Faith Action Audit

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are grateful for the support and guidance of many

individuals and groups who have contributed to the writing

of this report. Particular thanks are due to:

Steve Webb, MP.

Alistair Beattie, Faithnetsouthwest.

Martin Gregg, CVS.

Leadership and staff of Thornbury Churches.

Thornbury Volunteer Centre.

Willow Tree Centre.

Christian Aid.

All those who completed questionnaires and attended focus

groups which contributed to this research.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD BY MP STEVE WEBB 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

2.0 SUMMARY 2

3.0 CONTEXT 2

4.0 METHODOLOGY 3

5.0 PEOPLE AND FAITH IN THORNBURY 4

6.0 IMPACT OF FAITH VOLUNTEERS 5

7.0 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY 6

Churches and families. 6

Education. 9

Offenders. 9

Churches and the environment. 10

Thornbury and issues of social justice and

charitable concerns. 11

Churches and elderly people, those with disabilities

and special needs. 12

Churches and the arts, culture and sport. 13

Governance and civic life. 14

8.0 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES 15

Challenges. 20

Areas of success. 20

Chapter summary. 20

9.0 VOLUNTEERING WITHIN CHURCHES 21

10.0 CONCLUSIONS 22

11.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 24

DOCUMENT REFERENCES 24

APPENDICES

1 FOREWORD INTRODUCTION

1.0FOREWORD

Our local community in Thornbury contains many ‘unsung

heroes’ - people who give large amounts of their time and

commitment to a wide range of voluntary work. This includes

everything from supporting families in need, campaigning on

poverty and justice issues, litter picking and helping to

rehabilitate offenders to involvement in local

environmental projects.

For many of these people, their Christian faith is what motivates

them to serve their local community. First and foremost, this

report documents the scale of the contribution that is made by

Christian people in our area. Whilst it is impossible to put a cash

value on the time and care that people put in, paying people to

do the same work could easily cost over a million pounds a year.

As well as celebrating the successes of local churches and

individual believers in improving the quality of life of our

community, the report also highlights ways in which that

contribution could be even more effective. This includes making

sure that those in different denominations are kept informed

about the work that others in the same area are doing, and

making sure that those who are willing and able to volunteer

can find out how best to do so.

This is an uplifting report, celebrating the good that is already

done and identifying ways in which still more can be achieved. I

pay tribute to the vision of Thornbury Churches Together in

commissioning the report, to Sarah Martin, the author, who has

done a very professional job, and, most of all, to the unsung

heroes of our communities who give so much. I trust that all

those with a duty of care towards the people of Thornbury will

share my commitment to support the Churches in their on-

going service for the benefit of the wider community.

Steve Webb, Member of Parliament for Thornbury and Yate.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 In February 2010, Thornbury Churches Together (TCT)

commissioned the production of a Faith Action Audit for

Thornbury. The purpose of this work is to establish the

work undertaken by the Christian community for the

benefit of the wider community, to celebrate successes and

to identify ways of working better together both within

and outside of the churches.

1.2 The project also marks the 21st anniversary of the

establishment of Thornbury Churches Together, and was

concluded for the celebrations to mark this occasion on

23rd May 2010. The Faith Action Audit has been

conducted by Sarah Martin, under the guidance of a

project steering group made up of Sally Heath (Thornbury

Churches Together), Heather Pencavel (Thornbury United

Reformed Church), Roger Allen (Bristol Christian

Fellowship, Thornbury) and David Primrose (Church of

England), and was funded through a grant from a local

charitable trust.

1.3 Thornbury Churches Together is a group of churches

covenanted together since 1989, and linked to Churches

Together in Gloucestershire. It is formed from

representatives of the following churches; Church of

England (St Mary's and St Paul's, the Hackett), Roman

Catholic (Christ the King), Thornbury Baptist Church,

Thornbury Methodist Church, Thornbury United Reformed

Church, Society of Friends (Quakers), and Bristol Christian

Fellowship (BCF) and has close links with ngm, a music and

mission community for young people.

1.4 The report will look at the policies and priorities

underpinning Faith Action Audits, examine and analyse the

work being done by the Thornbury churches and their

members for the benefit of the wider community, and

draw up conclusions and recommendations as to ways of

overcoming obstacles and working more effectively and

cohesively as a faith community.

SUMMARY

2.1 The Faith Action Audit has revealed much about the

extent of the voluntary work of Thornbury’s churches

undertaken for the benefit of others. Through

questionnaires, interviews and focus groups, Christians

and their churches have shown that they contribute

voluntary hours valued at up to £1,850,000 each year,

and that the benefit of this work is felt at local, regional,

national and international level.

