TCT Faith Action Audit
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Transcript of TCT Faith Action Audit
Faith Action Audit
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are grateful for the support and guidance of many
individuals and groups who have contributed to the writing
of this report. Particular thanks are due to:
Steve Webb, MP.
Alistair Beattie, Faithnetsouthwest.
Martin Gregg, CVS.
Leadership and staff of Thornbury Churches.
Thornbury Volunteer Centre.
Willow Tree Centre.
Christian Aid.
All those who completed questionnaires and attended focus
groups which contributed to this research.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD BY MP STEVE WEBB 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
2.0 SUMMARY 2
3.0 CONTEXT 2
4.0 METHODOLOGY 3
5.0 PEOPLE AND FAITH IN THORNBURY 4
6.0 IMPACT OF FAITH VOLUNTEERS 5
7.0 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY 6
Churches and families. 6
Education. 9
Offenders. 9
Churches and the environment. 10
Thornbury and issues of social justice and
charitable concerns. 11
Churches and elderly people, those with disabilities
and special needs. 12
Churches and the arts, culture and sport. 13
Governance and civic life. 14
8.0 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES 15
Challenges. 20
Areas of success. 20
Chapter summary. 20
9.0 VOLUNTEERING WITHIN CHURCHES 21
10.0 CONCLUSIONS 22
11.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 24
DOCUMENT REFERENCES 24
APPENDICES
1 FOREWORD INTRODUCTION
1.0FOREWORD
Our local community in Thornbury contains many ‘unsung
heroes’ - people who give large amounts of their time and
commitment to a wide range of voluntary work. This includes
everything from supporting families in need, campaigning on
poverty and justice issues, litter picking and helping to
rehabilitate offenders to involvement in local
environmental projects.
For many of these people, their Christian faith is what motivates
them to serve their local community. First and foremost, this
report documents the scale of the contribution that is made by
Christian people in our area. Whilst it is impossible to put a cash
value on the time and care that people put in, paying people to
do the same work could easily cost over a million pounds a year.
As well as celebrating the successes of local churches and
individual believers in improving the quality of life of our
community, the report also highlights ways in which that
contribution could be even more effective. This includes making
sure that those in different denominations are kept informed
about the work that others in the same area are doing, and
making sure that those who are willing and able to volunteer
can find out how best to do so.
This is an uplifting report, celebrating the good that is already
done and identifying ways in which still more can be achieved. I
pay tribute to the vision of Thornbury Churches Together in
commissioning the report, to Sarah Martin, the author, who has
done a very professional job, and, most of all, to the unsung
heroes of our communities who give so much. I trust that all
those with a duty of care towards the people of Thornbury will
share my commitment to support the Churches in their on-
going service for the benefit of the wider community.
Steve Webb, Member of Parliament for Thornbury and Yate.
INTRODUCTION
1.1 In February 2010, Thornbury Churches Together (TCT)
commissioned the production of a Faith Action Audit for
Thornbury. The purpose of this work is to establish the
work undertaken by the Christian community for the
benefit of the wider community, to celebrate successes and
to identify ways of working better together both within
and outside of the churches.
1.2 The project also marks the 21st anniversary of the
establishment of Thornbury Churches Together, and was
concluded for the celebrations to mark this occasion on
23rd May 2010. The Faith Action Audit has been
conducted by Sarah Martin, under the guidance of a
project steering group made up of Sally Heath (Thornbury
Churches Together), Heather Pencavel (Thornbury United
Reformed Church), Roger Allen (Bristol Christian
Fellowship, Thornbury) and David Primrose (Church of
England), and was funded through a grant from a local
charitable trust.
1.3 Thornbury Churches Together is a group of churches
covenanted together since 1989, and linked to Churches
Together in Gloucestershire. It is formed from
representatives of the following churches; Church of
England (St Mary's and St Paul's, the Hackett), Roman
Catholic (Christ the King), Thornbury Baptist Church,
Thornbury Methodist Church, Thornbury United Reformed
Church, Society of Friends (Quakers), and Bristol Christian
Fellowship (BCF) and has close links with ngm, a music and
mission community for young people.
1.4 The report will look at the policies and priorities
underpinning Faith Action Audits, examine and analyse the
work being done by the Thornbury churches and their
members for the benefit of the wider community, and
draw up conclusions and recommendations as to ways of
overcoming obstacles and working more effectively and
cohesively as a faith community.
SUMMARY
2.1 The Faith Action Audit has revealed much about the
extent of the voluntary work of Thornbury’s churches
undertaken for the benefit of others. Through
questionnaires, interviews and focus groups, Christians
and their churches have shown that they contribute
voluntary hours valued at up to £1,850,000 each year,
and that the benefit of this work is felt at local, regional,
national and international level.
2.2 Yet Thornbury’s churches have the capacity to give more
and the challenge is to make the best use of the gifts and
talents of individuals who are prepared to give up their
time for others. The activities in which these faith groups
are involved can be classified under the headings of
“families”, “education”, “offenders”, “environment”,
“charity work/wider context”, “elderly, disabled and
special needs”, “arts, culture and sport” and “governance
and civic life”. The churches themselves are involved
corporately in some of these areas, and in particular
provide support through the use of buildings, in some
cases, resources and through their links with
communities in other parts of the country and across
the world.
2.3 There is a valuable opportunity for statutory and
voluntary sectors to engage with the churches in
Thornbury, to enhance volunteering and to support
and partner them in projects of benefit to the
whole community.
CONTEXT
3.1 Both local and national government place great
importance on a thriving voluntary and community sector,
both in the faith and secular environments. The work of
the faith community and the drawing together of this
work in a faith action audit supports three of the national
indicators in particular.
