Have Your Say on the Future of Inter Faith Week  

The Faith & Belief Forum has launched a nationwide consultation to shape the future of Inter Faith Week. The consultation, which the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government intends to fund, will be taking place in January and February 2025 and invites interfaith organisations, practitioners, and enthusiasts to share their views.  

This initiative comes in the wake of the closure of The Inter Faith Network for the UK in Spring 2024, which had been instrumental in facilitating Inter Faith Week since its inception in 2009.  

The consultation will be led by leading national interfaith charity, the Faith & Belief Forum, in partnership with United Religions Initiative UK, Council of Christians and Jews, National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on RE, Mitzvah Day, Religions for Peace UK, All Faiths Network.  

Get Involved  

This is your chance to share your insights and help shape the future of Inter Faith Week. Whether you’ve hosted events, attended discussions, or simply value the importance of interfaith engagement, your voice is crucial.   

Workshops will be held across the country and online, to ensure that all those who wish to participate have the opportunity. An online questionnaire will also gather the views of those unable to attend the workshops.  

Details on how to participate can be found on the Faith & Belief Forum website. 

Background: About Inter Faith Week  

Inter Faith Week is an annual initiative every November, aimed at strengthening interfaith relations, increasing awareness of the diversity and contribution of faith communities in the UK, and fostering understanding between people of different religious and non-religious beliefs. Since its launch in 2009, Inter Faith Week has seen thousands of events including discussions, dialogues, community walks, cultural festivals, and educational activities.  

Inter Faith Week was initiated by The Inter Faith Network for the UK in 2009, following the 2008 Department for Communities and Local Government report ‘Face to Face and Side by Side – a Framework for Partnership in our Multi Faith Society’.   

After the closure of The Inter Faith Network for the UK in Spring 2024, a loose coalition of national interfaith organisations came together to facilitate Inter Faith Week in November 2024, supported with funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Despite the success of Inter Faith Week 2024, there remains uncertainty about the future of Inter Faith Week. The consultation seeks to gather the views of those involved in the interfaith sector which will be presented to government and policy makers for consideration.   

The consultation is a critical step in determining how Inter Faith Week can continue to play a vital role in promoting unity and understanding in today’s diverse and multicultural society.   

For media inquiries or further information, please contact Sophie Mitchell at sophie.mitchell@faithbeliefforum.org