FaithinDerbyshire Derby Diocesan Council for Social Responsibility Derby Church House Full Street Derby DE1 3DR Telephone: 01332 388684 email:
[email protected] fax: 01332 292969 www.derby.anglican.org Working towards a better Derbyshire; faith based contribution FOREWORD I am delighted to be among those acknowledging the significance of this report. Generally speaking, people of faith are not inclined to blow their own trumpets. This report in its calm and methodical way, simply shows the significant work quietly going on through the buildings and individuals making up our faith communities. Such service to the community is offered out of personal commitment. At the same time, it also deserves acknowledgment and support from those in a position to allocate resources, because grants to faith communities are a reliable and cost effective way of delivering practical help to those who need it. Partnership gets results. This report shows what people of faith are offering. With more partners, more can be offered. David Hawtin Bishop of Repton and Convenor of the Derbyshire Church and Society Forum I am especially pleased that every effort has been taken to make this research fully ecumenical in nature, investigating the work done by churches of so many different denominations: this makes these results of even greater significance to all concerned. I hope that a consequence of churches collaborating in this effort will be an increased partnership across the denominations in the future. Throughout their history Churches have been involved in their communities and this continues today. In the future this involvement is likely to result in increasing partnerships, not only with each other but also with other agencies and community groups.