07 May 2008
Enlightening, supporting and valuable were just a few of the many positive words used to describe Eastbourne’s newly formed Faiths Forum. The forum, which was formed in January and opened by the Mayor of Eastbourne, has representatives from a range of faith communities who share a desire to influence local decision making in the town.
Members of the Forum meet to discuss issues of common concern and identify opportunities to influence public services delivered to residents. Members will also work together and share their experiences in order to find solutions to these issues.
Sandy Medway, Community Action Co-ordinator for Churches Together and Hope for Eastbourne, says “The atmosphere is respectful and open and we all feel able to contribute something, which is a great start for serious dialogue among representatives of very different faiths. We hope people from several other groups will consider coming along to our future meetings where they can be assured of a very warm welcome.”
The forum has already received a presentation on the Islamic faith and Muslim community in Eastbourne, discussed and agreed to positively contribute to a burial policy for Eastbourne working in partnership with the Council, and offered to support planning applications for ‘Places of Worship’.
The next meeting of the Faiths Forum will be at 6.30pm on Monday 22 September, in the Town Hall. On the agenda will be a presentation on Paganism and feedback from the burial policy working group.
For further information please contact us.