3.2 The first indicator of relevance is National Indicator 1; “%
of people who believe people from different backgrounds
get on well together in their local area”. The ecumenical
faith community brings together people of different ages,
cultural backgrounds and views. National Indicator 6:
“Participation in formal volunteering”, and National
Indicator 7: “Environment for a thriving third sector” are
also relevant to this project and are identified as priorities
by South Gloucestershire Council. The “third sector” is
defined as the voluntary and community sector including
social enterprise organisations and faith communities.
South Gloucestershire recognises faith communities as
constituent members of the voluntary and community
sector, and that volunteering has a huge impact on
promoting a thriving third sector in enhancing
neighbourhood cohesion.
3.3 A report written for The Government Office for the South
West and the South West Council of Faiths recognises the
importance of the contribution of faith communities to
their wider communities. In the publication, “Daily Service:
how faith communities contribute to neighbourhood
renewal and regeneration in the South West of England”
(Jackson and Kimberlee, University of the West of England
2004) it is stated that there is “growing recognition of the
potentially valuable role of faith communities in assisting
the growth of social cohesion within their locality and in
the delivery of a wide range of social welfare and
community services.” Our report will reveal how this work
takes place “on the ground” in Thornbury, and will show
the extent of the faith community’s commitment to
working for the benefit of others.
2.0 3.0
2 SUMMARY CONTEXT
3 METHODOLOGY
4.0METHODOLOGY
4.1 The research contributing to the Thornbury Churches
Together Faith Action Audit was carried out between
February and May 2010. Various methods were used to
gather information, including interviews, questionnaires,
focus groups and resources such as Census, regional
government and local authority information.
4.2 Two questionnaires were designed in order to obtain
information about Thornbury’s churches. The first was
directed towards the leaders of the seven TCT member
churches as organisations, and asked about the structure
and membership of the church, buildings, funding and
activities of the church (see Appendix A for the
questionnaire). The second questionnaire was aimed at all
the members of the churches in Thornbury and asked
about the volunteering habits of each individual (see
Appendix B for the questionnaire). The questionnaires
individuals completed were anonymous. In order to
maximise opportunities for individuals to complete the
questionnaire it was made available on paper, as an
e-mailed document and as an internet based survey
through the host website Survey Monkey.
4.3 The most detailed information was obtained using focus
groups comprising a small number of participants (up
to 7), selected due to their involvement in particular areas
of work. The steering group considered a range of possible
focus group topics, including arts/culture, work with the
elderly, and education. However, the three selected were
the following:
“Churches and families”.
“Churches and offenders”.
“Churches and the environment”.
4.4 The topics to be covered by the focus groups were selected
by the project steering group for their relevance to the
issues facing today’s society, both in the faith and secular
environments. All Thornbury churches were represented
amongst the focus group participants, who worked
through a series of exercises designed to explore the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers for the
work in each of the topic areas. The purpose of the focus
groups was to go beyond a discussion on the work that is
ongoing and examine how closer working links could be
established between the churches and how difficulties
could be overcome through sharing and working together.
4.5 Interviews and more informal discussions took place with
church leaders, Faithnetsouthwest, Christian Aid,
Thornbury Volunteer Centre, local MP Steve Webb and
those who had had inputs to other faith action audits in
order to identify areas of best practice and obtain a variety
of perspectives on the role and work of Thornbury’s
various Christian communities.
PEOPLE AND FAITH IN THORNBURY
5.1 Thornbury is a small market town with a population of
approximately 13,500 (2001 Census) which lies six miles to
the north of Bristol, close to the Severn Estuary. It offers a
high quality environment, good transport connections and,
for most, an excellent quality of life.
5.2 In South Gloucestershire as a whole, 83% of residents are
satisfied with their local area, according to the local
authority’s 2009 Quality of Life Indicators Report, with life
expectancy well above national average, and crime below
both regional and national averages. Despite this positive
overall picture, there remain areas of deprivation and need,
both within South Gloucestershire and Thornbury, which
are often overlooked.
5.3 Thornbury has a vibrant Christian community of whom
approximately 1,000 will be in church on an ordinary
Sunday, with about 1,500 attending at least monthly, and
many more residents who describe themselves as
Christians (77% of the Thornbury population according to
the 2001 Census). There are small numbers of people of
other faiths also living in Thornbury, including Buddhists,
Hindus, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs (a total of 0.7% of the
Thornbury population in the 2001 Census), who tend to
worship in locations with greater populations of these
faiths, such as in Bristol and Gloucester.
5.0
4 PEOPLE AND FAITH IN THORNBURY
5 IMPACT OF FAITH VOLUNTEERS
6.0IMPACT OF FAITH VOLUNTEERS
6.1 This chapter will present the responses to the individuals
questionnaire in quantitative terms to present a picture of
volunteer numbers, the amount of people who would like
to do more voluntary work, how this could be achieved
and to seek to put a value on the voluntary hours provided
by Thornbury churches.
6.2 A total of 319 individuals replied to the questionnaire. 66%
of respondents were female and 34% were male. Of these,
88% of the females and 82% of the males were active
volunteers. 81% of the under 30 year olds who completed
the questionnaire volunteered; the figures were 86% of 30-
65 year olds and 87% of over 65s.
6.3 It is probable that those who volunteered were more likely
to complete the questionnaire than those who did not, but
nonetheless there remain a large number of individuals
who give up time regularly for others. Using data provided
by the churches on regular attendance, the percentage of
respondents in our survey who volunteer is over 85%.
South Gloucestershire Council Place Survey carried out in
June 2008 of 1,400 individuals found that 26% of
respondents took part in voluntary work at least once a
month. Of those responding to the Faith Action Audit
questionnaire, 86% took part in volunteering. Whilst
acknowledging methodological differences, the apparent
positive correlation between church membership and
volunteering is in keeping with recent research,
(ref www.ivr.org.uk).
