Thursday 12 February 2009

Faith Led Regeneration Honoured by Prime Ministerial Visit

The news is full of the third sector as the government promises to give more money to help with the recession hit charities. On the governments website there is a lovely video from Bromley by Bow centre at which the initiative is announced in the following way:
Liam Byrne, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said:
“We’ve doubled government help to charities, voluntary group and social enterprises from £5.5 billion to over £11 billion. That means these vital groups face the downturn with unprecedented strength.
“The best of the British spirit is the way we pull together when times are tough. And its Britain’s charities, voluntary groups and social enterprises that so often make that happen.
“We’ve been monitoring daily what’s happening to donations and demands for new services, and with incredible support from the sector we’re launching a lazer-targeted package of help with tens of millions extra for charities providing employment advice, mental health and family support services in the most deprived areas of England and Wales, plus millions extra to help those out of work start volunteering.”
“Britain can beat this downturn. Just like we’ve beaten everything else this world has thrown at us in the decades gone by. But we’ll win by pulling together. Not by facing the storm alone”.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/news/news_stories/090209_real_help.aspx


It’s a lovely promise, but what a shame that at no point is it mentioned in any new report that Bromley By Bowe is a faith led community enterprise, set up by United Reformed Minister Andrew Mawson, now Lord Mawson. The contribution of faith to regeneration once again lost in the phrase Third Sector.
I spotted Lord Mawson in the back of the photos, smiling I think at yet another government initiative launched at Bromley by Bowe and ignoring its principals and origin.
Does it matter?
Probably not, but it would be a tremendous encouragement to those of us who have glimpsed a vision of Faith led Renaissance and started to build if we had a star to look at.

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