Frequently Asked Questions
What is AFC?
Active Faith Communities Programme aims to work with faith communities and faith based organisations across West Yorkshire to maximise their capacity to develop and enhance the lives of their neighbourhoods and communities.
What do AFC offer?
AFC offers advice and support to faith communities and faith based organisations in West Yorkshire in the following areas:
- Developing the vision – helping to be clear about what is really wanted, collecting the evidence to show it is needed, reaching a common mind
- Strategic Planning & making it happen – working out what needs to be done, and in what order, and then turning the words into practical action
- Organisational development – building the right structure to set things up and keep them going, including applying for charitable and company status; building partnerships; good practice in committees and trusteeship
- Policy development and review – keeping abreast of legislation and applying policies to bring practical benefit
- Business planning – setting out the case, demonstrating credibility, showing how it will work and where the money’s coming from
- Finding the funding – making good applications to the most likely sources
- Keeping it all going – monitoring and evaluating the work; managing change; dealing with phase 2, 3 and beyond
- Human resources – making the most of staff and volunteers, including recruitment and good practice
Who are we?
Formed in 2002, the Active Faith Communities Programme is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from different faith communities and possessing a wide range of skills and experience in faith-based community involvement. Chief Executive, Ian Owers (c) manages a diverse team of friendly specialists offering a range of support and expertise.
Why faiths?
Faith communities of all sorts, both collectively and individually, have an enormous contribution to make to society as a whole and especially to their local neighbourhoods and communities of interest. Mandirs, temples, synagogues, churches, mosques, gurdwaras and other places of worship and religious bodies have significant “social capital” in terms of people and buildings. They also have access through their members and location to sections of society that other agencies and programmes find hard to reach.
Some already play a significant role in major schemes and enterprises –
- as partners in regeneration and neighbourhood renewal schemes
- as initiators of social businesses and enterprises, providing community services and helping to boost the local economy
- as faith-based organisations undertaking work in specialised areas such as counselling, drug schemes, training and employment, youth work etc.
Some work more locally, setting up and running projects or using their buildings and the voluntary efforts of their members, to respond to the needs of the neighbourhoods in which they are based. For example:
- Playgroups and parent, carer and toddler groups
- Out-of-school activities including homework clubs, Saturday schools, and faith- or culturally-specific educational opportunities
- Youth clubs and play schemes
- Self-help groups and activities meeting the needs of specific sectors
- Adult education programmes, job clubs, training schemes
- Sessions to develop people’s confidence and self-esteem
- Advice Centres, Internet Cafes and IT projects
- Older people’s groups and lunch clubs
- Drop-in centres and neighbourhood care schemes
Others may just be beginning to explore the process:
- they may have ideas, hopes, dreams and visions of what they would like to achieve
- they may be researching local needs or looking for partners to work with
- they may have feasibility studies, business plans and drawings
- they may have found none of the funds, some of the funds or all of the funds
Common to all is that, motivated by their various faiths, they are seeking to work with others to build a better, healthier, fairer, more viable and enriched society by putting their resources at the disposal of the community and creating new hope and opportunities in some of the most under-resourced and socially isolated areas and sectors.
How do I get in touch?
In the first instance, please contact us on 0845 6580388, or by e-mail via: info@activefaiths.org.uk. We will be delighted to speak to you on the phone, come and meet you, or welcome you to our office in Kirkstall.
What is the ICLS?
The Intercultural Communication and Leadership School brings together young people aged 20 – 30 who live in Bradford for a residential course to develop their leadership skills and share experiences and stories of their faith and background.