2.2 Yet Thornbury’s churches have the capacity to give more

and the challenge is to make the best use of the gifts and

talents of individuals who are prepared to give up their

time for others. The activities in which these faith groups

are involved can be classified under the headings of

“families”, “education”, “offenders”, “environment”,

“charity work/wider context”, “elderly, disabled and

special needs”, “arts, culture and sport” and “governance

and civic life”. The churches themselves are involved

corporately in some of these areas, and in particular

provide support through the use of buildings, in some

cases, resources and through their links with

communities in other parts of the country and across

the world.

2.3 There is a valuable opportunity for statutory and

voluntary sectors to engage with the churches in

Thornbury, to enhance volunteering and to support

and partner them in projects of benefit to the

whole community.

CONTEXT

3.1 Both local and national government place great

importance on a thriving voluntary and community sector,

both in the faith and secular environments. The work of

the faith community and the drawing together of this

work in a faith action audit supports three of the national

indicators in particular.

3.2 The first indicator of relevance is National Indicator 1; “%

of people who believe people from different backgrounds

get on well together in their local area”. The ecumenical

faith community brings together people of different ages,

cultural backgrounds and views. National Indicator 6:

“Participation in formal volunteering”, and National

Indicator 7: “Environment for a thriving third sector” are

also relevant to this project and are identified as priorities

by South Gloucestershire Council. The “third sector” is

defined as the voluntary and community sector including

social enterprise organisations and faith communities.

South Gloucestershire recognises faith communities as

constituent members of the voluntary and community

sector, and that volunteering has a huge impact on

promoting a thriving third sector in enhancing

neighbourhood cohesion.

3.3 A report written for The Government Office for the South

West and the South West Council of Faiths recognises the

importance of the contribution of faith communities to

their wider communities. In the publication, “Daily Service:

how faith communities contribute to neighbourhood

renewal and regeneration in the South West of England”

(Jackson and Kimberlee, University of the West of England

2004) it is stated that there is “growing recognition of the

potentially valuable role of faith communities in assisting

the growth of social cohesion within their locality and in

the delivery of a wide range of social welfare and

community services.” Our report will reveal how this work

takes place “on the ground” in Thornbury, and will show

the extent of the faith community’s commitment to

working for the benefit of others.

2.0 3.0

2 SUMMARY CONTEXT

3 METHODOLOGY

4.0METHODOLOGY

4.1 The research contributing to the Thornbury Churches

Together Faith Action Audit was carried out between

February and May 2010. Various methods were used to

gather information, including interviews, questionnaires,

focus groups and resources such as Census, regional

government and local authority information.

4.2 Two questionnaires were designed in order to obtain

information about Thornbury’s churches. The first was

directed towards the leaders of the seven TCT member

churches as organisations, and asked about the structure

and membership of the church, buildings, funding and

activities of the church (see Appendix A for the

questionnaire). The second questionnaire was aimed at all

the members of the churches in Thornbury and asked

about the volunteering habits of each individual (see

Appendix B for the questionnaire). The questionnaires

individuals completed were anonymous. In order to

maximise opportunities for individuals to complete the

questionnaire it was made available on paper, as an

e-mailed document and as an internet based survey

through the host website Survey Monkey.

4.3 The most detailed information was obtained using focus

groups comprising a small number of participants (up

to 7), selected due to their involvement in particular areas

of work. The steering group considered a range of possible

focus group topics, including arts/culture, work with the

elderly, and education. However, the three selected were

the following:

“Churches and families”.

“Churches and offenders”.

“Churches and the environment”.

4.4 The topics to be covered by the focus groups were selected

by the project steering group for their relevance to the

issues facing today’s society, both in the faith and secular

environments. All Thornbury churches were represented

amongst the focus group participants, who worked

through a series of exercises designed to explore the

strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers for the

work in each of the topic areas. The purpose of the focus

groups was to go beyond a discussion on the work that is

ongoing and examine how closer working links could be

established between the churches and how difficulties

could be overcome through sharing and working together.

4.5 Interviews and more informal discussions took place with

church leaders, Faithnetsouthwest, Christian Aid,

Thornbury Volunteer Centre, local MP Steve Webb and

those who had had inputs to other faith action audits in

order to identify areas of best practice and obtain a variety

of perspectives on the role and work of Thornbury’s

various Christian communities.