6.4 The questionnaire asked the number of hours volunteered
per week. The majority of those who volunteered were
able to offer between one and five hours a week, as shown
in the chart below. Although the amount of time people
are able to offer varies, a total of 82 individuals who
completed the questionnaire gave over 5 hours of their
time each week to voluntary activities.
6.5 To look at these results in financial terms, this means that
in Thornbury those who responded to the survey
contribute at least 936 hours of formal and informal
voluntary work every week. Even at the minimum wage of
£5.80 per hour equates to £5,428 per week or £282,297
per year. At a higher, average wage of £12.50 per hour,
this figure is £11,700 per week (£608,400 per year) of
hours contributed by those who replied, averaging £2,210
per person per year. If this is extrapolated to reflect the
whole contribution made by the various Christian
communities of Thornbury the figure could reach
£1,890,000 per year. These figures only relate to
volunteering by Christians. The total value of volunteering
in Thornbury is yet to be assessed.
6.6 A total of 69 individuals (22%) who completed the
questionnaire would like to become more involved in
voluntary activities in Thornbury. There are many reasons
why these people are not more involved, the most
common being time pressures of family, work and other
commitments (36 individuals cited this reason).
6.7 Of those responding, 16 people stated that they needed
better information as to the volunteering opportunities
available. Suggestions were made to help people find out
where there is a need for volunteers, including
encouraging churches to regularly pass on news about
volunteering opportunities, both within and outside the
church and for opportunities to be better advertised by
organisations requiring volunteers. Alongside people
needing to know more about where voluntary help is
required, 8 individuals commented that they would carry
out more voluntary work if they could find an activity to
which they were attracted. 6 people noted that they were
already involved as volunteers but could do more if they
were asked or given the opportunity.
6.8 It appears that there are many opportunities for making
better use of people who already volunteer, and who
would like to do more, as well as perhaps utilising those
who just have a very small amount of spare time on an
either regular or irregular basis. By providing information
in a number of different ways, for example through the
churches as well as through Thornbury Volunteer Centre
and other organisations, it is likely that still greater
numbers of people will come forward to volunteer
their time.
SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY
7.1 This section presents and analyses the qualitative
information which the members of the Thornbury churches
have provided through questionnaires, interviews and
focus groups on the voluntary work they carry out. It is
divided under topic headings, to give a clear picture of the
work being undertaken in a range of areas across the
churches in Thornbury.
7.2 Churches and families.
7.2.1 Of those who completed the questionnaire, 27% (85
individuals) were involved in voluntary work with
families. Many of the volunteers helped in activities for
school aged children and young people, and led or
assisted with sports teams, youth groups, young
people’s arts and crafts, and holiday clubs. Some of this
work is carried out at Turnberries Community Centre,
and many of the clubs run from Thornbury Baptist
Church. The range of young people’s activities includes:
• Beanies: volunteers run this dance group for
children in years reception to year 6, once a month
on a Saturday morning.
• ‘SNG’: volunteers run this group with the Youth
Worker and a trainee youth worker on Sunday
evenings for ages 15-21. This group also goes away
on weekends and is involved in community projects.
• Adventurers: volunteers run this group along with
a trainee youth worker every Wednesday evening,
for junior age children aged 7-11.
• Basement Café: the Youth Worker and volunteers
run this busy cafe for years 7-9 of secondary school,
every Friday night of term time. This group also run
sleepovers, weekends and days away.
• Attic Café: the Youth Worker, trainee youth worker
and volunteers run this cafe for years 10-13 of
secondary school, every Thursday of term time. This
group also have extra activities as listed for
Basement Café.
7.2.2 As well as working with young people through youth
clubs, 14 individuals are involved in leading or helping
with the uniformed organisations, such as Rainbows,
Brownies, Guides, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. A further
12 people give their time to help with
parent/grandparent and toddler groups and other
activities for pre-school aged children. It is clear from
the sheer number of people involved in volunteering to
7.0
6 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and families.
7
help with young people’s activities that far fewer
activities would be able to be offered were it not
for the willingness and commitment of so
many volunteers.
7.2.3 Other areas where volunteers from Thornbury churches
work on behalf of families are through organisations
such as the Mothers’ Union (6 people), by offering
parenting classes and marriage preparation (6 people),
by offering bereavement visiting (5 people) and
through informal support to families in need
(8 people).
7.2.4 A total of 8 individuals offer counselling or provide help
at projects such as the Willow Tree Centre, based in
Yate. The Willow Tree Centre offers free, unbiased
support to anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy or
needing help after a miscarriage, still birth or abortion.
A further service which is offered by Christians in
Thornbury is debt advice, in which 6 of those who
responded to the questionnaire are involved. This
service was set up in 2010 by Thornbury Churches
Together and has attracted a wide variety of volunteers
of all ages who are trained to offer advice to people,
whether they be of a faith background or not, and who
come from across South Gloucestershire.
7.2.5 The focus group held with a small group of people who
are particularly involved in activities for families allowed
for more in depth information to be obtained about
the type of work being carried out by volunteers. Those
who attended the focus group were involved in the
following activities themselves:
• How to Drug Proof Your Kids project.
• Marriage preparation.
• Parenting courses.
• Home Start.
• Music with Mummy.
• GLOSS FM.
• Primary school and church youth activities.
• Debt counselling service.
• Youth activities.
7.2.6 Many successes were raised by focus group members,
who felt that although it is sometimes hard to reach
out to all those in need, facilities for families in
Thornbury are mainly good. One of the group members
described her voluntary work with the Home Start
scheme, which offers support, friendship and practical
help at home to parents with young children in local
communities throughout the UK. She felt that Home
Start was an excellent initiative to help families through
short periods of stress or difficulty, for example due to
ill health, relationship problems or bereavement but
noted that as the scheme relies on trained volunteers,
there may be families who are not getting the help they
need because there may not be sufficient volunteers in
their area.
