Tag: London Faith Sector

  • Resident-led resilience with Big Local

    Resident-led resilience with Big Local

    Join our joint event with the London Communities Emergencies Partnership!

    What if residents could choose how to improve their communities? They are uniquely placed to understand exactly what their communities need to thrive, so Big Local put it in their hands.

    Big Local was a long-term funding programme, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, which ran from 2012 to 2026. 150 communities across England each received £1million to spend over 10-15 years. Big Local was an experimental approach to funding communities. Unlike short-term, top-down funding programmes, it was resident-led, hyper-local and non-prescriptive. Local residents decided how to use the funding to make their area a better place to live.

    Because Big Local was non-prescriptive, resident boards were able to respond rapidly to changing conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic and the escalating living costs that followed, the Big Local funding structure gave communities exactly what they needed. There are also good examples of how Big Local areas responded to long term but changing local conditions, for example, serious violence.

    Join us for our quarterly partnership meeting to hear from Big Local’s Senior Programme Coordinator Lucy Thurley. Lucy will give insights into their 15 year journey, where you will discover:

    Key learnings from the project

    Real-world examples and success stories

    How the funding worked

    How faith communities were involved

    …and more!

    In this meeting you will also get the opportunity to network and work through locally-led resilience challenges in breakout rooms. Please also come ready with updates from your organisation that you would like to share with the group.

    Date: 10 June 2026

    Time: 10-11am

    Location: Zoom

  • Protected: LBFN Newsletter – Sector Activity (May 2026)

    Protected: LBFN Newsletter – Sector Activity (May 2026)

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  • LBFN Newsletter – Sector Activity (March 2026)

    LBFN Newsletter – Sector Activity (March 2026)

    Here you can find a range of resources from the wider sector. This content is part of the London Boroughs Faiths Network bi-monthly newsletter.

    If you would like to get this (and much more) directly to your inbox, sign up at the bottom of this page!

    Measles

    With Measles cases on the rise, it’s important for all Londoners to stay safe.

    In recent years, uptake of the Measles, Mumps & Rubella (MMR) vaccine has fallen. Measles is one of the most highly infectious diseases and spreads rapidly among those who are unvaccinated. It can lead to complications, especially in young infants and those with a weakened immune system, and on rare occasions can tragically cause death.

    We can combat this increase in Measles by staying vaccinated and promoting official vaccine information in our communities.

    Please see the following resources from UKHSA to share with loved ones and your wider communities:

    Holocaust Memorial Day

    Holocaust Memorial Day happened on 27 January, 2026. This is the day to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust under Nazi Persecution. While a difficult time, it is also an opportunity for communities to come together.

    The London Borough of Hackney held an event which remembered various genocides through poetry and prayers, with a child survivor of a Nazi Germany concentration camp in attendance. Excerpts from his brother’s memoir, recounting his experience in a concentration camp, were recited. A tremendous tribute to determination and ingenuity, and a testimony to the power of hope.

    Watch the event in full below.

    Supporting After Emergencies

    The London Communities Emergencies Partnership (LCEP) has created this guide to help you support communities outside of London after an emergency occurs, whether across the UK or internationally.

    Strengthening Partnerships Consultation

    Last year, the Government released a public consultation to strengthen partnership working between emergency responders and Voluntary, Community, and Faith Sector (VCFS) organisations.

    The consultation outcomes are now available.

    Flood Resilience

    What is the Government doing about flood resilience in England?

    This response to a report by the Environmental Audit Committee gives insight into the current state of flood resilience in England.

    Spontaneous Volunteering

    Spontaneous volunteering is an elusive and difficult-to-measure form of volunteering. It is characterised by people who help in times of need outside of formal response structures. This review from London Plus helps us to understand these kinds of volunteers, giving guidance and models to support their safe and effective engagement.

    Faith Security Training

    A new training scheme is available for faith communities in England & Wales. In this training you will learn how to reduce the risk of hate crime, anti-social behaviour, and serious threats.

    London Poverty Map

    Trust for London have created this new interactive map to show what poverty looks like in each London Borough. It includes stats like population, poverty percentage, and more.

    Common ground

    This guidance on social cohesion provides local authorities with the tools to address the challenges they face and share good practice, with the goal of building cohesive communities.

    Public Value of Societal Resilience

    ‘Assessing the public value of societal resilience to disruption’ explores how communities, organisations, and government can better prepare for and recover from disruption.


    Event: HPV & Cancer Prevention for Faith & Community Leaders.

    11/03/26

    These sessions will explore how faith values relate to health and care, how faith leaders can support trusted, culturally appropriate health messaging, and more. There are upcoming roundtables for Catholic and Sikh leaders. Find out more below.

    Event: Trusted Youth Allies

    Multiple dates

    Equip yourself with the skills to support young people who have been victims and witnesses of crime. These events are happening throughout March.

    Event: Self-Initiated Terrorism Presentation

    11/03/26

    This webinar will highlight some of the behaviours which may present by someone who is a Self-Initiated Terrorist. By increasing awareness and understanding this can assist police to take action before they go on to commit an attack.

    Event: Ready Together

    17/03/26

    The London Communities Emergencies Partnership’s Ready Together 2026 event brings partners together to strengthen London’s community resilience through awareness, connection and knowledge. It’s a full day of talks and workshops and is completely free! The event is nearly sold out and LCEP will be operating a waiting list.

    Event: Active Bystander Training

    19/03/26

    Find out what to do if you witness identity-based harassment or violence with this training from Protection Approaches. Only a few tickets left for this one. Also see this list of ‘Stand up Against Harassment Training‘ from The Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

    Event: Adverse Weather

    26/03/26

    UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will host this webinar on the Adverse Weather and Health Plan 2025-2026. The webinar will include an update on the plan as well as next steps.

    Community Preparedness Day

    14/04/26

    This is a day of networking, workshops, presentations and collaboration with key partners in the emergency sector. The event is led by THCVS with support from Hackney CVS, the Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets and the Equalities Network.

    Great Get Together

    19-21/06/26

    The Great Get Together is inspired by Jo Cox’s belief that we have more in common than that which divides us. This year, the annual event marks 10 years since the murder of Jo Cox (MP). This anniversary is not just about remembrance. It is a moment of choice. Holding a Great Get Together in your local area is a simple but powerful way to honour Jo’s legacy and show what community really means.


    Links from the National Youth Strategy event

    Please find more information about this event on the LBFN March 2026 newsletter.

    Youth work curriculum: a flexible framework which allows youth workers to identify how their interventions and activities can be used to support the personal, social and political development of young people

    Local Authorities Statutory Duty: Local Authorities have a duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area.

    Local Outcomes Framework: This includes a youth metric around participation in youth services in the last 12 months (including sports, music, art or youth clubs)

    Youth voice guidance: The guidance provides a step-by-step introduction to reasons, methods and approaches for engaging young people in policymaking.

    “Are You Listening?”: Jack Petchey Foundation youth survey report youth Survey report

    Partnership for Young London Weekly Update

    Network and Training Offer: Access to London Youth’s Networks

    London’s youth VCS data tool: based on London Youth’s membership data

    Mapping tool: Estimate of 1,800 voluntary and community youth organisations delivering youth work in the capital