Transcript No Slide Title

Social Care and Civic Engagement in
the London Methodist District:
 A report prepared for the Social Care and Civic
Engagement Commissions of the London Methodist District
 Eva Neitzert Sociology Department LSE
 Professor Jane Wills, Geography Department, QMUL
plan
Background to the research
Key findings: social care
Key findings: civic engagement
The map
Thinking ahead?
Background to the
research
Sept 2006 new Methodist London District
Commissions: Social Care; Civic
Engagement
What is the current position?
From there to strategy ...
What was done?
Questionnaires sent via Superintendents
to cover all 267 Churches in the District
Response rate of 42% (102 Churches)
Follow up interviews to explore good
practice with 24 respondents
Analysis of data; production of an
electronic map; completion of the report.
Key findings: social care
1.
2.
3.
4.
Directly provided services on site
Provided but off-site
Provided but at Circuit level
Hosted on site.
Direct provision on site?
Table 1: Does your Church offer any
services, activities, or groups for/around …
Children and young persons?
Elderly?
Parents and families?
Other
Healthy living, fitness, or sport?
Homelessness?
Migrants and refugees?
Alcohol and drug addiction?
Counselling or advice?
the unemployed?
People with disabilities?
Percentage
answering ‘Yes’
63.3
52.0
43.0
28.6
23.2
11.0
9.0
9.0
9.0
4.0
4.0
Numbers of users in the report, but
significant that there are few paid workers
Only 13 had no provision on site
10 of these would like to but suffered lack
of funds, facilities, volunteers and leaders.
As many as 70% would like to provide
more ...
Off-site and at circuit
level?
34% involved often through partnerships
with others.
33% involved with Circuit level provision but only 15% wanted to do more at this
level.
Table 3: If participating in activities,
services, or groups OFF-premises, are they
for/around …
Children and Young People?
Elderly?
Homeless?
Community?
Counselling and Advice?
Parents and Families?
Mental Health?
Holiday Club?
Adult Education?
Music/Choir?
Volunteering?
Percentage
answering ‘Yes’
29.4
26.5
17.6
17.6
5.9
5.9
5.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
2.9
Table 4: If participating in activities,
services, or groups at the circuit level, are
they for/around …
Children and Young People?
Elderly?
Homelessness?
Community?
Housing?
Charity?
Other?
Percentage
answering ‘Yes’
64.5
22.6
16.1
12.9
6.5
6.5
3.2
Hosting activities?
90% were hosts to others (and the
average number per church was 7)
egs. CAB, playgroups, AA, refugee groups
Key findings: civic
engagement
1. Involvement in faith/community forums
2. Frequency of meetings with local civic
and political leaders
3. Direct involvement in local institutions
Faith/community forums
63% of Churches participate
And, concentration: 29 involved in two or
more forums; 36 not involved in any
Table 5: If participating in a forum, is it …
Interfaith?
Other civic forum?
Non-denominational Christian?
Community issues group?
Percentage
answering ‘Yes’
49.2
36.1
27.9
18.1
Meetings with civic and
political leaders
 58% meets at least one
 councillors most regular (half every month or
quarter)
 often ad hoc but many of the ‘regulars’ host the
councillor or MP at Church
Table 6: Do you or members of your Church
meet with …
Councillors?
Local MPs?
GLA representatives?
Other local office holders?
Percentage
answering ‘Yes’
48.0
36.7
8.2
3.2
Involvement in local
institutions
49% have at least one congregation
member involved as elected or appointed
office holder
Table 8: Are you or any members of your
Church …
School Governors?
Holders of other civic offices?
Councillors?
Representatives on PCTs?
Members of the GLA?
MPs or MEPs?
Percentage
answering ‘Yes’
32.3
8.8
8.6
7.5
3.2
3.2
Community issues?
Table 9: Issue
Poverty and/or poor housing
Anti-social behaviour
Crime
Needs of asylum seekers/refugees/migrants
Provisions for young people
Drug and alcohol abuse
Traffic and/or pollution
Unemployment
Education
Homelessness
Percentage
identifying this
as a concern in
their community
50.5
32.6
31.6
30.5
29.8
28.3
20.2
13.7
10.9
6.4
Tackling these?
 People positive about engaging with civic leaders/politicians;
 An increased campaigns focus (one respondent called on the
Church to be an ‘irritant to a complacent society’);
 Facilitating understanding and dialogue, particularly between
different faith and ethnic groups;
 Working in partnership with other faith and community
organisations;
 Informing, sharing expertise, and providing spiritual leadership;
 Supporting other groups and organisations to do ‘good’ work (eg.,
by letting out space to emerging community organisations)
 Having an ‘open doors’ policy to support people of diverse
backgrounds.
The map
Available at
http://www.londonmethodist.org/ad
min/Map.aspx
Thinking ahead
2/3rds want to do more especially for
young people, migrants and refugees,
those suffering substance abuse.
Many want a more campaigning approach
Parallel with national survey of 49
congregrations (Roehampton study 2006):
church better at ‘in-ward’ than ‘outward’
activities.
How on social care?
Collating/disseminating information about
good practice
Developing London-wide strategy mindful of three key barriers:
1. facilities
2. staffing/volunteers
3. funding
challenges
Facilities: help with funding/grants;
managing projects/planning.
Staffing: need to employ people but again
raises issue of money.
Funding: often short-term; often for startups - and Churches need their own
money.
Good practice
Parchmore Centre, Thornton Heath (1700 users,
45 groups, 20 staff, 120 volunteers)
Harold Road Centre, Newham (10 office spaces;
2 staff; community centre)
HIV Chaplaincy (78 people for face to face
support)
Asylum ministry, King’s Cross (2000 use services
every year)
How on civic engagement?
Challenges: time; engaging the
congregation; links beyond the Church
Solutions: integration in worship; joining
broad-based organisations and
campaigns; co-ordination across the
District (egs. Make Poverty History;
TELCO; Methodist campaigns? eg on
immigration)
And theology ...
Where does social care and civic
engagement fit theologically?
Another area for partnership, information
sharing and District strategy?
Thanks!
Queen Mary for facilitating the project
Eva Neitzert, LSE, Researcher
Ed Oliver, QMUL, Cartographer
Paul Regan and the other leaders of the
two Commissions