7.2.7 Focus group members supported families through
parenting courses run through the churches, but not
solely for church members. These courses meet a need
and provide a safe and non-judgmental environment
where parents obtain information and support over a
number of weeks through sharing experiences and
working through a program by the Family Caring Trust.
The focus group members all support families on an
informal basis through their work at churches and
schools, and also through their jobs, for example
providing Music with Mummy classes.
7.2.8 The drug proofing project set up by the Baptist Church
is a new initiative which aims to give advice to parents
of children who are in the transition between primary
and secondary school. The project is being run by a
former police officer and a former RE teacher and it is
hoped to be able to roll it out across all primary schools
in Thornbury.
7.2.9 The focus group discussed the barriers to working with
families, and the key issue was felt to be concern about
coming forward for help. It was felt that some people
would not approach a church for help if, in the first
instance, they were not part of a church and secondly if
they perceived it would reflect badly on their ability to
cope. Those involved in providing debt advice,
parenting classes and drug proofing all agreed that
they saw people coming forward for help as a positive
step, rather than as a sign that someone had failed, but
that this was not necessarily the perception of those
needing advice and support. Engaging families in
services provided for the community by the churches is
therefore a challenge. Further challenges include
getting sufficient committed volunteers to provide
services, and the time and cost involved in Criminal
Records Bureau (CRB) checks on all individuals involved.
7.2.10 The focus group felt that the solutions to some of the
issues raised involved better communication between
the churches and the wider community, and also better
communication between the Thornbury churches. This
would ensure that efforts are not duplicated and those
who provide services can learn from one another. Better
outreach to the community to make it clear that
opportunities such as parenting classes are not just for
church goers would also be helpful.
7.2.11 In order to serve families more effectively, the focus
group came up with a number of visions and ideas for
the future. A single point of information for family
issues, such as a directory of services was suggested,
and it was felt that the churches need to be more
willing to share talents and use them appropriately to
meet needs in the community. Providing more
information on managing money and debt, perhaps in
the form of leaflets was proposed. It was suggested
that taking on an empty shop or house in Thornbury
and using it as a drop in centre for people at all times
of the day or evening would be a good way of reaching
out to the community. It would provide neutral
territory outside the church and may help to bridge the
gap between church and community offering someone
to talk to and a safe place to meet.
7.2.12 Overall, the focus group and the information from the
questionnaires has shown that there is a huge amount
of highly effective work going on for families by the
churches in Thornbury, but that there are opportunities
for strengthening and improving this work by closer
relationships and pooling skills and resources.
8 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and families.
9 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Education. Offenders.
7.3 Education.
7.3.1 Christians in Thornbury volunteer in various roles in the
education system, contributing to the work of our
primary and secondary schools but also other
educational projects such as the University of the
Third Age.
7.3.2 A total of 17% of those who responded to the Faith
Action Audit questionnaire helped in schools, with the
largest group being those who brought their faith to
schools in the form of Open the Book assemblies,
which tell bible stories in all the primary schools. Others
helped in the classroom, offering reading support (12
individuals), and with after-school clubs (9 individuals).
Of those who completed the questionnaire, 8 were
school governors, and 4 were part of the Parent
Teacher Associations (PTA) at the primary and
secondary schools.
7.3.3 There were 10 people volunteering with the University
of the Third Age (U3A) in Thornbury, part of the
national U3A organisations which are self-help, self-
managed lifelong learning co-operatives for older
people no longer in full time work. The U3A members
learn for interest and enjoyment rather than for
qualifications, and those involved in helping with this
organisation in Thornbury lead classes in a wide variety
of topics.
7.4 Offenders.
7.4.1 There are two prisons in close proximity to Thornbury;
Leyhill Prison and Eastwood Park Women’s Prison. The
Women’s Prison has one of the few Mother and Baby
Units in the region, with facilities for pregnant women,
new mothers and their babies, including a staffed
nursery. Leyhill Prison holds long and short term male
inmates, some of whom are permitted to go out of the
prison to work.
7.4.2 A total of 21 people who responded to the
questionnaire carried out voluntary work with
offenders. The most common type of voluntary work in
this area was prison visiting, with 18 of the 21 working
in this way. Those who visit prisons offer support
through prayer groups, bible study and helping with
services, and also in other practical ways such as
helping at the Mother and Baby Unit. Two of those who
responded also volunteer with Age Concern Older
Offenders Project, which aims to offer social care,
advice and support to older offenders and their families
at both Eastwood Park and Leyhill Prisons.
7.4.3 As well as collecting information on how the faith
community works with offenders through
questionnaires, a focus group was held on this subject,
to find out more about the work being carried out, its
challenges and successes. Those attending the focus
group were all involved in the work of the two prisons
in different ways. Some worked directly in prisons, for
example through visiting and chaplaincy services.
Others represented offenders to the community and
campaigned through groups for offenders at regional
and national level.
7.4.4 Participants cited a number of examples of where work
with offenders is operating very successfully, including
the work of the Changing Tunes charity. Changing
Tunes has been working for over ten years to use music
to aid the rehabilitation of prisoners and ex-prisoners,
to build confidence and self-esteem through
performance and learning, and works weekly in both
Leyhill and Eastwood Park Prisons.
7.4.5 Participants felt that the standard of care for prisoners
was good, and that the interest and goodwill of the
community by those of all faith backgrounds for those
in prison was very positive. The Mother and Baby Unit
at Eastwood Park Prison was considered to give a great
start to babies born under difficult circumstances, and
the support offered by staff and the community to this
Unit is excellent. Those who visited prisons felt that
they were enriched by the experiences they had whilst
carrying out this work, and believed that help from
outside is well received by both prison staff
and offenders.
