InterFaith group

The Faith Covenant is a joint commitment to a shared set of principles that guide engagement between faith communities and public services.

It aims to promote open, practical modes of working together and to strengthen community cohesion.

The principles are:

• Faith communities are free to practise their beliefs and religious observances, and to raise their voice in public debate and to be respected whilst respecting others, within the framework of UK law.
• Public services and faith-based social action should respect service users from all backgrounds, without discrimination.
• The voice, participation and solutions that faith communities bring are important.  We intend that the active engagement of Faith Groups with our public services will benefit the wider community.

Both faith groups and public services will commit to working together to:

• Pro-actively build trust/relationships and aim to remove any mistrust between faith groups and public services
• Create opportunities to raise awareness and share learning and knowledge between different faith communities, and within the public services
• Seek opportunities to bring people together to serve the community, particularly the most disadvantaged

Both faith groups and public services will use the Faith Covenant as a tool to develop activity around uniting communities to better serve the residents of Borough of Welwyn Hatfield.

Signatories of the Covenant are invited to gather annually to share their achievements with the broader faith community and public services.