27 April 2009

THE role volunteers from churches and other faith communities in Oxfordshire play in improving the lives of people in their neighbourhoods is to come under the spotlight in a ground-breaking £70,000 study.

Across the county there are hundreds of faith-based initiatives that rely on volunteers from these worshipping communities. Synagogues, mosques, temples, gurdwaras and churches are involved in running activities as diverse as youth groups, projects to support the homeless and disadvantaged, and day care for the elderly and housebound, as well as one-off projects involved with refugees, the environment and social justice. Individuals are often inspired by their faith to get involved in town and parish councils, trade unions and other organisations that aim to make a difference.

The Rt Revd Colin Fletcher, Bishop of Dorchester, chair of the steering group, said the project will help raise the profile of the Church. He said: ‘It won’t just focus on the Church but on what individual Christians are doing in their communities. If there wasn’t a strong Christian presence in villages and towns, it is thought parish and town councils would lose members.’ Bishop Colin said: ‘It’s encouraging to do a piece of work like this, it’s really important. There are a number of other studies across England and Wales that have explored these issues and built up a picture of the contribution the Church and other faiths play. What makes this one special is that we have strong financial support from the County and District Councils, together with others, in the public sector and a real desire right across the county to form even deeper partnerships for the benefit of all.’

The diocese is contributing £30,000 towards the work, which is being coordinated by Oxfordshire Council for Voluntary Action (OCVA) and carried out by SURGE, the Applied Research Centre in Sustainable Regeneration at Coventry University.

Professor Richard Farnell, of SURGE, said: ‘There are two main aspects to this project. Firstly a survey will help us map out and understand better the contribution that churches and other faith groups make to improving their neighbourhoods. We will develop a short questionnaire and encourage as many groups as possible to complete it.’

Prof Farnell is Canon Theologian at Coventry Cathedral and Professor of Neighbourhood Regeneration at the university. The research forms part of the work programme of the Oxfordshire Voluntary Sector Development Partnership (OVSDP) which works to support and speak up for the voluntary, community and faith sectors in the county.

The questionnaire will be sent to leaders of churches and other faith communities across the county.

The results of the survey will provide the basis for stage two of the study which will focus in depth on specific issues raised by the survey. Prof Farnell said: ‘For instance, the contribution faith groups make to levels of volunteering in the local community could be an area for further investigation. We might focus on provision for young people or the impact of the recession. This may look at people who are experiencing increasing levels of debt or unemployment and how faith communities are responding.

‘It’s about working to equip faith communities to contribute positively to their neighbourhoods and to look at the challenges they face.’
Bishop Colin added: ‘The thing that strikes me about this work is that it is able to bring together both the survey and an in-depth study in a way that says this isn’t just about what’s already going on. It’s about saying “What’s the agenda for the future and what do we need to do to push it along?”.’