PEOPLE AND FAITH IN THORNBURY

5.1 Thornbury is a small market town with a population of

approximately 13,500 (2001 Census) which lies six miles to

the north of Bristol, close to the Severn Estuary. It offers a

high quality environment, good transport connections and,

for most, an excellent quality of life.

5.2 In South Gloucestershire as a whole, 83% of residents are

satisfied with their local area, according to the local

authority’s 2009 Quality of Life Indicators Report, with life

expectancy well above national average, and crime below

both regional and national averages. Despite this positive

overall picture, there remain areas of deprivation and need,

both within South Gloucestershire and Thornbury, which

are often overlooked.

5.3 Thornbury has a vibrant Christian community of whom

approximately 1,000 will be in church on an ordinary

Sunday, with about 1,500 attending at least monthly, and

many more residents who describe themselves as

Christians (77% of the Thornbury population according to

the 2001 Census). There are small numbers of people of

other faiths also living in Thornbury, including Buddhists,

Hindus, Jews, Muslims and Sikhs (a total of 0.7% of the

Thornbury population in the 2001 Census), who tend to

worship in locations with greater populations of these

faiths, such as in Bristol and Gloucester.

5.0

4 PEOPLE AND FAITH IN THORNBURY

5 IMPACT OF FAITH VOLUNTEERS

6.0IMPACT OF FAITH VOLUNTEERS

6.1 This chapter will present the responses to the individuals

questionnaire in quantitative terms to present a picture of

volunteer numbers, the amount of people who would like

to do more voluntary work, how this could be achieved

and to seek to put a value on the voluntary hours provided

by Thornbury churches.

6.2 A total of 319 individuals replied to the questionnaire. 66%

of respondents were female and 34% were male. Of these,

88% of the females and 82% of the males were active

volunteers. 81% of the under 30 year olds who completed

the questionnaire volunteered; the figures were 86% of 30-

65 year olds and 87% of over 65s.

6.3 It is probable that those who volunteered were more likely

to complete the questionnaire than those who did not, but

nonetheless there remain a large number of individuals

who give up time regularly for others. Using data provided

by the churches on regular attendance, the percentage of

respondents in our survey who volunteer is over 85%.

South Gloucestershire Council Place Survey carried out in

June 2008 of 1,400 individuals found that 26% of

respondents took part in voluntary work at least once a

month. Of those responding to the Faith Action Audit

questionnaire, 86% took part in volunteering. Whilst

acknowledging methodological differences, the apparent

positive correlation between church membership and

volunteering is in keeping with recent research,

(ref www.ivr.org.uk).

6.4 The questionnaire asked the number of hours volunteered

per week. The majority of those who volunteered were

able to offer between one and five hours a week, as shown

in the chart below. Although the amount of time people

are able to offer varies, a total of 82 individuals who

completed the questionnaire gave over 5 hours of their

time each week to voluntary activities.

6.5 To look at these results in financial terms, this means that

in Thornbury those who responded to the survey

contribute at least 936 hours of formal and informal

voluntary work every week. Even at the minimum wage of

£5.80 per hour equates to £5,428 per week or £282,297

per year. At a higher, average wage of £12.50 per hour,

this figure is £11,700 per week (£608,400 per year) of

hours contributed by those who replied, averaging £2,210

per person per year. If this is extrapolated to reflect the

whole contribution made by the various Christian

communities of Thornbury the figure could reach

£1,890,000 per year. These figures only relate to

volunteering by Christians. The total value of volunteering

in Thornbury is yet to be assessed.

6.6 A total of 69 individuals (22%) who completed the

questionnaire would like to become more involved in

voluntary activities in Thornbury. There are many reasons

why these people are not more involved, the most

common being time pressures of family, work and other

commitments (36 individuals cited this reason).

6.7 Of those responding, 16 people stated that they needed

better information as to the volunteering opportunities

available. Suggestions were made to help people find out

where there is a need for volunteers, including

encouraging churches to regularly pass on news about

volunteering opportunities, both within and outside the

church and for opportunities to be better advertised by

organisations requiring volunteers. Alongside people

needing to know more about where voluntary help is

required, 8 individuals commented that they would carry

out more voluntary work if they could find an activity to

which they were attracted. 6 people noted that they were

already involved as volunteers but could do more if they

were asked or given the opportunity.

6.8 It appears that there are many opportunities for making

better use of people who already volunteer, and who

would like to do more, as well as perhaps utilising those

who just have a very small amount of spare time on an

either regular or irregular basis. By providing information

in a number of different ways, for example through the

churches as well as through Thornbury Volunteer Centre

and other organisations, it is likely that still greater

numbers of people will come forward to volunteer

their time.

SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY

7.1 This section presents and analyses the qualitative

information which the members of the Thornbury churches

have provided through questionnaires, interviews and

focus groups on the voluntary work they carry out. It is

divided under topic headings, to give a clear picture of the

work being undertaken in a range of areas across the

churches in Thornbury.

7.2 Churches and families.

7.2.1 Of those who completed the questionnaire, 27% (85

individuals) were involved in voluntary work with

families. Many of the volunteers helped in activities for

school aged children and young people, and led or

assisted with sports teams, youth groups, young

people’s arts and crafts, and holiday clubs. Some of this

work is carried out at Turnberries Community Centre,

and many of the clubs run from Thornbury Baptist

Church. The range of young people’s activities includes:

• Beanies: volunteers run this dance group for

children in years reception to year 6, once a month

on a Saturday morning.

• ‘SNG’: volunteers run this group with the Youth

Worker and a trainee youth worker on Sunday

evenings for ages 15-21. This group also goes away

on weekends and is involved in community projects.

• Adventurers: volunteers run this group along with

a trainee youth worker every Wednesday evening,

for junior age children aged 7-11.

• Basement Café: the Youth Worker and volunteers

run this busy cafe for years 7-9 of secondary school,

every Friday night of term time. This group also run

sleepovers, weekends and days away.

• Attic Café: the Youth Worker, trainee youth worker

and volunteers run this cafe for years 10-13 of

secondary school, every Thursday of term time. This

group also have extra activities as listed for

Basement Café.

7.2.2 As well as working with young people through youth

clubs, 14 individuals are involved in leading or helping

with the uniformed organisations, such as Rainbows,

Brownies, Guides, Beavers, Cubs and Scouts. A further

12 people give their time to help with

parent/grandparent and toddler groups and other

activities for pre-school aged children. It is clear from

the sheer number of people involved in volunteering to

7.0

6 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and families.

7

help with young people’s activities that far fewer

activities would be able to be offered were it not

for the willingness and commitment of so

many volunteers.

7.2.3 Other areas where volunteers from Thornbury churches

work on behalf of families are through organisations

such as the Mothers’ Union (6 people), by offering

parenting classes and marriage preparation (6 people),

by offering bereavement visiting (5 people) and

through informal support to families in need

(8 people).

7.2.4 A total of 8 individuals offer counselling or provide help

at projects such as the Willow Tree Centre, based in

Yate. The Willow Tree Centre offers free, unbiased

support to anyone facing an unplanned pregnancy or

needing help after a miscarriage, still birth or abortion.

A further service which is offered by Christians in

Thornbury is debt advice, in which 6 of those who

responded to the questionnaire are involved. This

service was set up in 2010 by Thornbury Churches

Together and has attracted a wide variety of volunteers

of all ages who are trained to offer advice to people,

whether they be of a faith background or not, and who

come from across South Gloucestershire.

7.2.5 The focus group held with a small group of people who

are particularly involved in activities for families allowed

for more in depth information to be obtained about

the type of work being carried out by volunteers. Those

who attended the focus group were involved in the

following activities themselves:

• How to Drug Proof Your Kids project.

• Marriage preparation.

• Parenting courses.

• Home Start.

• Music with Mummy.

• GLOSS FM.

• Primary school and church youth activities.

• Debt counselling service.

• Youth activities.

7.2.6 Many successes were raised by focus group members,

who felt that although it is sometimes hard to reach

out to all those in need, facilities for families in

Thornbury are mainly good. One of the group members

described her voluntary work with the Home Start

scheme, which offers support, friendship and practical

help at home to parents with young children in local

communities throughout the UK. She felt that Home

Start was an excellent initiative to help families through

short periods of stress or difficulty, for example due to

ill health, relationship problems or bereavement but

noted that as the scheme relies on trained volunteers,

there may be families who are not getting the help they

need because there may not be sufficient volunteers in

their area.

7.2.7 Focus group members supported families through

parenting courses run through the churches, but not

solely for church members. These courses meet a need

and provide a safe and non-judgmental environment

where parents obtain information and support over a

number of weeks through sharing experiences and

working through a program by the Family Caring Trust.

The focus group members all support families on an

informal basis through their work at churches and

schools, and also through their jobs, for example

providing Music with Mummy classes.

7.2.8 The drug proofing project set up by the Baptist Church

is a new initiative which aims to give advice to parents

of children who are in the transition between primary

and secondary school. The project is being run by a

former police officer and a former RE teacher and it is

hoped to be able to roll it out across all primary schools

in Thornbury.

