Handing over and Moving On

Having joined the organisation in 2015, this coming July will mark 10 years at the Faith & Belief Forum. I have decided it is time to move on.  

Looking back at the past 10 years I am reminded of significant contextual events that have challenged us, together with some key organisational responses that have shaped us into the organisation we now are. 

When I joined the organisation in July 2015 Christianity was the majority faith in England and Wales; the UK was still in the EU; the Paris Agreement on climate change was about to instil new hope into efforts to restrict global warming; COVID wasn’t in the dictionary; far right politics was at the margins; and the talk was of austerity not a cost-of-living crisis. 

A decade later, England and Wales are no longer majority Christian; we are out of the EU; society is still adapting to communication, isolation and health challenges brought on by the Covid pandemic; a cost-of-living crisis has seen a sharp rise in food and energy insecurity; much of the hope from the Paris Agreement has evaporated; far right politics is more centre stage; and the horrendous and horrific events of 7th October 2023 and its aftermath have sent shock waves through the Middle East and, also, the UK.  

In response we have needed to become more strategic, and partnership focused. We have rebranded from the Three Faiths Forum (3FF) to the Faith & Belief Forum (F&BF), embracing the growing complexity of faith and belief identity in the UK and enabling strategic partnerships to deepen and multiply. 

This is reflected in the way we now work with specific Universities such as the London School of Economics with whom we deliver our youth leadership programme; with key organisations in the education sector such as the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education; with academic institutions that have helped improve our methodologies such as the Cambridge Interfaith Programme, Coventry University and Goldsmith’s University; with ‘shoulder’ organisations such as the restorative justice NGO Why Me? and anti-prejudice organisations such as Facing History and Ourselves and Solutions Not Sides; with other interfaith organisations such as Interfaith Glasgow and The Feast; with specific faith based organisations such as Mitzvah Day, The Delicate Mind, and NishkamSWAT; with government agencies such as the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Solihull Local Authority; with the network of The Crown that is the Greater London Lieutenancy; and with funders such as Culham St. Gabriel’s Trust and The Exilarch’s Foundation. These are some of the strategic partnerships that have developed, and which are the lifeblood of our operation.  

With the support of our partners, we have adapted the shape of our long-standing schools and universities legacy programming. There has been a major evaluation of ParliaMentors which has continually adapted to meet the needs of students, for example by introducing conflict resolution training; a growth in the impact of the youth alumni network (the first, now annual, Interfaith Youth Summit was in 2016); over 15,000 downloads of our now regularly published online resources since the start of the pandemic; and the development of a broader offer to schools, extending beyond our flagship Linking and Workshops projects, to exploring object oriented learning and parental engagement. 

In addition, we have established a strong communities wing to our work. The Dangoor Awards are now a recognised part of the annual interfaith calendar, and a new Wellbeing Festival will further expand the visibility of faith and belief in the public square; our partnership with the Greater London Lieutenancy has helped widen engagement with local authorities across the capital; we have piloted new approaches to interfaith dialogue at the community level, building local capacities to repair harm resulting from faith-based hate through restorative approaches; and we have just completed a national consultation which promises to deliver a more impactful annual Interfaith Week.   

The next decade will present new contextual challenges, requiring new responses. F&BF is in good shape and, through strong collaborations and partnerships, will continue to contribute to the collective task of strengthening interfaith relations so that we are better equipped to work with and for each other. 

As I step back, I am reminded of the words of our founder and inspiration Sir Sigmund Sternberg who said: ‘Attitudes cannot be changed by edict, by orders, by laws. They can be changed only by education, by familiarity, by dialogue. They can be changed only in an atmosphere where there is a willingness to listen to other voices.’  F&BF remains a vital cog in the process of creating this atmosphere in schools, universities and communities, to building positive interfaith relations and social cohesion in the UK. Our society needs a strong interfaith sector. I have seen first-hand the positive impact of interfaith work and am confident that F&BF will remain an important, positive contributor in this space.  

I am handing over to Carrie Alderton who has been invaluable in charting the path to where we now are. Previously our Head of Programmes and Development, Carrie brings a track record of innovative programme management, particularly in the education sphere.  Her infectious energy will be put to good use as F&BF beds in the next chapter of its exciting evolution, with a 30-year anniversary only a few years away. Please join me in congratulating Carrie on her appointment, and please support her as she takes on her new and important role.  

Finally, many thanks to everyone who has connected with F&BF during these past ten years. I am especially grateful to all the staff, past and present, who have added so much to what F&BF has become, at a time when interfaith work is so badly needed. My thanks also to trustees past and present, to our Champions, our President, and to our donors who have been so generous with their financial support.  

Most importantly, I want to express my gratitude to all those of different faiths and beliefs I have had the good fortune to engage with these past 10 years. Far too many to mention, I have learnt so much from you all and can confidently say I have been shaped by you.  

Thank you for the encounters, the workshops, the roundtables, the meals, the laughs, the tears, the dialogue, the challenge. Thank you for what has been an incredible journey for me. I am a better person for it. I know this because I am now equipped to talk about my faith. I consequently know myself better, which gives me a greater chance of understanding others. I owe this to F&BF and the journey I have travelled with you all these past 10 years.  

Go well. 

Phil.