News

  • Latest e-bulletin – published 10 November 2016

    We publish regular e-bulletins – with information on events, resources and funding. Read our latest edition, published on Thursday 10 November 2016. Please contact us with any news or information that you would like to have included in future editions. Please forward this to anyone who may be interested in being added to our email list.

    Send any event information to me at johanna@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk.

    Read the e-bulletin here

  • Health Awareness Day 2016 – Five Ways to Wellbeing

    Bristol Multi-Faith Forum in partnership with ReThink, NHS Blood and Organ Donation Team and BCC Inner City Health Team held a Health Awareness Day on
    Sunday 9th October 2016. It was from 10am to 3pm at Trinity Community Centre, Trinity Rd, Bristol BS2 0NW. The theme was ‘5 ways to Wellbeing’.

    There were stalls, children’s arts and crafts, free yoga sessions and much more. Free lunch was provided between 12pm – 1.30pm.

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  • Latest e-bulletin – published 23 September 2016

    We publish regular e-bulletins – with information on events, resources and funding. Read our latest edition, published on Friday 23rd September 2016. Please contact us with any news or information that you would like to have included in future editions. Please forward this to anyone who may be interested in being added to our email list.

    Send any event information to me at johanna@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk.

    Read the e-bulletin here

  • ‘Food Poverty’ – Bristol Multi-Faith Forum Open Meeting – 27th September

    Our next Open Forum Meeting is on Tuesday 27th September 2016  at 6.30pm to 8.30pm (Vegetarian refreshments available from 6pm) at the Barton Hill Settlement, (4th Floor Terrace Room, ) 43 Ducie Road, Bristol, BS5 0AX. The topic is ‘The role of Faith Communities in alleviating food poverty’ with speakers from the Bristol Council of Mosques, FoodCycle Bristol Hub and Shri Guru Nanak Prakash Singh Sabha Gurdwara (Bristol Sikh Temple).

    The programme is:

    6.00pm                Refreshments

    6.30pm                Welcome – Tracy Lewis, Chair, Bristol Multi Faith Forum

    6.40pm                Guest Speaker: Arif Khan, Chair of Bristol Council of Mosques Food Distribution Project

    7.20pm                Guest Speaker: there will be a speaker from North Bristol Foodbank, based at Ebenezer Church

    7.50pm                Guest Speaker: Jazz Singh, Committee Member at Shri Guru Nanak Prakash Singh Sabha Gurdwara, (Bristol Sikh Temple). He will talk about the history behind offering free food every Sunday (Langar)

    8.40pm                Feedback

    8.30pm                Close

    See our flyer here

     

     

  • Latest E-bulletin – published 1st September 2016

    We publish regular e-bulletins – with information on events, resources and funding. Read our latest edition, published on Thursday 1st September 2016. Please contact us with any news or information that you would like to have included in future editions. Please forward this to anyone who may be interested in being added to our email list.

    Send any event information to me at johanna@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk.

    Read the e-bulletin  here

  • Terror attack in a Catholic Church in Rouan, France. 26.7.2016.

    A few words from our Chair….

    We hear news of another dreadful act of terrorism in France enacted by people claiming to be motivated by a religiously identified group. Expressions of horror are voiced by people across Europe and beyond.

    How do we begin to challenge such violence and the people who both inspire and commit it? All religions, rightly understood and practiced, have central beliefs and practices about values of promoting peaceful living, serving the neighbour and people in need and living together in community for the good of all. When we hear of such distorted understandings of a faith leading to violent crime such as happened near Rouan today … people of good faith must give out the clear message that such violence is unacceptable and an abuse of the sacred humanity we share. And we must speak out this message together.

    When news broke of this latest attack in a French Church, a leading Muslim community spokesperson in Bristol contacted Bristol Multi faith Forum with this message :-

    ‘It is with deep sadness that we offer our condolence to the tragic deaths in Rouen, Normandy earlier today.
    It is an horrific act.
    Please convey our thoughts and prayers to the Catholic community in Bristol in this very sad moment.
    We also pray for the peace and security of all our places of worship and the respective clergy that serve so vehemently in our communities.
    If there is anything that I can assist with then please let me know.’

