Britain has a new Faith-Based Regeneration Network, launched at a conference in London by more than a hundred representatives from the country’s faith communities.

Members of the UK Bahá'í community have worked side by side with other faiths to bring about the Network’s establishment.

Its purpose is to support and help people working for faith-based organisations in the fields of neighbourhood renewal and regeneration. It will encourage faith-based grassroots initiatives and active participation by religious communities in existing local initiatives and partnerships.

The launch conference which was held at the Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in Kensington, started with a few moments of quiet prayer and reflection and readings from the major faiths represented on the network.

Bahá'ís attending the conference included representatives of the National Spiritual Assembly of the UK, together with individuals who already work in the regeneration field or with local voluntary organisations.

Individual Bahá'ís and the UK Bahá'í community as a whole have built up a significant repertoire of achievements in regeneration and community cohesion, working with voluntary organisations and through the work being done by the Institute for Social Cohesion, which held its national colloquium in May this year.

Recently representatives of the Office of External Affairs made a presentation to the Home Office's Community Cohesion Panel about the work of the Institute for Social Cohesion.

Soon after, the Office of External Affairs representatives met with Lord Filkin, the Home Office Minister with responsibility for faith matters. Following these meetings, the National Bahá'í Assembly will now be represented on the Home Office's new Community Cohesion Practitioner Panel. CP

Delegates at the Faith Based Regeneration Network conference