7.4.6 The focus group members felt that there were a
number of challenges and difficulties which were faced
by those in prison, and also those seeking to work with
prisons. Issues facing women prisoners in particular
include being held a long way from home due to there
being fewer women’s prisons, and the difficulties of
keeping families together while a mother is in prison.
Other issues which affect a large proportion of both
male and female prisoners include mental health
problems, self-harm, substance abuse, former abuse
and deportation. The focus group felt that inadequate
attention is given to the rehabilitation of ex-offenders,
which can lead to further crime where there seem to be
few opportunities for positive change. Those who have
been in prison can find it difficult to find jobs, to be
accepted into society or to live a normal life.
7.4.7 Several potential solutions were proposed to some of
these issues by focus group members. The need for
better rehabilitation so that offenders do not go back
to their former lives was seen as a priority. Participants
suggested that it would help if ex-offenders could go
and live in a half-way house, away from their former
environment to allow them to find their way in the
outside world. Better links between prisons and the
community were also suggested, with businesses
encouraged to employ ex-offenders. The group agreed
that it was vitally important to help prevent people
offending in the first place, and stressed the
importance of family life, trust, self confidence
and education.
7.5 Churches and the environment.
7.5.1 The questionnaire revealed that 28 people of the 319
(9%) who responded carried out voluntary
environmental work, either directly for Thornbury, or
for wider organisations and charities.
7.5.2 In terms of local environmental projects, 10 people
were involved in either Sustainable Thornbury or
Thornbury In Bloom, and 6 were part of the Litter
Busters Project which aims to keep the streets,
footpaths and waterways in the town clear of rubbish
through regular working parties. A number of
individuals were also involved in national and
international groups such as Fairtrade and Make
Poverty History, and some gave time to environmental
campaigning through Christian Aid and other more
local projects. 7 people volunteered for local and
national wildlife projects, for example through helping
at Slimbridge Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust centre,
Avon Wildlife Trust and the RSPB.
7.5.3 Due to the importance of environmental issues on a
local, national and international scale, a focus group
was held to find out more about how churches work
on a variety of sustainability projects. The focus group
participants represented 5 of the 7 Thornbury churches.
The focus group are active in the following areas:
• Environmental lobbying on local and national
issues, including Oldbury Power Station.
• Gloucester Churches Environmental Justice
Network.
• Trade Justice Campaign.
• Care for the Churchyard.
• Environment Committee of Town Council.
• Litter Busters.
• Local allotments.
• Christian Aid’s Climate Change Campaign.
• Sustainable Thornbury.
• Fair Trade.
• Make Poverty History Group.
• Grow Your Own Food.
• Green Party.
• Cycling proficiency lessons.
• Tree Planting.
• Environmental Health Food and Health Projects.
• Thornbury in Bloom.
7.5.4 The focus group were asked to describe some of the
best aspects of the work they were involved in and
share some recent successes. They discussed the
success of getting extra bus services added to link
Thornbury to Bristol Parkway station, which enables
those travelling by train to make their full journey by
public transport rather than relying on the car. The
group also considered that the Make Poverty History
group had been effective in lobbying on climate
change, and that the upgrades which had been made
to the St Mary’s Church Hall (insulation and double
glazing) had helped to make it a more sustainable
building. The group discussed the scheme being
undertaken by the Town Council in cooperation with
South Gloucestershire Council to turn off unnecessary
street lighting overnight to save energy, which will help
to reduce Thornbury’s environmental impact.
7.5.5 The focus group described some areas of their
environmental work where there were problems and
barriers. The most significant issue amongst the group
was transport; issues of rural car dependence,
commuting in and out of Thornbury, inadequate,
expensive and unreliable public transport and the
difficulties of encouraging alternative means of
10 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and the environment.
11 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and issues of social justice and charitable concerns.
transport were raised as key barriers to becoming more
sustainable as a community.
7.5.6 The national planning system was also thought to be a
barrier to sustainability, due to inflexibility on the
creation of green energy by means such as solar panels
and wind turbines. The group were concerned by the
proposals to build a further nuclear power installation
at Oldbury on Severn, and also discussed local food
initiatives such as allotments and the difficulties of
meeting the demand for allotments.
7.5.7 A number of solutions were proposed to the problems
cited above, including car pool clubs and local car
sharing initiatives coordinated by the Thornbury
churches. The group discussed Fair Trade food and
wanted to see it available in more outlets, with perhaps
a larger Co-Operative shop in Thornbury which would
support the Fair Trade initiative. It was felt that if
Thornbury had more opportunities for business
development, through new and improved premises,
this could reduce the amount of commuting as
individuals could live and work within the town.
7.5.8 There was a strong feeling that groups and individuals
need to maintain momentum in environmental
campaigning and action so that we all take
responsibility for our own actions and their implications
for the planet. The group discussed how the churches
could have a role in this ongoing work, and considered
that sharing skills and information and working
together more effectively would help to engage greater
numbers in the environmental debate. In addition to a
number of local actions, it was felt that changes to the
planning system at national level, and a greater
commitment by central government in promoting and
subsidising public transport outside London would help
individuals live more sustainably.
7.6 Churches and issues of social justice and
charitable concerns.
7.6.1 Many of Thornbury’s residents have a lively interest in
matters of social concern, such as charitable work,
environmental action, social justice and political
campaigning; a total of 23% of those who completed
the questionnaire on volunteering carry out this type of
work. In each of these areas Christians are well
represented, often fulfilling a leadership role. This is
apparent amongst those volunteering in charity shops
(5 survey respondents) and the annual town-wide
collection for Christian Aid, (9 survey respondents)
which raises over £4,000. Other initiatives Thornbury
churches are involved in include Make Poverty
History/Drop the Debt and related national initiatives,
and Friends of Sabeel (working for peace in
Israel/Palestine). The churches promote these activities
throughout their memberships, hence providing
additional support for those actively involved.
