A recent survey showed that Anglican churches are highly engaged in responding to social issues and building community across England with 70% running three or more activities to benefit their community.
It highlights the huge amount of informal help and signposting that churches provide with the vast majority of churches involved in supporting people with problems from mental health challenges to loneliness and family breakdown.
Here in Leicestershire, many of our churches and schools run regular activities or one-off projects that show their faith lived out in everyday action, caring and serving people in need in their communities.
The Panel is chaired by the Archdeacon of Leicester, Richard Worsfold, and we have a Social Responsibility Enabler for the Diocese and Cathedral, Alison Adams. Individual panel members hold briefs for different specialist areas, which you can see on the Panel document below.
In the video below Emily talks about Disability Inclusion and the Covid19 Pandemic
For issues relating to Disability please contact Emily, or see the resources available.
Environmental Matters
Panel for Social Responsibility Contact: Andrew Quigley: revdaquigley@gmail.com who is available to offer one to one advice and support, including how to engage their local MP on environmental matters.
Take a look at our Eco Diocese web pages here to see how you and your church could start making a difference.
Fair trade means that the people who grow or make what we buy get a fair price and fair conditions. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives. Fairtrade standards comprise both minimum social, economic and environmental requirements, which producers must meet to be certified, plus progress requirements that encourage continuous improvement to develop farmers’ organisations or the situation of estate workers. Trade isn’t just about goods and services. It’s also about people – the people who work to produce things and the people who purchase things others have produced. When trade works well, everyone can benefit. When it doesn’t, some people can be exploited for the benefit of others. Seeking a fair deal for the people who produce what we use is part of our Christian obligation to love our neighbour and to strive for justice. That’s why we’re working to make trade fairer.
In the video below Vicky talks more about Fairtrade and what the Fairtrade mark means and how it is awarded, and you can download an additional fact sheet here.
The diocese is a signatory to the ‘Find It, Fix It, Prevent It’ initiative of the Church Investors Group, with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of corporate action against Modern Slavery.
Margaret is the representative for modern-day slavery on the SRP panel, and also represent the diocese on the Clewer Initiative. This organisation enables Church of England dioceses and wider church networks to raise awareness of modern slavery, identify victims and to help provide victim support and care. Representing the diocese on the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Modern-Day Slavery Group, which meets at De Montfort University, Margaret is able to liaise with other agencies from the three local authorities.
The Clewer Initiative has also put together a list of six practical actions individuals can take to make a difference. These include becoming a modern slavery champion, starting a poster campaign, organising a book club, downloading the Safe Car Wash or Farm Work Welfare app, discovering your personal slavery footprint and spreading the word on social with The Clewer Initative’s #weseeyou frame.
Margaret is also a past Diocesan Mothers’ Union President. The Mothers’ Union has very useful materials around gender-based violence, both to raise awareness and to become active in the battle against this. Check out their PowerPoint presentation and their activism pack on their webpage which explains their annual 16 days of activism against gender based violence. Margaret addressed Diocesan Synod regarding this subject in September 2020, you can read her statement here. In the video below Margaret talks more about what Modern Day Slavery:
Download a fact sheet with support and resources for individuals and churches here.
Christians in Leicester and Leicestershire Against Modern Slavery
CLLAMS are a group who long to see modern day slavery eradicated from our communities. The group is formed of Christians from the locality who come from a cross section of Christian and professional backgrounds. Read more about them here or visit their Facebook Group here.
The challenges facing rural churches and the communities they serve are a priority for the diocese. Our Rural Commission produced a series of findings which we are currently addressing.
Germinate (Arthur Rank Centre) helps rural churches and communities to flourish. It operates nationally and has some fabulous resources around rural mission etc.