'Heart of the Neighbourhood' Report

How the church is providing essential services in every part of the country.

More than 100 leaders gathered in Westminster on Tuesday 8 September for the parliamentary launch of Gather Movement's "Heart of the Neighbourhood" report, presented at the Faith and Society All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).

The event, which brought together civic and church leaders, academics, MPs and members of the House of Lords, and representatives from national Christian organisations, shared groundbreaking national mapping that is beginning to reveal the extraordinary scale and impact of churches and other faith settings serving their local communities across the UK.

This mapping work has already identified around a quarter of a million services being offered by churches, daily, weekly or monthly – from food provision and family support to work with children and young people, older people, mental health, debt, homelessness and many other areas of community life.

The Heart of the Neighbourhood Report gives a compelling glimpse of the national picture. Now Gather want to complete it - with a bold ambition of mapping every borough and Local Authority area across the UK.

This mapping work has already been undertaken in 3 districts in East Lancashire, and funding has now been secured from LCC Children and Family Wellbeing service to carry out the mapping in the 9 remaining districts of Lancashire. So, the next step is to recruit two or three volunteers in each district to contact churches and other faith locations, and complete four survey questionnaires - on food, mental health, family support, homelessness & housing.

Gather Movement is looking for volunteers who can commit 4–8 hours per week for three months to contact church and faith leaders and complete a short telephone survey with them. By investing a few hours each week, you'll play a significant part in helping churches become better connected, better recognised, and better equipped to serve their communities together.

Renumeration: £13.45/hour

If interested, please contact:

Nathan Murray - Lancashire Regional Mapping Coordinator

nathanmurray@gathermovement.org.uk | 07365803075 

or Peter Lumsden -  Lancashire Regional Connector for Gather

pjlumsden58@gmail.com  | 07929270753