7.6.2 A total of 59 respondents supported charities, some
through donating money, and others offer their time
and expertise to assist in collections, charity shops,
office work, writing letters, campaigning, making items
to sell and by using their professional expertise.
7.7 Churches and elderly people, those with disabilities
and special needs.
7.7.1 Of those who responded to the questionnaire, 22%
gave their time to caring for the elderly or those with
disabilities and special needs (a total of 71 volunteers).
This is in addition to caring undertaken for one’s own
relatives. The chart below reveals the full breakdown of
voluntary work for this group:
12 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and elderly people, those with disabilities and special needs.
13 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and the arts, culture and sport.
7.7.2 Much of this work was carried out in an informal way,
visiting those in need, offering meals, companionship,
cleaning or other support, with 19 individuals stating
that they regularly help elderly or disabled friends
and neighbours.
7.7.3 The Luncheon Club run weekly at Thornbury Baptist
Church also has a significant number of regular
volunteers, and 12 people stated that they offer
transport to hospital, shops and libraries to those who
cannot manage alone. Hospital and care home visiting
accounted for another 11 volunteers, and 10
individuals were involved in support groups, events and
charities for those with special needs and disabilities.
7.8 Churches and the arts, culture and sport.
7.8.1 The questionnaire revealed that over 20% of those who
replied are involved in voluntary activities which cover
arts, culture and sports. People of all ages in the faith
community volunteer for a range of activities, as
shown below:
7.8.2 Many of those who responded not only enjoyed
carrying out these activities in their own right, but had
some sort of leadership role, for example coaching a
sports team or teaching others arts, crafts or music. It
was clear from the responses that although people
were offering their time to these activities, they also
derived a large amount of satisfaction and enjoyment
from them as well.
7.9 Governance and civic life.
7.9.1 Members of the Thornbury churches are involved in a
number of community based initiatives, governance
and civic life. In total, 17 people who responded to the
questionnaire undertook voluntary work to contribute
to the life of Thornbury and its environs. Two of those
who responded are members of Thornbury Town
Council; two thirds of the councilors are known to be
active members of the various churches.
7.9.2 Several individuals are involved in local politics, in terms
of campaigning, leaflets and support, and two are
magistrates. Four people volunteer at Turnberries
Community Centre, either helping on reception or on
the management committee; a further two are involved
in the running of other community buildings. Other
involvement in civic life by the faith community
includes people who volunteer at the Citizens Advice
Bureau, the Tourist Information Centre and through
local Neighbourhood Watch Schemes.
7.9.3 Church leaders from Thornbury have also been able to
play their part in the civic life of South Gloucestershire.
This has included representing the voluntary sector on
South Gloucestershire Partnership and on the thematic
Safer & Stronger and Economy & Skills Strategic
Partnerships. They have served on the Partnership
Against Hate Crime and the Independent Advisory
Group for the Police. They have chaired South
Gloucestershire Corporate Equalities Forum and played
key roles in establishing South Gloucestershire Faith
and Belief Forum, as well as organising hustings for
European and national elections.
14 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Governance and civic life.
15 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES
8.0ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES
8.1 The seven Thornbury churches which completed the
questionnaire had a total attendance of almost 1,000 on
an ordinary Sunday. The attendance pattern at churches
varies, about 1,500 attending at least monthly. There are
many more irregular visitors on special occasions and
festival days. The chart below shows a breakdown of
attendance by church on an ordinary Sunday:
8.2 The age of those attending church varied between the
different organisations, but in several churches there are a
high proportion of those aged over 65. However, in some
churches, notably Bristol Christian Fellowship and
Thornbury Baptist Church, there are a large proportion of
those aged under 30 within the congregations. The age
breakdown at the different churches is shown in the
chart below:
8.3 The Thornbury churches work in a wide variety of ways,
both for the faith community and the wider community in
Thornbury and beyond. All are involved in supporting the
bereaved and those in poor health, and many organise
hospital visits. These activities rely on volunteers from the
congregation to support them, and are of vital importance
to those who benefit. The chart below shows the extent of
the voluntary actions supported through the churches.
16 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES
17
8.4 Five of the seven churches own and manage buildings,
including their churches, plus halls and meeting rooms.
The churches’ buildings are used by community groups
and in some cases hired for private functions. Many of the
groups which use the buildings do so on a regular basis,
and are not necessarily faith based groups. Organisations
which use the church buildings on a regular basis include
Scouting and Guiding groups, choirs, parent and toddler
groups, arts and crafts, health and fitness activities and
U3A groups. A full list of the groups and organisations
which use church facilities is shown in Appendix C.
8.5 The majority of the funding received by the churches
comes from donations from church members. All of the
churches which answered the question cited this as their
most significant, and in some cases, only form of income.
Rental income of church buildings accounted for another
main income stream which contributed towards the
maintenance cost of these buildings, whilst other funding
for improvements to the buildings was obtained from
occasional grants, fundraising for specific projects and
other central church funds.
8.6 Five of the seven churches have some paid staff, including
one or more priests/ministers (either full or part time), and
in some cases support staff. Three churches employ part
time administrators and two have cleaners, gardeners and
caretakers. Two churches also pay for youth workers, one
of whom operates from the church, and the other from
The Castle School.
8.7 All of the churches have members involved in a wide
variety of voluntary activities outside of church work, with
at least 360 active volunteers. The chart below shows the
range of work and numbers of volunteers who offer their
time to these activities, often in addition to what they do
for the church.
18 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES
19
8.8 The number of people benefitting from the voluntary
activities carried out by church members is enormous.