7.2.9 The focus group discussed the barriers to working with

families, and the key issue was felt to be concern about

coming forward for help. It was felt that some people

would not approach a church for help if, in the first

instance, they were not part of a church and secondly if

they perceived it would reflect badly on their ability to

cope. Those involved in providing debt advice,

parenting classes and drug proofing all agreed that

they saw people coming forward for help as a positive

step, rather than as a sign that someone had failed, but

that this was not necessarily the perception of those

needing advice and support. Engaging families in

services provided for the community by the churches is

therefore a challenge. Further challenges include

getting sufficient committed volunteers to provide

services, and the time and cost involved in Criminal

Records Bureau (CRB) checks on all individuals involved.

7.2.10 The focus group felt that the solutions to some of the

issues raised involved better communication between

the churches and the wider community, and also better

communication between the Thornbury churches. This

would ensure that efforts are not duplicated and those

who provide services can learn from one another. Better

outreach to the community to make it clear that

opportunities such as parenting classes are not just for

church goers would also be helpful.

7.2.11 In order to serve families more effectively, the focus

group came up with a number of visions and ideas for

the future. A single point of information for family

issues, such as a directory of services was suggested,

and it was felt that the churches need to be more

willing to share talents and use them appropriately to

meet needs in the community. Providing more

information on managing money and debt, perhaps in

the form of leaflets was proposed. It was suggested

that taking on an empty shop or house in Thornbury

and using it as a drop in centre for people at all times

of the day or evening would be a good way of reaching

out to the community. It would provide neutral

territory outside the church and may help to bridge the

gap between church and community offering someone

to talk to and a safe place to meet.

7.2.12 Overall, the focus group and the information from the

questionnaires has shown that there is a huge amount

of highly effective work going on for families by the

churches in Thornbury, but that there are opportunities

for strengthening and improving this work by closer

relationships and pooling skills and resources.

8 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and families.

9 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Education. Offenders.

7.3 Education.

7.3.1 Christians in Thornbury volunteer in various roles in the

education system, contributing to the work of our

primary and secondary schools but also other

educational projects such as the University of the

Third Age.

7.3.2 A total of 17% of those who responded to the Faith

Action Audit questionnaire helped in schools, with the

largest group being those who brought their faith to

schools in the form of Open the Book assemblies,

which tell bible stories in all the primary schools. Others

helped in the classroom, offering reading support (12

individuals), and with after-school clubs (9 individuals).

Of those who completed the questionnaire, 8 were

school governors, and 4 were part of the Parent

Teacher Associations (PTA) at the primary and

secondary schools.

7.3.3 There were 10 people volunteering with the University

of the Third Age (U3A) in Thornbury, part of the

national U3A organisations which are self-help, self-

managed lifelong learning co-operatives for older

people no longer in full time work. The U3A members

learn for interest and enjoyment rather than for

qualifications, and those involved in helping with this

organisation in Thornbury lead classes in a wide variety

of topics.

7.4 Offenders.

7.4.1 There are two prisons in close proximity to Thornbury;

Leyhill Prison and Eastwood Park Women’s Prison. The

Women’s Prison has one of the few Mother and Baby

Units in the region, with facilities for pregnant women,

new mothers and their babies, including a staffed

nursery. Leyhill Prison holds long and short term male

inmates, some of whom are permitted to go out of the

prison to work.

7.4.2 A total of 21 people who responded to the

questionnaire carried out voluntary work with

offenders. The most common type of voluntary work in

this area was prison visiting, with 18 of the 21 working

in this way. Those who visit prisons offer support

through prayer groups, bible study and helping with

services, and also in other practical ways such as

helping at the Mother and Baby Unit. Two of those who

responded also volunteer with Age Concern Older

Offenders Project, which aims to offer social care,

advice and support to older offenders and their families

at both Eastwood Park and Leyhill Prisons.

7.4.3 As well as collecting information on how the faith

community works with offenders through

questionnaires, a focus group was held on this subject,

to find out more about the work being carried out, its

challenges and successes. Those attending the focus

group were all involved in the work of the two prisons

in different ways. Some worked directly in prisons, for

example through visiting and chaplaincy services.

Others represented offenders to the community and

campaigned through groups for offenders at regional

and national level.

7.4.4 Participants cited a number of examples of where work

with offenders is operating very successfully, including

the work of the Changing Tunes charity. Changing

Tunes has been working for over ten years to use music

to aid the rehabilitation of prisoners and ex-prisoners,

to build confidence and self-esteem through

performance and learning, and works weekly in both

Leyhill and Eastwood Park Prisons.

