Caroline Spelman, the Second Church Estates Commissioner has welcomed the publication of the ‘All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society’s ‘Statement of Hope’. The statement was realised in order to help tackle growing concerns around social and economic disparity and uncertainty.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society was formed to support and promote the work of faith organisations in the United Kingdom. In their statement they said:
‘In the summer of 2016, we find ourselves in difficult times as a nation. The reverberating context of the economic crash of 2008 and the growth of terrorism, crisis and wars in recent years have resulted in a great movement of people, which has led to distant problems rippling into our local settings.
‘Faith groups are often the very glue of society; they provide a place for people to come together, they seek out solutions, and they provide hope. We want to affirm these values of community and hope for the United Kingdom today’.
Pledging her support to the statement, Caroline Spelman said; As Second Church Estates Commissioner, I see first-hand the valuable contribution that faith groups make to their local communities; not only through their pastoral work, but also as educational providers, through charity outreach programmes or by offering communities with somewhere to come together to socialise with their friends and neighbours.
‘For that reason, I am pleased to be able to lend my support to endorsing this statement which raises awareness of the importance of Britain’s long history of tolerance, democracy, freedom and diversity’.
‘APPG Statement of Hope'
We, the undersigned, agree…
· That the United Kingdom has been and will continue to be a place of tolerance and sanctuary;
· That this nation has been and will continue to be at the forefront of the development of democracy, rights and freedom, that we are proud of these traditions, and that they are our most lasting export;
· That we have been and will continue to be a dynamic nation where many settle and play an important part in our economy and cultural life;
· That we have a hope in our nation; that the United Kingdom continues to have a positive role to play in the world;
· That we continue to have purpose to benefit not only the people of the United Kingdom, but also of Europe, the Commonwealth and the rest of the world.