Partnership

Partnership Agenda

Key contact: Martin Miller
 
"At the heart of this agenda is a commitment to ensuring that local communities' needs and concerns are given the importance they deserve. Local people know best what the priorities of their own neighbourhood are. It is essential that they have the opportunity and the tools to get involved in whatever way they want."
Our Vision, The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

For a number of years the government has given a new emphasis to the role of partnership in local communities. The experience of many government programmes, such as regeneration initiatives, had shown that the improvements are achieved and maintained only when the whole community has participated in planning and delivering local services.

This fundamental change, in the philosophy of the statutory sector, means that policy-makers at all levels have recognised the need to involve all stakeholders. Importantly there is great emphasis given to including the faith communities:

"In many areas, faith groups are playing a leading role in local partnerships.” 
Our Vision, The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

This relatively new openness to the involvement of the faith communities is because the Government believes that the faith communities: 

  • Have a value base that provides extra motivation
  • Have a long-term presence in all areas
  • Are a channel to groups that are difficult to reach
  • Are a source of volunteers
  • Are a source of community facilities (e.g. buildings)


Faith communities, however, have their own reasons for engaging in this kind of partnership: 

  • They are genuinely concerned for local communities
  • They may have values which challenge social exclusion 
  • They need funding support to survive
  • They want to be good stewards of their resources such as buildings
  • They want to promote their reputation by doing good
  • Their own members are struggling
  • They want to recruit new members
    (From Greg Smith, University of East London)

Whatever the reasons, these partnerships are a new and important opportunity for people of faith to participate in public life at all levels. 

For example, at neighbourhood level the faith communities often participate in local renewal schemes, bringing their resources and local knowledge into local projects. In addition, there are often opportunities for a contribution at Borough level through Local Strategic Partnerships. And the faith communities can contribute at even more strategic levels. The strategic partnership for Greater Manchester, the Greater Manchester Forum, has a specific faith seat.

There is even recognition at regional level of the significance of the faith communities. The Regional Economic Strategy identifies a clear role for faith in delivering economic success to the region. 

The diocese is committed to the fullest possible engagement with these new opportunities.

Further information on the Partnership agenda and faith communities can be obtained from Martin Miller.

Other key documents:

Working Together: Cooperation between government and faith communities
Available from www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/workingtog-faith040329.pdf