7.4.5 Participants felt that the standard of care for prisoners

was good, and that the interest and goodwill of the

community by those of all faith backgrounds for those

in prison was very positive. The Mother and Baby Unit

at Eastwood Park Prison was considered to give a great

start to babies born under difficult circumstances, and

the support offered by staff and the community to this

Unit is excellent. Those who visited prisons felt that

they were enriched by the experiences they had whilst

carrying out this work, and believed that help from

outside is well received by both prison staff

and offenders.

7.4.6 The focus group members felt that there were a

number of challenges and difficulties which were faced

by those in prison, and also those seeking to work with

prisons. Issues facing women prisoners in particular

include being held a long way from home due to there

being fewer women’s prisons, and the difficulties of

keeping families together while a mother is in prison.

Other issues which affect a large proportion of both

male and female prisoners include mental health

problems, self-harm, substance abuse, former abuse

and deportation. The focus group felt that inadequate

attention is given to the rehabilitation of ex-offenders,

which can lead to further crime where there seem to be

few opportunities for positive change. Those who have

been in prison can find it difficult to find jobs, to be

accepted into society or to live a normal life.

7.4.7 Several potential solutions were proposed to some of

these issues by focus group members. The need for

better rehabilitation so that offenders do not go back

to their former lives was seen as a priority. Participants

suggested that it would help if ex-offenders could go

and live in a half-way house, away from their former

environment to allow them to find their way in the

outside world. Better links between prisons and the

community were also suggested, with businesses

encouraged to employ ex-offenders. The group agreed

that it was vitally important to help prevent people

offending in the first place, and stressed the

importance of family life, trust, self confidence

and education.

7.5 Churches and the environment.

7.5.1 The questionnaire revealed that 28 people of the 319

(9%) who responded carried out voluntary

environmental work, either directly for Thornbury, or

for wider organisations and charities.

7.5.2 In terms of local environmental projects, 10 people

were involved in either Sustainable Thornbury or

Thornbury In Bloom, and 6 were part of the Litter

Busters Project which aims to keep the streets,

footpaths and waterways in the town clear of rubbish

through regular working parties. A number of

individuals were also involved in national and

international groups such as Fairtrade and Make

Poverty History, and some gave time to environmental

campaigning through Christian Aid and other more

local projects. 7 people volunteered for local and

national wildlife projects, for example through helping

at Slimbridge Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust centre,

Avon Wildlife Trust and the RSPB.

7.5.3 Due to the importance of environmental issues on a

local, national and international scale, a focus group

was held to find out more about how churches work

on a variety of sustainability projects. The focus group

participants represented 5 of the 7 Thornbury churches.

The focus group are active in the following areas:

• Environmental lobbying on local and national

issues, including Oldbury Power Station.

• Gloucester Churches Environmental Justice

Network.

• Trade Justice Campaign.

• Care for the Churchyard.

• Environment Committee of Town Council.

• Litter Busters.

• Local allotments.

• Christian Aid’s Climate Change Campaign.

• Sustainable Thornbury.

• Fair Trade.

• Make Poverty History Group.

• Grow Your Own Food.

• Green Party.

• Cycling proficiency lessons.

• Tree Planting.

• Environmental Health Food and Health Projects.

• Thornbury in Bloom.

7.5.4 The focus group were asked to describe some of the

best aspects of the work they were involved in and

share some recent successes. They discussed the

success of getting extra bus services added to link

Thornbury to Bristol Parkway station, which enables

those travelling by train to make their full journey by

public transport rather than relying on the car. The

group also considered that the Make Poverty History

group had been effective in lobbying on climate

change, and that the upgrades which had been made

to the St Mary’s Church Hall (insulation and double

glazing) had helped to make it a more sustainable

building. The group discussed the scheme being

undertaken by the Town Council in cooperation with

South Gloucestershire Council to turn off unnecessary

street lighting overnight to save energy, which will help

to reduce Thornbury’s environmental impact.

7.5.5 The focus group described some areas of their

environmental work where there were problems and

barriers. The most significant issue amongst the group

was transport; issues of rural car dependence,

commuting in and out of Thornbury, inadequate,

expensive and unreliable public transport and the

difficulties of encouraging alternative means of

10 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and the environment.

11 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and issues of social justice and charitable concerns.

transport were raised as key barriers to becoming more

sustainable as a community.

