Welcome by Daniel Singleton, FaithAction Welcomed participants to the session. Faith seems to be topical again, with a lot of focus on the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, and his faith. Launching the Faith Covenant Guidebook by Jeremy Simmons, FaithAction Introduced the Faith Covenant Guidebook and explained why it had been developed The Guidebook follows the first independent evaluation of the Faith Covenant since the first Covenant was signed in 2014. The evaluation was carried out by Coventry University and funded by the Sir Halley...

Welcome Zöe Franklin MP, Chair of the APPG on Faith and Society, opened the event, highlighting the report’s finding that churches are delivering more than a quarter of a million essential services, often weekly. These include: Food support and community meals Debt and benefits advice Mental-health and wellbeing support Children’s and family services Youth work Housing and homelessness support Support for older people Community and social activities The Gather Movement’s research Roger Sutton and Mark Cowling of the Gather Movement explained that Gather has been...

Meeting Opens Independent Chair Sir John Hayes MP conducted the official business of the AGM. Sir John confirmed that the meeting was quorate, with 8 parliamentarians in attendance at the beginning of the meeting. Election of Officers All roles were nominated by Wera Hobhouse MP and seconded by Ben Lake MP Chair: Zöe Franklin MP Officer: Anna Dixon MP Officer: Danny Kruger MP Officer: Baroness Berridge Income and Expenditure Statement The APPG Income and Expenditure statement was presented and agreed by those present. Annual Report...

Welcome, by Jeremy Simmons, FaithAction Welcomed participants to the session, and began by outlining the purpose of the Faith Covenant Evaluation research: The project is an evaluation of the Faith Covenant, which has been in existence for over a decade but has never previously been formally evaluated. The evaluation began in September (previous year). It is conducted in partnership with Coventry University (led by Dr Dan Range). Funded by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust. 33 local authorities have signed the Covenant, covering approximately 12 million people....

Daniel Singleton, FaithAction Welcomed attendees and highlighted the importance of continuing dialogue across localities. Introduced Zöe Franklin, new Chair of the APPG on Faith & Society. Set context for the discussion: Interfaith Week activities, covenant updates, and partnership opportunities. Zöe Franklin MP, Chair of APPG Introduced herself as: MP for Guildford Former local councillor Liberal Democrat spokesperson for local government Practising Christian Shared her journey into chairing the APPG, inspired by Faith Covenant research and the work of FaithAction. Outlined her aims: Attend at least...

Welcome, by Daniel Singleton, FaithAction Welcomed attendees Brief updates on FaithAction programmes and upcoming plans. Encouragement for engagement with FaithAction’s weekly e-newsletter. Introduction to Zöe Franklin MP, new Chair of APPG on Faith and Society MP for Guildford since July; long-standing interest in faith and civil society. Practicing Christian; political career influenced by faith. Experience includes Guildford Borough Council and charity work. Sees the APPG as an opportunity to champion faith-civil society collaboration. Main interests include creative industries and refugee issues, aligning with her role...

Welcome Daniel Singleton from FaithAction, secretariat, welcomed those in attendance and opened the meeting. Election of officers Officers were elected as follows: Chair: Zöe Franklin MP Officer: Anna Dixon MP Officer: Danny Kruger MP Officer: Dame Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London Background to the APPG on Faith and Society Daniel Singleton, FaithAction The APPG on Faith and Society was formed in order for parliamentarians to support faith groups and their vital work. Previous work includes the development of the Faith Covenant – 33 local authorities...

Welcome Daniel Singleton, FaithAction Welcomed attendees and explained that Sir Stephen Timms MP was unable to join on this occasion. Reflected upon past signings of the Faith Covenant, adding that 25 local authorities have signed up so far. Looked back at how partnerships were forged during the pandemic, noting that ‘faith is not just for crisis’ and that cross-sector partnerships are vital. Raised that Faith in Partnership Week is in September, with more details to follow in the meeting. The Bloom Review Jeremy Simmons, FaithAction...