Although it is difficult to accurately measure the number of
beneficiaries, the churches have estimated the totals below
for each activity:
8.9 Some voluntary actions have very clear beneficiaries, for
example those receiving hospital visits, those attending
parent and toddler groups and those who rely on church
volunteers for transport. In other cases, the whole of
Thornbury can benefit from voluntary actions, for example
the work of a town councillor, volunteers at Turnberries or
those who help in schools and charity shops. In some
instances, the beneficiaries are far more widely spread;
charity work carried out by Thornbury church members
benefits people at local, regional, national and
international levels. Similarly those who volunteer with
GLOSS FM have a wider influence than just Thornbury.
8.10 As well as being active in the Thornbury community, the
churches have links with other churches and organisations
both in the UK and abroad. Three of the churches
mentioned support and links with churches in Romania,
France, Uganda, Sweden, India, Tanzania, USA and Nigeria.
Others support international projects and all of the
churches collect money during Christian Aid week, which
raises at least £14 million across the UK each year.
VOLUNTARY ACTIVITY No OF BENEFICIARIES
Youth work (both uniformed and non uniformed). 650
Parent and toddler groups. 180
Mothers Union. 200
Prison visiting. 110
Women’s Institute. 50
Formal or informal help for the elderly. 605
University of the Third Age. 120
Turnberries Community Centre. 1000
Transport for the elderly/those in need. 90
Charity shop work. 2000
Sustainable Thornbury. 10,000
Charity work, both at home and abroad eg Christian Aid. 20,000
Schools (eg governors, classroom help, leading assemblies, PTA). 10,000
Thornbury Town Council. 12,000
GLOSS FM (formerly Thornbury FM). 25,000
Hospital visiting. 100
8.11 The links the churches have with other Churches in South
Gloucestershire are also important. In addition to being
part of Thornbury Churches Together, some churches are
part of a network of South Gloucestershire churches, and
have formal links with parishes such as Oldbury on Severn
and Bradley Stoke, as well as within the city of Bristol. They
are active in the South Gloucestershire Faith and Belief
Forum. Thornbury churches are outward looking in their
perspective and aim to engage with churches from other
cultural backgrounds who are often less fortunate than
those in Thornbury, to offer support and encouragement
and in some cases funding.
8.12 Challenges.
8.12.1 The most frequently mentioned challenge for
Thornbury churches is the overload of work for both
paid staff and volunteers. Five churches noted this as
an issue and four stated that having insufficient
volunteers to carry out the necessary work was a
problem. Despite the efforts of a large number of
committed volunteers, there remains a need for further
involvement, to share the load and to allow for growth
in the work of the churches.
8.12.2 Many of the churches (4 out of 7) stated that funding
was an issue, especially noting the expense of
maintaining listed buildings. Four of the churches felt
that communication was a challenge, given the
numbers of church members, and three considered that
providing for the needs of the whole community
caused difficulties. Four churches mentioned growth as
a challenge, particularly in relation to encouraging the
involvement of younger people in the life of the church.
8.13 Areas of success.
8.13.1 The churches which responded to the questionnaire all
felt there were many positive and successful aspects to
their work. Five churches stated that growth in
particular areas of ministry such as bereavement
visiting and links with industry was a recent success,
and four had been fortunate in attracting outside
funding. One church commented that a growing
congregation is a current highlight, due to the
introduction of afternoon all-age worship.
8.13.2 The close links with other Thornbury churches and the
work that this allows was cited as a success by five
churches, and work with schools and Thornbury
Churches Together events were seen as a result of this
close relationship. Four churches felt that their events,
including weekends away, church gardens and festivals
had been successful and helped to promote the work
of the church amongst a wider audience. The
development of stronger links with the community was
noted as a positive area of work by four churches. As
an example of this work, one church stated that their
buildings were being used increasingly by those outside
the church for various pre-school and youth groups
which brought more people into contact with the
church than previously.
8.13.3 Four churches felt that their fundraising and charity
work was going particularly well, with the majority of
the churches supporting charities through annual and
sometimes more frequent donations. All the churches
who responded supported either Christian Aid or
CAFOD through donations.
8.14 Chapter summary.
The churches in Thornbury are highly active and work
hard to establish close relationships not only with other
Christians and Christian groups, but those currently
outside the church community. There are a number of
common challenges for the churches, but also common
successes and opportunities. The shared experience of
being part of Thornbury Churches Together and having
the opportunity to complement one another’s work
should allow the churches to grow and have a
continuing relevance and impact on people’s lives.
20 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES: Challenges. Areas of success. Chapter summary.
21 VOLUNTEERING WITHIN CHURCHES
9.0VOLUNTEERING WITHIN CHURCHES
9.1 As well as being active within their communities, 58% of
those who responded to the questionnaire were involved
in voluntary activities to support the Thornbury churches.
People are involved in a huge range of activities, as
shown below:
9.2 Many of those who responded were involved in several of
the activities listed above, in addition to carrying out work
for the wider community, which demonstrates a
willingness to give up time not only for the church family
but for the whole community.
CHURCH BASED ACTIVITY No OF RESPONDENTS
Music and the Arts. 9
Children and young peoples activities. 18
Church cleaning, flowers, grass cutting, maintenance. 31
Coffee, breakfasts and refreshments. 18
Helping at services, spiritual direction, house groups. 67
Pastoral visiting, at home or in hospital, offering transport. 15
Serving on committees, distribution of information, parish contacts. 28
CONCLUSIONS
10.1 Thornbury churches and their members make a
significant contribution to the voluntary sector in
Thornbury and beyond. At least 936 hours of voluntary
work are contributed formally and informally by those
faith individuals who responded to the questionnaire, the
value of which, using an average wage is £608,400 per
year. This figure could reach £1,850,000 if all
volunteering by church members was to be documented.