7.5.6 The national planning system was also thought to be a

barrier to sustainability, due to inflexibility on the

creation of green energy by means such as solar panels

and wind turbines. The group were concerned by the

proposals to build a further nuclear power installation

at Oldbury on Severn, and also discussed local food

initiatives such as allotments and the difficulties of

meeting the demand for allotments.

7.5.7 A number of solutions were proposed to the problems

cited above, including car pool clubs and local car

sharing initiatives coordinated by the Thornbury

churches. The group discussed Fair Trade food and

wanted to see it available in more outlets, with perhaps

a larger Co-Operative shop in Thornbury which would

support the Fair Trade initiative. It was felt that if

Thornbury had more opportunities for business

development, through new and improved premises,

this could reduce the amount of commuting as

individuals could live and work within the town.

7.5.8 There was a strong feeling that groups and individuals

need to maintain momentum in environmental

campaigning and action so that we all take

responsibility for our own actions and their implications

for the planet. The group discussed how the churches

could have a role in this ongoing work, and considered

that sharing skills and information and working

together more effectively would help to engage greater

numbers in the environmental debate. In addition to a

number of local actions, it was felt that changes to the

planning system at national level, and a greater

commitment by central government in promoting and

subsidising public transport outside London would help

individuals live more sustainably.

7.6 Churches and issues of social justice and

charitable concerns.

7.6.1 Many of Thornbury’s residents have a lively interest in

matters of social concern, such as charitable work,

environmental action, social justice and political

campaigning; a total of 23% of those who completed

the questionnaire on volunteering carry out this type of

work. In each of these areas Christians are well

represented, often fulfilling a leadership role. This is

apparent amongst those volunteering in charity shops

(5 survey respondents) and the annual town-wide

collection for Christian Aid, (9 survey respondents)

which raises over £4,000. Other initiatives Thornbury

churches are involved in include Make Poverty

History/Drop the Debt and related national initiatives,

and Friends of Sabeel (working for peace in

Israel/Palestine). The churches promote these activities

throughout their memberships, hence providing

additional support for those actively involved.

7.6.2 A total of 59 respondents supported charities, some

through donating money, and others offer their time

and expertise to assist in collections, charity shops,

office work, writing letters, campaigning, making items

to sell and by using their professional expertise.

7.7 Churches and elderly people, those with disabilities

and special needs.

7.7.1 Of those who responded to the questionnaire, 22%

gave their time to caring for the elderly or those with

disabilities and special needs (a total of 71 volunteers).

This is in addition to caring undertaken for one’s own

relatives. The chart below reveals the full breakdown of

voluntary work for this group:

12 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and elderly people, those with disabilities and special needs.

13 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Churches and the arts, culture and sport.

7.7.2 Much of this work was carried out in an informal way,

visiting those in need, offering meals, companionship,

cleaning or other support, with 19 individuals stating

that they regularly help elderly or disabled friends

and neighbours.

7.7.3 The Luncheon Club run weekly at Thornbury Baptist

Church also has a significant number of regular

volunteers, and 12 people stated that they offer

transport to hospital, shops and libraries to those who

cannot manage alone. Hospital and care home visiting

accounted for another 11 volunteers, and 10

individuals were involved in support groups, events and

charities for those with special needs and disabilities.

7.8 Churches and the arts, culture and sport.

7.8.1 The questionnaire revealed that over 20% of those who

replied are involved in voluntary activities which cover

arts, culture and sports. People of all ages in the faith

community volunteer for a range of activities, as

shown below:

7.8.2 Many of those who responded not only enjoyed

carrying out these activities in their own right, but had

some sort of leadership role, for example coaching a

sports team or teaching others arts, crafts or music. It

was clear from the responses that although people

were offering their time to these activities, they also

derived a large amount of satisfaction and enjoyment

from them as well.

7.9 Governance and civic life.

7.9.1 Members of the Thornbury churches are involved in a

number of community based initiatives, governance

and civic life. In total, 17 people who responded to the

questionnaire undertook voluntary work to contribute

to the life of Thornbury and its environs. Two of those

who responded are members of Thornbury Town

Council; two thirds of the councilors are known to be

active members of the various churches.

7.9.2 Several individuals are involved in local politics, in terms

of campaigning, leaflets and support, and two are

magistrates. Four people volunteer at Turnberries

Community Centre, either helping on reception or on

the management committee; a further two are involved

in the running of other community buildings. Other

involvement in civic life by the faith community

includes people who volunteer at the Citizens Advice

Bureau, the Tourist Information Centre and through

local Neighbourhood Watch Schemes.

