Faith-based community work
in Southall and Hayes

A Rocha is Christian-based yet also welcomes people of all faiths and none to share in its environmental work. As part of A Rocha’s Living Waterways, a 'Faith-based Communities Officer' was appointed in early 2009 to engage other faith-communities in Southall and Hayes in a shared vision of caring for the environment.

The faith-based work is designed to build community cohesion between disparate faith-communities in urban West London, and at the same time to improve awareness and commitment around Climate Change, conservation and environmental sustainability.

Specific examples of the project’s work include:

• Southall Community Food-growing Project: A food-growing project at Bixley Field Allotments, Southall has been established, focusing on involving the local communities from various ethnic and faith backgrounds. A community plot has been developed and designed to act as a demonstration garden (outdoor classroom for school-children and the wider community) - showing people what they can grow at different times of year in a small space. The community plot is open three-times each week and sometimes the whole week (depending on the availability of steering group members). Open days are organised once every month and more than 100 people have been involved. 

• Inter-faith Community clean-up days are organised in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police to pick up litter in the streets and parks to increase community participation, pride and ownership. This has particularly involved the Muslim, Hindu and Christian communities.
  

• Inter-faith coffee morning: In partnership with Southall Community Alliance, we have organised informal meetings with local faith groups and community leaders to foster local interest and commitment to environmental action. These take place every three months.

• Environmental campaign: We held a Climate Action Day in Southall Park, organised to coincide with the international climate action day run by the “350.org campaign”. The speakers included five leaders from different local faiths (Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist), as well as dance, drama and exercise.
  

For more details contact Kailean Khongsai at kailean.khongsai@arocha.org   Office: 0208 574 5935 or 07747551651

Events

Forthcoming events for faith-based community work in and around Southall and Hayes.

Interfaith seminar on faith and environment

1 June 2012

St. George’s Southall

A Rocha UK in partnership with St. George’s Church Southall will organise an Interfaith Seminar on faith and the environment, to look at ... (read more)

Strawberry Day!

16 June 2012

Bixleyfield allotment, Southall

Come and taste organically grown juicy and sweet Strawberries Meet new people and have fun with your family! STRAWBERRY DAY! Saturday ... (read more)

Garden group

13 July 2012

Avenue Road, Southall

 “Evening meal and meeting” This will be a chance to catch up with each other and share some ideas. In particular we'd like to look at w... (read more)

Wild Food Day

28 July 2012

Minet Country Park, Hayes

Come along and taste amazing wild food, take a walk in the Park, learn how to identify what is edible and the art of making jam, pudding ... (read more)

Garden Celebration

11 August 2012

Bixleyfield allotment, Southall

Come along to celebrate “Southall community garden” – pick your own vegetables, learn how to grow them and have fun with your neighbours.... (read more)