Social capital built upon spiritual resources
Religious communities contribute to the life of the city, throughout the City Borough in a diversity of ways, offering in addition to worship and spiritual guidance. In many ways they contribute to the 'social capital' which unites citizens in pursuit of common goals. Here is a non-exhaustive list of thirty two commonly reported ways in which faith based communities contribute to the building of social capital:
- Social meeting places, offering meals and refreshments
- Tourist attractions
- Community activity centres
- Community development initiatives
- Chaplaincy for those working in Cardiff
- Reading room
- Premises for use by local groups
- Choir, rehearsal and concert spaces
- Speakers and social entertainment for people of all ages
- Programmes for students (including activities for international students)
- Craft groups
- Fitness/health programmes
- Adult personal development, and skills training
- Language learning
- Mountaineering group/sporting activities
- Day centres for the elderly
- Classes in meditation
- Pre-school nursery/mother and toddler groups
- Primary and secondary schooling
- Holiday clubs for young children
- Youth group activities
- First Aid training and service experience
- Support for elderly members of society
- Bereavement support
- Marriage counselling
- Classes in pain relief and stress management
- Support for members of gay/lesbian community
- Legal assistance for asylum seekers
- Dispute resolution
- Special social housing provision
- Support for the homeless
- Help for substance abusers
Valuable contributions
The recent economic survey 'Counting for our Communities' conducted by Gweini - the Evangelical Alliance for Wales' agency for the church Voluntary sector estimated that the value contributed to the life of the City by voluntary workers through the faith communities they belong to amounts to £10.8 million.
In addition, faith-based educational provision through Aided and Independent schools amounts for nearly 30% of the places in the Local Authority area, and a still to be measured voluntary support contribution from scholar's families and local worshipping communities.
It would be almost impossible for City government to maintain, let alone improve its present levels of public services without the contribution of faith based communities, voluntary and public sector organisations.
In service areas already governed by statutory requirement, like education, and child welfare long standing and effective partnership working between local government and faith communities is evident, except when it becomes subject to political criticism by those seeking support for an agenda of total secularity in the public realm.