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Solihull Faiths Forum
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t was ten years ago that the Solihull Faiths Forum came into being. How would it work?
IWhat was its purpose? Would it affect the people of Solihull?
A constitution was worked out and aims decided. These are:
· To live peacefully together
· To involve faith and cultural groups in the civic and public life of the borough
· To enable the Council, Solihull Partnership and local faith groups to discuss matters
of mutual concern or interest.
So ten years on are we achieving these aims? Here are some of the things that have happened.
We have visited each other’s places of worship and
had the opportunity to learn the fundamental
beliefs and customs of the different faiths across
the borough. We joined in celebrations of special
events e.g. the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi in
Handsworth Park and the Muslim Eid-Al Adha
celebration. We have held something special during
Inter-faith week each year and this November had
an evening of dance music and readings.
We have, as a Faiths Forum in conjunction with
SMBC, been at the forefront of support for the
Syrian refugee families housed in Solihull. We
have worked with SMBC Bereavement Services
with regard to the needs of the different faiths at
the cremation and burial sites located in the
borough. And we are really pleased that this year
SMBC has offered safeguarding training to faith
communities that do not run their own.
We have taken the opportunity to work together for the common good by holding the ‘Go
Green Fair’ in Mell Square – the fair in June 2017 being the eighth! Importantly too, we took
a major role in ensuring that the Cinnamon Faith Action Audit, concerned with establishing
how involved faith groups were in social action, was carried out as effectively as possible.
But maybe our greatest achievement to date is the signing of the covenant between the Faith
communities and Solihull Partnership a year ago. This in essence acknowledges that the Faith
groups across Solihull and the members of the Solihull Partnership will engage together in
practical working ways. Solihull is one of the first six councils across England to have a faith
covenant. We are really proud that this was publicly acknowledged at a reception at Portcullis
House in Westminster, given by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society and
attended by our local MPs with the key speaker, Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP.
Please do support our events in the future. Establishing inter-faith relationships is so
important in our current climate.
Beryl Moppett
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