Bradford Trident

Faith organisations have much to contribute towards the regeneration process. Every faith has a social justice agenda, which is supportive of the aims of a regeneration partnership such as, reducing poverty and increasing educational attainment. Faith communities contribute their buildings for social and economic regeneration. They possess a great willingness and desire in improving the well being of their area and community.

Faith organisations share a unique relationship with their members encompassing both a spiritual and moral aspect. A good example of how effective this relationship can be is demonstrated by for example the Aerobics classes, which were run by a Hindu temple in the area for the elderly. In most cases uptake for this type of project would have been low but because the Temple ran the classes it proved to be extremely successful. Faith organisations have also served as a conduit to access hard to reach groups such as the elderly and those for whom English is a second language. In the Trident area, the mosques have served as a means to access elderly and new immigrant Muslim populations.

Faith Communities, through their faith organisations, have the ability to at times identify and react to situations quicker than either the Local Authority or NDC in our case. The best example of this locally has been the work currently being undertaken by mosques and churches in our area with asylum seekers and refugees and European economic migrants, who have not been engaged as extensively by statutory services.