christ declined the offer.

This suggests that each of us may be under attack from evil forces at some time or other and we may do our best to make the right choice.

One reason for our doubts is that we all live in an essentially physical world, yet man is both a physical and a spiritual being.

Living in a physical world means most people have little experience of their spiritual side during their lifetimes.

This may hinder our understanding of what is going on. We may be unaware that considerable struggles are going on in Heaven.

God is Love, but Satan works against everything that is good in the world and persuades the people that God is to blame for bad things that happen.

Although we will all endure the death of our physical bodies, our spiritual lives may continue.

The purpose of Christ coming to Earth was to preach the good news that through his sacrifice, people may be saved from their sins.

As for proof of all this, well, I have never seen Antarctica. I am sure it exists... yet can I be absolutely sure because no one has proved it to me?

Nigel Mutimer, Coalville

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS SERVICES FAIR AT LEICESTER UNIVERSITY

This afternoon I’m helping out at the University of Leicester’s International Students Services Fair, which is being held at the O2 Academy in the Percy Gee Building (aka Students' Union). The Council of Faiths is supporting the International Chaplaincy with their display, mainly though the loan of our pop-up banners.

We took part in this fair in 2010 and 2011; both of those were very busy events. The O2 Academy was rammed with students on both occasions and there was a great variety of exhibitors from the university itself and the wider community in the city. This time, there's hardly a quarter of the exhibitors compared that there were in previous years (most of them promoting internal services provided by the university itself) and even fewer students. It’s still worthwhile being here; we help several students with enquiries about the International Chaplaincy and local faith communities, but compared to the last two years, it’s very quiet indeed.

Next to our display (or overlapping it, as you can see from the presence of our banners in the photo above) is Amarjit Sanghera, currently operating as @CampusCops on Twitter. Between us we seem to be the busiest corner all day - as you can see in the photo below (we're top right).

During a brief break in the Student Union Starbucks, I pick up an email inviting John Coster and I to attend a meeting on Friday, in advance of the Big Launch of Leicester Speaks (scheduled for Monday 8 October). John and I were Co-Chairs of Leicester Speaks in its first and second years but we both agreed at the end of the 2011 event that we wouldn't be doing it this year. Somehow or other, that hasn't got through to whoever it should have gotten through to and we're still signed on!

After having lugged the exhibition the short distance down to the Gatehouse (home of the International Chaplaincy) a the end of the day, I get to sit a spell with Akua and Wahida, of GBMag, who were exhibiting at the Fair. GBMag describes itself on its Twitter profile (@GreatBritishMag) as "the ultimate lifestyle guide for international students in the UK, with information and advice on living in the UK, British events and cool free giveaways". I like their tops!

The International Chaplaincy is holding on to our exhibition for use in other Freshers Week events over the next few days. So our banners are sleeping in the Gatehouse for a little while. I've kept one "generic" banner back to use in the Street market Community Fair at De Montfort University Students Union on Thursday.