Faith Covenant

During 2018, BHFA proposed a Faith Covenant with the local authority, Brighton & Hove City Council to combat the perception that the faith community was often excluded from funding streams and contracts and to open new lines of dialogue between faith leaders and city councillors and senior officers at the local authority.  

This was warmly welcomed by Brighton & Hove City Council and the covenant cleared the Neighbourhoods, Inclusion, Communities & Equalities (NICE) committee on 8th October 2018.

The Faith Council is now the guardian of the Faith Covenant which is an agreement that provides a set of principles to guide partnership working between faith communities and the city council to ensure an open, collaborative and respectful relationship. It also sets out practical commitments by which the faith communities and the city council should abide, designed to create a constructive partnership with the common goal of helping more people and communities in the city, flourish and meet their full potential.  It also ensures that the faith community has the opportunity to be considered for paid contracts when the opportunities arise.

In November, BHFA organised a launch and official signing of the Faith Covenant which was attended by Hon Stephen Timms MP who is the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Faith and Society. The APPG has been promoting the uptake of faith convenants between local authorities and faith groups in all areas of the United Kingdom.