Faith in the Future

Robert Beard

Faith in the Future

Robert Beard

+ 18 Arnside Road SHEFFIELD S8 0UX ( +(0)114 255 6335 : [email protected]

What the minister said:

• “A huge difference day-in and day-out, to every single neighbourhood in the country… • “Not been sufficiently recognised by central Government… • “Build on the huge amount of experience faith groups have in getting out into the community.”

What the minister said:

• “Faith gives rise to kindnesses and other civic contributions.

• “Faith shapes beliefs, behaviour and a sense of purpose… • “Government should be helping people of faith express themselves in this way.”

What the minister said:

• “A vital contribution to national life: • “Guiding the moral outlook of many, inspiring… public service, • “Providing support to those in need.

• “Experience, volunteers and connections that can put them at the heart of their neighbourhood.”

Faiths offer...

• essential services • infrastructure • intelligence, experience, expertise • extended reach • democratic renewal • economic contribution • constructive criticism and challenge

Faiths offer...

Faith contribution to local economy: • 5000 social action projects • volunteers: £60.6 million - £64.6 million a year • premises: £574,755 - £811,472 a year • overall contribution: £90.7 million £94.9 million a year

Local Enterprise Partnerships

• No mention of faith communities or faith-based organisations in proposals invitation • ‘Not sufficiently recognised by government...’?

• ‘Government helping people of faith...’?

• ‘A vital contribution to national life...’?

Localism Bill – can it deliver?

• right to buy offer • right to challenge does not give right to deliver • procurement law favours large organisations • protection for valued local services?

• longer than 6 months to bid • emergency appeal process

Real power for communities

•

www.rp4c.org.uk

nef report

Cutting it: The ‘Big Society’ and the new austerity

•

“

The doors are wide open for big global corporations… to take over state functions…” • “How much room will the big corporates leave for… small voluntary organisations…?”

Impact of s

o

pending cuts

• VCS organisations being stretched beyond capacity – speed f cuts – front-loading of cuts – implementation of cuts • essential services facing real and immediate threat

Big Society Bank

• funded from ‘dormant’ accounts • to capitalise and encourage loans to CSOs • £200 million loans to launch Big Society Bank • BSB loans for existing or only for new groups?

• too costly for small CSOs?

Because it’s there!

National Citizen Service

• 1,000 signed up so far • NCS facebook page • 11,000 places in 2011 • 30,000 places in 2012 • 965,000 16-24 year-olds unemployed in Feb 2011

Government funding

• £5 million for CUF

Near Neighbours

project – bring people together in diverse communities – build relationships – collaborate for community improvement • £5,000 max. grant • bid for funding through local parish Church • starting in M62 corridor, Leicester, East London, Birmingham

“The opposite of faith is…

“The opposite of faith is …the market.” Neil Jameson, Citizens UK

Cost of production < price at sale Serve food or service debt?

Servants of God or servants of market?

The market – like God?

The market – unlike God?

We “cannot serve God and Mammon.” Places for all in God’s economy

Please give me time and I will repay in full…

Unemployment at 2.53 million in January • 965,000 18-24 year olds “The price of this financial crisis is being borne by people who absolutely did not cause it.” Mervyn King Governor of the Bank of England