Members of different faith groups in the London borough of Lambeth came together Thursday evening to discuss the development of an effective role in the local community, where a massive 70 per cent belong to a faith group.
The 'Faith in Lambeth Forum' is the first in a number of planned seminars aimed at bringing members of Lambeth's faith communities together to explore closer and more effective ways of working together.
Speakers at the evening's event, organised by the local Lambeth Council, included Hyacinth Parsons, Public Order and Community Cohesion at the Government Office for London, and Lambeth Chief Executive Derrick Anderson who addressed the audience on 'Community Cohesion in Lambeth'.
Mr Anderson, highly regarded for his commitment to good relations with the local faith communities, elaborated on the success of the Lambeth Faith Groups Steering Group in strengthening Council relations with faith groups and between faith groups through a number of events it has helped to organise.
"Faith groups are absolutely critical in terms of drive to create a cohesive local community," he said, as he considered the ongoing challenge of ensuring that faith groups work together effectively without any group feeling excluded.
Ms Parsons said that faith communities were "a good starting point" for discussions on difficult issues facing the local community of Lambeth, which include the large disparity between and segregation of rich and poor as well as high levels of crime.
"Faith groups need to carve out a vision of what their role should be in the community," she said as she stressed that results were not going to be achieved only through discussions but also needed real action.
