Greg Smith Presentation tcm6 15650

Bridging the Chasm: 

Bridging the Chasm Presentation for ESRC / NCVO Seminar June 15th 2006 Greg Smith

The Wealth Gulf: 

The Wealth Gulf

Slide3: 

Dives and Lazarus…Luke 16 22-26  "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'  "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

Slide4: 

The Wages Gulf A social services director salary £90,000. A chief executive medium-sized charity £50,000. A vicars’ stipend £19,550 plus housing grant-funded church youth worker salary £12,000 Budget small urban parish congregation 100, £60,000. Income support for a single person over 25 £2,922 PA (£56 per week) Total weekly sales for seven ‘Big Issue’ sellers £435.60

The Funding Gulf: 

The Funding Gulf City (District) Council Budget £25 m pa Voluntary Sector Grants £400k pa. Regeneration Partnership (over 8 years) £20m 4 out of 100 FBOs have a slice of this cake Typical Local Grant to FBO £250 Some reluctance of churches to take public money

The Culture ChasmIssues raised at workshops: 

The Culture Chasm Issues raised at workshops

Slide8: 

The Language and Capacity Chasm “What is Capacity building?” “The form is very long and complex..” Official “Hard facts” and information processing power Limited awareness of religious diversity and the hidden, non engaged faith sector.. Religious groups in touch with grass roots “stories” , life experiences and local network knowledge cynicism / lack of trust in authorities by religious groups

Specific issues around faith groups: 

Specific issues around faith groups

Slide10: 

The Gulf of Faith : Is God at Work? Most faith groups have a strong belief in a higher power and the role of prayer which gives an extra dynamic They often want to talk about this to outsiders, and persuade them to draw on this power, or even to convert and recruit them Beliefs, theologies, cultures and value systems often make it impossible to separate the social from the spiritual But this is what statutory funding regimes demand, though it is not always very clear or consistent

Slide11: 

ARE ALL RELIGIONS THE SAME? Government seems to prefer multi-faith or inter-faith work. It feels like they want to make us all the same in what we believe and do. Some faith groups see their beliefs as contrary to those of other groups.. e.g. some Christians won’t allow yoga classes. Even within a single faith there are often different cherished identities and long established divisions which can be very “raw” in places

Slide12: 

Inclusion and Exclusion in Faith communities Public Funding demands equal opps policy. Religious groups unaccustomed / lack capacity to produce this. (Grand) Patriarchal Leadership Structures in many religious organisations Gender separation in some cultures/religions…with official high status female guests included as honorary male Strict doctrinal and moral standards for membership and/or leadership (especially on sexuality) Possible clash with anti-discrimination legislation

Crossing the Bridges? Public Sector Officials: 

Crossing the Bridges? Public Sector Officials

Slide14: 

LOW RELIGIOUS LITERACY Statutory organizations don’t fully understand the diverse needs of different faiths, therefore are often insensitive e.g. about food, or festivals, or restrictions on funding from lottery etc. Many officers are not aware of the variation within the main faith communities and tend to stereotype and make assumptions Some may be prejudiced against one or all faiths

Slide15: 

Statutory sector workers (and Councillors) are also community members, many with an active faith Most understand and make efforts to ensure that such commitments do not bias their professional judgements, and separate the personal faith from the professional and political Yet at the same time many fundamental values and commitments to particular areas of work arise from, or are shaped by, their religious beliefs and cultures. In areas of work such as liaising with the Voluntary, Community and Faith sector an insider knowledge of or community connections with one or more local faith community is an asset to the council, though rarely formally recognised At the same time some officers from minority faith communities feel they are seen as experts on all things to do with their faith, but that this is mere tokenism

Slide16: 

Can we build stronger bridges that are easier to cross?

Issues shared across Voluntary Community and Faith Sector : 

Issues shared across Voluntary Community and Faith Sector Funding Dominates: Paymasters hold the power Funding regimes are short term, always changing, time consuming, have tight deadlines, and difficult to understand Establishing partnerships is just another box to tick; one large player usually takes over Fears about privatization of services on the cheap and being bought off to silence critical “voice” Pushed to become more business like, (output driven) despite being reluctant to lose charitable voluntary ethos Lack of capacity (information, knowledge, skills, staff time, volunteers, resources, “leaders” without followers ) especially when compared with statutory sector.

Slide18: 

The Policy Context : Positive signs Central government is looking for engagement with faith communities Government has set up a faith communities Capacity Building Fund Regional Interest: NWDA has produced two major reports on Faith Sector contribution in the region Lancashire County Council has recognised the Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector in consultation and grant giving, and service purchasing processes Preston City Council is working with faith groups through the Faith Forum as part of the strategic forum. Regeneration Partnerships have supported projects in several local faith based organisations.

Slide19: 

Key Recommendations from Preston Practitioners Honest discussion with everything on the table from the start Set up clear agreed protocols in advance of setting up a partnership Disagreement can lead to dialogue which then brings greater understanding, so don’t be afraid of robust but respectful disagreements. Co-operation always requires “love” … willingness to relate and be engaged with other people and groups

PRESTON CASE STUDIES:THE LOCAL CONTEXT: 

PRESTON CASE STUDIES: THE LOCAL CONTEXT

Slide21: 

FAITH DIVERSITY Muslim, Hindu, Sikh Catholic, Protestant

Slide22: 

RELIGIOUS MINORITIES CONCENTRATED IN DEPRIVED NEIGHBOUHOODS Although not all deprived areas are multi-faith

Slide23: 

TRADITIONAL CHURCHES DECLINE AND MISSION

Slide24: 

PARTNERSHIP PROJECT 1 ST. AUGUSTINES NEW AVENHAM CENTRE

Slide25: 

PARTNERSHIP PROJECT 2 SALVATION ARMY OPEN DOOR PROJECT

Slide26: 

PARTNERSHIP PROJECT 3 Gujarat Hindu Society Mandir and Community Centre

Slide27: 

THE END IS NIGH