Catriona Robertson
local research / multifaith workThe Sanctuary of St Alphege
A place to find spritual strength while working for economic justice and human dignity. A place of encounter for people of different religious traditions and none.
This piece of work started out by looking into a possible centre for urban spirituality in London SE1.
It ended with a lot more besides – sketes, students, catalytic co-production, multi faith spaces and a shrine.
I talked to some extraordinary people – thank you everyone who participated. A fascinating journey.
From Neighbourhood Renewal to the Big Society?
Come & join us in celebrating 10 years of WCEN on 22nd November at 6pm in Battersea.
Maurice Glasman will be speaking and we will be hearing from many friends who have supported us over the years. What will the next 10 years in social policy and community empowerment look like?
Plus – it’ll be a great party :)
Download an invitation and register your name.
Lunch in Multifaith Europe
Involved in building trust across communities? Want to make links with similar groups across Europe?
Join London Boroughs Faiths Network and others in central London for a light lunch on Monday 28th November 12.30-2pm to hear more about the new European Religion & Belief Network.
Download an invitation. Register online.
Better, smarter, co-produced public services
Wandsworth Community Empowerment Network is bringing community organisations, religious groups and public agencies together on Wednesday 28th September to Close the Gap between the public sector and local people.
This is a brilliant (and rare) opportunity to find out how co-production works, how faith groups can co-design services and how people who most depend on public services can get what they need.
Closing the Gap III will take place at the Samaj Hall, 26b Tooting High Street, SW17 0RG 4.30pm – 7.30pm (short walk from Tooting Broadway tube).
The event is free – register at www.closingthegap3.eventbrite.com.
Religion, identity, citizenship – Pakistan & London
This Saturday in Tooting – Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP, Prof Iftikhar Malik & Revd Rana Khan.
Let me know if you’d like an invitation.
Inter Faith Week in London
For Londoners interested to know what’s going on during Inter Faith Week (21-27 November), I’ve added a page to the London Boroughs Faiths Network blog with a selection of events.
LBFN, which I convene, is hosting an event for those interested in links with multifaith and intercultural networks in Europe. As ever, people of all faiths and none are very welcome – leave a comment here if you’d like more information.
Healing Our Broken Village II
The second conference on the church, black communities and mental health is taking place today at New Testament Assembly in Tooting, with Dr Frank Keating as keynote speaker.
Aaaruthal – mental wellbeing & the Tamil community
A packed conference in two venues – the Shree Ghanapathy Temple in Merton and Springfield Hospital in Wandsworth – on collective trauma and the mental wellbeing of the Sri Lankan Tamil community in London also looked at how local religious communities can ‘co-produce’ health services with the NHS to good effect.
A short film of the event is posted on the WCEN website.
Data & mapping: government publication or citizen conversation?
At WCEN we’ve been looking at how local communities, especially those on the edge, can get the local information that government holds on us (eg on how healthy we are, where crime is happening). If we have the same data as they do, we’ll be better able to come up with ideas on how to make our local communities healthier, safer, etc – and work with the public services to make it happen.
We’re particularly interested in mapping, with data arriving as live feeds. And we want to be able to add our own information. So far we’ve talked to academics, mainly geographers, about possibilities.
With co-production / coop councils / Big Society ideas all around, I was happy to find Hadley Beeman’s new blog on government open data – & all the comments it’s attracted. Have a look – all kinds of government officials, policy wonks, computer types, academics are contributing.
Closing the Gap: co-production of health services
Packed WCEN conference “Closing the Gap” (between health services & local communities) in Wandsworth. It followed several meetings at places of worship and other community groups where Wandsworth NHS board members listened to the difficulties some people face when trying to get the health care they need.
Latest film is now on the WCEN website.