    In these very sad and difficult times we often wonder what we can do to challenge the violence we witness.
    We can, as people of faith, pray according to our many different traditions for one another, for the people involved in this attack, and for peace.
    We can, together express our condolences to the people of St-Etienne-du-Rouvary where the attack happened today, remember the government and people of France and French citizens living in Bristol.
    And we can maintain our commitment to being a diverse and united community that maintains good relationships and encourages mutual respect – speaking up and acting for peace by our actions.

    Tracey Lewis – Chair of Bristol Multi Faith Forum

    Following the murder of Fr Jacques Hamel in a Catholic Church in Rouan in France, Bristol police have asked us to pass on some information. They say:
    “The intention is that PCSOs and local PCs will visit all places of worship within their areas during normal patrol over the next few days.
    .• There is no intelligence to indicate a similar threat in the UK.
    • Security advice for places of worship is available. http://www.gov.uk/…/counter-terrorism-protective-security-a…
    There is funding available for bids with regards to security measures. https://www.gov.uk/…/places-of-worship-security-funding-sch…
    (It should be noted that bids for this round of funding will have to be in by the 20th of September 2016. A further round of bids for funding will open in Spring 2017.)
    • Further advice is being formulated by the South West Counter Terrorism Security Advisors and this will follow shortly.
    • This as an opportunity to further engage with and reinforce local relationships with the faith community and to remind leaders that, should they have concerns over an event or with an individual, that early contact with their local neighbourhood team is a firm option.”

  • Bastille Day attack in Nice – Statement from the Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Inter Faith Network for the UK

    Our neighbour France has again suffered an atrocity which leaves in its wake dozens dead and injured and a community and country in mourning.  Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected by this cowardly and horrendous attack.

    Such attacks are designed to rupture the fabric of civil society – not just in France but throughout Europe and beyond: to create suspicion, fear and hatred.

    It is vital that in the UK we continue to work for a society which is marked by commitment to tackle tough issues with honesty and constructiveness and to work peacefully to resolve disagreement. Extreme voices and actions have no part in this.

    Communities will, and must, continue to reject and stand against brutal violence where it is claimed by perpetrators to be in the name of their religion.

    It is vital, too, that we support communities that may be rendered vulnerable by events overseas or at home.  There must be no room for prejudice which singles out any community because of criminal actions carried out by a few in the name of its religion.

    Our thoughts turn back to France and indeed to all countries around the world affected by terrorism.   In the UK, many will be holding vigils and times of prayer.  We join our prayers to theirs.

  • Latest E-bulletin: Wednesday 13th July

    We publish regular e-bulletins – with information on events, resources and funding. Read our latest edition, published on Wednesday 13 June2016. Please contact us with any news or information that you would like to have included in future editions. Please forward this to anyone who may be interested in being added to our email list.

    Send any event information to me at johanna@bristolmultifaithforum.org.uk.

    Read the e-bulletin  here

  • Following on from the Referendum vote…

    On Thursday 7th July people of different faith communities in Bristol got together to talk about the result of the EU membership referendum result.

    It was a lively meeting where we talked about the ways in which some in our communities had experienced increased tension and incidents of low level  hate crime. We encouraged faith communities to support their members in reporting even the smallest incidents of friction or abuse – either to SARI or the police. And we discussed a wide range of issues arising from the new place that we find ourselves in; education, being a city of Sanctuary and maintaining an open welcome for refugees and asylum seekers; engaging with the economic and employment stresses that will arise in this time of uncertainty; challenging racism in all its forms … and much more.

    We emphasized how it is a time to stand together in the good relationships that already exist within our multi-cultural city and to continue to be committed to peaceful coexistence and partnership.

    Bristol is a city that cherishes its diverse and vibrant multi-cultural community and culture and we all have a part to play in protecting and sustaining that identity.

    Bristol Multi Faith Forum has been invited to work with the Mayor’s strategy group in response to the issues arising from the vote to leave the EU. It was very good to have this opportunity to begin the conversation with people of our faith communities about both the immediate consequences and priorities and the great strengths that people and communities of faith have to bring to the conversations of the city in this time of change.

  • News Magazine July 2016

    Our Summer News Magazine is out. Have a look to keep up to date with some of the activities we have been involved with over the past few months. Read about our partnership work, hustings , Race Equality in Nature Conference and our Faith Trail. 

     

     

    To read it click here

     

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