New Deal funding to amplify voices of people living in ‘left behind’ communities
Together Liverpool is to receive a share of £1.3m New Deal funding to support engagement between people in ‘left behind’ communities and government, post-pandemic.
Over the next year we will be hosting a programme of ‘Real People, Honest Talk’ conversations to facilitate sharing the experiences of local communities across the Diocese of Liverpool area, with key stakeholders.
We will focus on amplifying the voices of people living in ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods, where residents have markedly worse socio-economic outcomes than residents in other equally deprived areas.
Together Liverpool are among a cohort of nine Together Network projects including Transforming Plymouth Together to receive £99,950 of the £1.3m New Deal funding from government, and £7,600 of this will be directed to our conversations across the Diocese of Liverpool area.
The work will be a complement to Together Liverpool’s ongoing National Lottery funded Network of Kindness project supporting churches, communities and charities to do social justice work.
James Green, Executive Director of Together Liverpool said: “We are delighted to be receiving this funding, to facilitate conversations and amplify the voices of those in our communities.
“We will be announcing dates and locations for the sessions in due course, and we are grateful for the support from our partners the Church Urban Fund and Diocese of Liverpool as we progress this work.
“We will be working alongside others as part of the nationwide Together Network, using the Church Urban Fund’s Real People Honest Talk resource.”
The New Deal is a pilot fund to support faith-based organisations to deliver innovative projects, and help establish principles for the government’s wider relationship with faith groups
Faith groups across the UK, including Christian, Jewish and interfaith organisations, will work in partnership with councils, schools, police, health providers and voluntary groups to develop innovative interventions to tackle social issues affecting those in most need of support.
The fund will also help build on collaboration between communities and national and local government that happened during the pandemic – such as the work to pilot and administer the COVID-19 vaccine.
The New Deal Fund will also inform the development of a Faith Compact that will set out key principles to aid engagement between faith groups and government.
Faith Minister Paul Scully said: “We saw the instrumental role that faith organisations played in supporting vulnerable people during the pandemic. Working closely with local partners, councils and government, they supported communities where they need it most.
“This pilot scheme will build on that vital work, so that faith organisations and their partners can continue to support communities as they recover."