Faith communities in London play a vital role – this has become even more evident during the Covid-19 crisis. As a team we have strong ties with a range of faith communities and interfaith groups and are sharing the work of Faiths Forum for London.
Faiths Forum for London Director Mustafa Field OBE shares some of the recent work of his organisation with a particular focus on faith, belief and resilience.
Since the start of the pandemic this year, it has been an unprecedented time for many. Many have lost loved ones; we lost a dear friend and colleague, Rabbi Abraham Pinter, who was a strong advocate for interfaith and standing in solidarity with all faith communities, may he rest in peace.
Faith, Belief & Resilience has been a strong theme that has come through from both the work of Faiths Forum for London and that of the broad range of communities and organisations we serve. We know that faith and belief groups provide a key role in supporting communities in strengthening resilience and have continued to step up during this period.
We recently organised a webinar with the GLA’s Community Engagement team and Thrive LDN, supported by the Mayor of London and led by the London Health Board Partners. The event was recorded and available to watch here and on Youtube.
Other events we’ve held which are available to watch, include:
- Black Lives Matter webinar
- Loneliness and Mental Wellbeing webinar
- Prejudice during the Covid-19 pandemic webinar
- The impact of Covid-19 on women of faith webinar in partnership with City Hall
We’re also a part of the Faiths Against Domestic Abuse awareness campaign in partnership with Women’s Interfaith Network and Faiths United which includes a series of webinars on Domestic Abuse, and a social media campaign. This led to a collaboration with Back In Control Consultancy to bespoke Awareness Training for faith leaders.
Reopening of places of worship
The closure of places of worship had a profound effect on faith and belief communities, as they serve as a space of belonging, support and community involvement. As reopening places of worship after lockdown was a major challenge, we produced a range of resources and delivered bespoke courses with Strengthening Faith Institutions.
- Covid-19 Compliance Training Course for reopening places of worship
- Covid-19 Compliance Officer Course for Out-of-School Settings
- A briefing webinar on reopening places of worship
- Video on reopening out-of-school settings during Covid-19
- Video on best practice for reopening places of worship
- Video on guidance for parents and guardians of children attending supplementary schools post Covid-19
- Resource pack for reopening, including risk assessments.
Faiths Forum for London has also recently worked closely with regional forum and interfaith bodies across Europe to share best practice. The Cities Faith and Community Forum (CFCF) organised a webinar on rehabilitating European Cities post-Covid.