One of the most pressing concerns we constantly hear from faith groups (and many others!), is about how to engage meaningfully with young people. They are the future, after all! We hope this conference has given you some ideas on fresh approaches to stimulate developments for the future. There will be a full conference briefing on the website very shortly.

Our Targeted Support Project - 'Increasing Participation'

Faithnetsouthwest’s Targeted Support work has been aimed at supporting young people aged 16-25 and people from Black and minority ethnic communities to get more involved with their local community. In just two years, a number of exciting projects have been initiated and supported. Here are some of the highlights and lessons that we have learned from them. You can find out more by downloading the Targeted Support brochure here and by going to the website of the Empowering Communities Partnership.

The launch of the Bristol Faith Audit has taken place at the Council House in Bristol. The report confirms the major contribution made to society by faith communities, not least the financial value of these services. The launch was an opportunity for faith groups to share the platform with representatives of civil society and highlight much of our work to policy makers. The keynote speaker was Barbara Janke the leader of Bristol City Council. In her introduction to the report, Barbara Janke said it was time for an action plan between faith groups and the Council, to agree a way forward on how faith groups can best contribute to community support in Bristol.

A research project has just been carried out for the South Gloucestershire Faith and Belief Forum to establish the impact of financial cuts on faith and belief groups in South Gloucestershire. The project started at the end of February 2011 and ran for three months. A final report has recently been produced and can be downloaded by clicking here.