The 319 respondents represent less than a third of
average church attendance on an ordinary Sunday, and
just a fifth of people who attend at least monthly.
Thornbury churches care not just for those who attend
church but for the wider community through a huge
range of projects and outreach work, making use of
volunteers’ talents in many diverse ways.
10.2 On an ordinary Sunday, 7% of the population of
Thornbury attend church. The churches as organisations
initiate many voluntary projects, and individuals from
these faith communities contribute even more through
non-church based activities which support
their community.
10.3 A number of important conclusions and proposals arose
from the focus groups which were held on the topics of
“Families”, “Environment” and “Offenders”. Those who
work with offenders felt that it would be appropriate for
Thornbury churches to have an even greater role in
working with our prisons, perhaps by accompanying
individuals to court, and by more work within prisons
leading religious services. The “Environment” focus
group suggested Thornbury churches could be more
active in promoting car sharing, and the possibility of an
inter-church car pool was raised to help reduce the
transport impact on the environment. A single point of
information for family services, both within and outside
the church, was proposed by the “Families” focus group.
In addition this group could see the value in an empty
shop or house converted into a neutral place for the
churches to carry out work with the local community.
10.4 The work carried out by the Christian community is of
significance, and there remain ways in which it could be
further improved. One of the challenges to better, more
collaborative working between and within churches is
communication. The focus groups held to gather
information for this audit were made up of individuals
from all the churches that carry out work on the same
theme. Despite this common ground, surprise was
10.0
22 CONCLUSIONS
23
frequently expressed at the work that another church
was doing on a similar topic. This suggests inadequate
ongoing dialogue between the churches in some work
areas, and implies there could be gaps in provision or
indeed at times duplication of effort.
10.5 The project also revealed an historical degree of
parochialism amongst the churches. Better sharing of
ideas or resources will lead to increased opportunities
for service.
10.6 It is very important that churches and other organisations
utilise their volunteers appropriately in order to make the
best use of talents, skills and areas of interest. There are
many reasons why people volunteer, but the most basic
is usually because they enjoy it. It is therefore important
to enable volunteers to engage with tasks best suited
to their abilities thereby encouraging their sense
of fulfilment.
10.7 The questionnaire revealed that 69 individuals from the
churches would like to become more involved in
volunteering or to offer more voluntary hours. One of
the key barriers to becoming involved or more involved
was time constraints. However, a significant number of
people (33 in total) commented that they did not know
how to find out about volunteering opportunities, or
were not asked or given the chance to do more. Yet the
activities and outreach programs run by the churches for
the community are in great need of volunteers, according
to the focus groups and interviews undertaken. As an
illustration of this, one individual who is involved in
youth work commented, “volunteers are very important
to my work as they enable everything to happen. This
can mean it is sometimes hard when you don't have
enough volunteers, and it means I am constantly on the
job of recruiting new people”.
It would be ideal if volunteering opportunities could
be better matched to those who have the capacity
to volunteer.
10.8 The questionnaires, focus groups and interviews have
enabled a comprehensive picture of the churches and
their work to develop. One in five of those who attend
church at least monthly completed the individuals’
questionnaire. This was made available by a variety of
means, both electronic and paper over a period of a
month. The results represent an approximate sample of
the total voluntary work undertaken by church members.
“volunteers are very
important to my
work as they enable
everything to happen.
This can mean it is
sometimes hard
when you don't have
enough volunteers,
and it means I am
constantly on the
job of recruiting
new people”
RECOMMENDATIONS
11.1 For Thornbury Churches Together to be used more
effectively as a vehicle to support collaborative working
between churches, including better communication and
“cascading” ideas and information from Thornbury
Churches Together to each church member, and from
individuals back through the entire Christian community.
11.2 For each church to evaluate how it uses volunteers,
whether they are enjoying what they do, whether they
could do more or different activities and whether they
feel they are being used effectively, ensuring that they
are valued and supported, and volunteering
opportunities are widely disseminated.
11.3 For each church to carry out an audit of skills and talents
to reveal how abilities could be matched to work which
needs to be undertaken, and to consider whether
training is needed in any areas where, after pooling
resources, a skills-gap remains.
11.4 For churches to work closely with Thornbury Volunteer
Centre to match volunteers to opportunities and
advertise voluntary work which needs to be done; and to
work with South Gloucestershire Council for Voluntary
Service, and other voluntary sector infrastructure
organizations, to build capacity.
11.5 For Church Together in Gloucestershire,
Faithnetsouthwest, South Gloucestershire Faith and
Belief Forum, and WE:network to raise awareness of the
good work demonstrated in this report, and to support
further work.
11.6 For Dioceses, Circuits, denominational partners and other
networks to take note of the findings of this report and
consider resource implications.
11.7 For statutory sector organizations, including South
Gloucestershire Council, Primary Care Trust, and National
Offender Management Service to recognise the work
being undertaken and, in the context of National
Indicators 1, 6 and 7, to engage in dialogue with the
intention to develop partnerships, building on the
churches’ expertise.
11.8 For Thornbury Town Council, and others with a
responsibility for the welfare of the citizens of Thornbury,
to seek opportunities to work with and support activities
undertaken by the churches of Thornbury for the benefit
of the whole community.
DOCUMENT REFERENCES
Faith in Action in the South West, by Faithnetsouthwest, 2006.
South Gloucestershire Faith Action Audit, by South
Gloucestershire Faith and Belief Forum, 2009.
Daily Service: How faith communities contribute to
neighbourhood renewal and regeneration in the South West of
England, by Government Office for the South West, 2004.
Counting for Communities, Faith in Wales by Gweini, 2008.
11.0
24 RECOMMENDATIONS DOCUMENT REFERENCES
Appendices if enclosed.
Copies of this report may be downloaded from the websites of the participating churches.
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