The GLA Community Engagement Team works with interfaith organisations to support their work supporting London’s communities to serve together.
Below, we hear from Elizabeth Fewkes from Near Neighbours, about the Interfaith Network's ongoing response to Coronavirus in London, working across difference to support Londoners in need.
Near Neighbours
'The Coronavirus has posed challenges for many people & in these times of emergency, the need to have strong & resilient communities is even greater than ever. I have the pleasure of working for Near Neighbours, an organisation that brings people together in communities that are religiously and ethnically diverse, so that they can get to know each other better, build relationships of trust, and collaborate together on initiatives that improve the local community they live in. We do that through a wide range of programmes from youth leadership training, a grants scheme & Real People, Honest Talk - bringing people together to talk about the tough issues around how we live together well.
Communities Working Together
Through the Covid19 pandemic we have seen some amazing examples of people working together to serve the communities they are part of, whether that be setting up emergency food hubs, working together to produce resources around key health messages in languages relevant to their communities, etc. People have come together with people they might not normally come together with, their care for humanity has united people.
Through these encounters, people have learnt more about each other, as they’ve talked about why they are concerned about the issue that has brought them together (food poverty, mental health).
Through encounters like this we have an opportunity to go deeper in our understanding of each other as we learn about people who are different to us. London is such a diverse & vibrant city, so opportunities abound for interactions with others that are different to ourselves. And that’s what Interfaith Week is all about.
Interfaith Week
The Interfaith Network is very aware that ‘building good relationships and working partnerships between people of different faiths and beliefs is part of the year-round work of many people and organisations across the UK’. However, ‘having a special Week provides a focal point, helping to open inter faith activity up to a wider audience so that more and more people are made aware of the importance of this vital work and are able to participate in it’.
Celebrating Communities Interfaith Event
This year, Interfaith week will take place from Sunday 8 - Sunday 15 November & City Hall and Near Neighbours are joining forces to mark Interfaith week with an event to celebrate the work of faith organisations to support Londoners of all faiths and none in dealing with the impact of COVID19 on their lives. This event will take place via zoom on Thursday, 12th November 2020, 5:30 – 6:45pm.
Faith organisations have played a key role in supporting Londoners to cope with the physical, emotional and financial impact of this ongoing global health crisis. This event will showcase some fantastic examples of how faith groups have adapted to a changed world and found new and innovative ways of supporting those most in need. I’m delighted that Dr Fiona Twycross, London’s first Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience will be speaking at this event.
The event will also offer attendees the opportunity to connect with each other and to think about how they can look after their own well-being.
We would love to see you at this event, so do register at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebrating-communities-tickets-126537901269
As we continue to journey through the second lockdown, lets encourage one another to work together for the common good & the flourishing of all in our communities.'