An article by Assembly Member David Melding in Wales Home reminded me of the great work undertaken by faith and cultural groups in Cardiff. A comment on the article clearly believes that communities only exist outside the Capital.Cardiff is a community of communities.
Our Spiritual Capital report http://www.spiritualcapital.org.uk/docs/spiritual-capital-cardiff-report-final.pdf seems to have been lost in the many reports written of faith works in this secular world.It is clearly too real for our secular authorities and agencies.
It provides a narrative to the Gweini Report, ‘Faith in Wales - Counting for Communities’ which estimated that the economic value of the contribution of faith community groups in Cardiff is over £10.8million. The fact that their work does not include the contribution of several large religiously founded, professionally run organisations, whose volunteers engage outside their local faith group context, suggests that the total economic value of faith community volunteers is even more substantial than this estimate suggests.
Churches pioneered free community schooling in Wales. Today there are 31 Church Aided schools in Cardiff Borough, representing 28% of the Local Authority public provision. Of these eighteen are Roman Catholic (14 primaries and 4 secondary) and thirteen are Anglican - 11 primaries, 2 secondary). There are in addition 9 independent schools, of which 5 have a religious community affiliation. Two of these are Muslim foundations. Some of them are very diverse in culture and nationality, and have been at the forefront of welcoming and including newcomers to the City for generations.
The Church Army's innovative work with homeless young people in Cardiff has created two hostels offering support to the vulnerable. This charity works with Cadwyn, a local housing association and social services in seeking to limit the damage caused by family dysfunction and breakdown, drug abuse and self harm, with educational and rehabilitation programmes.
St John's Ambulance is a highly professional organisation offering first aid training services, patient transport facilities, and coverage of hundreds of public events monthly, this is a voluntary charity with roots in a mediaeval Christian order of chivalry, and strong connections with faith communities. Of its 4,500 volunteers in Wales, (380 of them in Cardiff) 2,700 are children and young people receiving an outstanding training and social education as St John's Cadets.
Canton Uniting Church brings together former Baptist and Reformed Church congregations with a common will to serve the wide local community, through its Treganna family centre, and a range of church based community activities for the whole age range of people. These include Alcoholics Anonymous, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides; The Little Folks Play Group; Pensioners Luncheon Club; Weight Watchers; dance classes; concerts, choir rehearsals; counselling.
City United Reformed Church exemplifies how city centre churches can serve as gathering places for a diversity of needs. Its building hosts ecumenical meetings, is home to Cardiff's Adult Christian Education Centre, to Cruse, bereavement counselling, Weight watchers, Alcoholics Anonymous, a free Legal service for refugees, a religious book shop, and the Refectory coffee shop, and ordinary church social organisations. It has an open policy to all-comers, expressing its commitment to be a "safe space" for marginalized populations in the city seeking acceptance, support and affirmation."
St Teilo's Cathays illustrates how a building can be adapted as a centre for musical performance and rehearsal, benefiting both the artistic community and a church congregation which would otherwise not be able to afford to maintain it as a place of worship and community activity.
Thornhill Community Church demonstrates the capability of an enthusiastic active group of Christians to pioneer community development in a new housing area, and take initiatives which led to the City Council being willing to work through partnership with them to set up a new purpose built community library, to add to the existing wide range of social amenities established through this enterprise of faith.
The Beacon Centre Trowbridge St Mellons housing estate is an area of high unemployment and social deprivation, where a group of local Christians worked for ten years to create a meeting place that could serve a wide variety of needs for people in the local community. It offers activities for all ages, from crèche to luncheon club for seniors, and flexible opportunities for a range of educational and training activities. With success in funding applications to the E.U., government and charitable trusts, it opened in 2005, and is still developing its range of activities in response of local community needs.
Cardiff contains three mediaeval buildings of distinction, one is the Castle, and the others are churches, Llandaff Cathedral and St John's city parish church. Both are 'iconic' buildings. The Cathedral houses two masterpieces of European art; Epstein's 'Majestas' and Rosetti's 'Visit of the Magi'. Cardiff Bay's 'Lightship' - is an unique visitor attraction, also an ecumenical centre, Of these cultural tourism venues, only the Castle figures in city publications or promotions, leaving foreign visitors to wonder what happened to fourteen centuries of Christian heritage in and around Cardiff.
Over a dozen churches have been set up by immigrants settling in Cardiff. This has been happening for more than a century. Roman Catholic churches are also welcoming fellow believers and starting to provide worship in several European languages, notably polish. There are Christians from the Philippines, the Baltic States, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, India, China, Korea, and francophone Africa, worshipping together in their own language in their own or borrowed meeting places around the city. Church schools play a vital role in welcoming and supporting people with such diversity of culture.
Settlers in Cardiff from the Indian sub-continent have established four Hindu Temples, and three Sikh Gurdwaras, all of which serve as community social and educational centres. Their voluntary community association are able to offer help and support to people in several of the sub-continent's languages, and provide a social 'home' environment in which people stay connected to their cultural and spiritual roots, whilst at the same time being engaged as citizens of their adopted city. Islam in Cardiff is represented by ten mosques and two schools. Due to the breadth of the Muslim population, mosques tend to have members of predominantly one language group, whether it is Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu or Arabic. These communities provide strong links for their members with their communities of origin, and much needed social support to those with language needs. The one distinctly multi-national mosque, where English is the common social language, is closest to the University campus.
See David Melding's article in Wales Home
http://waleshome.org/2010/03/moses-maggie-and-the-message/