7.9.3 Church leaders from Thornbury have also been able to

play their part in the civic life of South Gloucestershire.

This has included representing the voluntary sector on

South Gloucestershire Partnership and on the thematic

Safer & Stronger and Economy & Skills Strategic

Partnerships. They have served on the Partnership

Against Hate Crime and the Independent Advisory

Group for the Police. They have chaired South

Gloucestershire Corporate Equalities Forum and played

key roles in establishing South Gloucestershire Faith

and Belief Forum, as well as organising hustings for

European and national elections.

14 SERVING THE WIDER COMMUNITY: Governance and civic life.

15 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES

8.0ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES

8.1 The seven Thornbury churches which completed the

questionnaire had a total attendance of almost 1,000 on

an ordinary Sunday. The attendance pattern at churches

varies, about 1,500 attending at least monthly. There are

many more irregular visitors on special occasions and

festival days. The chart below shows a breakdown of

attendance by church on an ordinary Sunday:

8.2 The age of those attending church varied between the

different organisations, but in several churches there are a

high proportion of those aged over 65. However, in some

churches, notably Bristol Christian Fellowship and

Thornbury Baptist Church, there are a large proportion of

those aged under 30 within the congregations. The age

breakdown at the different churches is shown in the

chart below:

8.3 The Thornbury churches work in a wide variety of ways,

both for the faith community and the wider community in

Thornbury and beyond. All are involved in supporting the

bereaved and those in poor health, and many organise

hospital visits. These activities rely on volunteers from the

congregation to support them, and are of vital importance

to those who benefit. The chart below shows the extent of

the voluntary actions supported through the churches.

16 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES

17

8.4 Five of the seven churches own and manage buildings,

including their churches, plus halls and meeting rooms.

The churches’ buildings are used by community groups

and in some cases hired for private functions. Many of the

groups which use the buildings do so on a regular basis,

and are not necessarily faith based groups. Organisations

which use the church buildings on a regular basis include

Scouting and Guiding groups, choirs, parent and toddler

groups, arts and crafts, health and fitness activities and

U3A groups. A full list of the groups and organisations

which use church facilities is shown in Appendix C.

8.5 The majority of the funding received by the churches

comes from donations from church members. All of the

churches which answered the question cited this as their

most significant, and in some cases, only form of income.

Rental income of church buildings accounted for another

main income stream which contributed towards the

maintenance cost of these buildings, whilst other funding

for improvements to the buildings was obtained from

occasional grants, fundraising for specific projects and

other central church funds.

8.6 Five of the seven churches have some paid staff, including

one or more priests/ministers (either full or part time), and

in some cases support staff. Three churches employ part

time administrators and two have cleaners, gardeners and

caretakers. Two churches also pay for youth workers, one

of whom operates from the church, and the other from

The Castle School.

8.7 All of the churches have members involved in a wide

variety of voluntary activities outside of church work, with

at least 360 active volunteers. The chart below shows the

range of work and numbers of volunteers who offer their

time to these activities, often in addition to what they do

for the church.

18 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES

19

8.8 The number of people benefitting from the voluntary

activities carried out by church members is enormous.

Although it is difficult to accurately measure the number of

beneficiaries, the churches have estimated the totals below

for each activity:

8.9 Some voluntary actions have very clear beneficiaries, for

example those receiving hospital visits, those attending

parent and toddler groups and those who rely on church

volunteers for transport. In other cases, the whole of

Thornbury can benefit from voluntary actions, for example

the work of a town councillor, volunteers at Turnberries or

those who help in schools and charity shops. In some

instances, the beneficiaries are far more widely spread;

charity work carried out by Thornbury church members

benefits people at local, regional, national and

international levels. Similarly those who volunteer with

GLOSS FM have a wider influence than just Thornbury.

8.10 As well as being active in the Thornbury community, the

churches have links with other churches and organisations

both in the UK and abroad. Three of the churches

mentioned support and links with churches in Romania,

France, Uganda, Sweden, India, Tanzania, USA and Nigeria.

Others support international projects and all of the

churches collect money during Christian Aid week, which

raises at least £14 million across the UK each year.

VOLUNTARY ACTIVITY No OF BENEFICIARIES

Youth work (both uniformed and non uniformed). 650

Parent and toddler groups. 180

Mothers Union. 200

Prison visiting. 110

Women’s Institute. 50

Formal or informal help for the elderly. 605

University of the Third Age. 120

Turnberries Community Centre. 1000

Transport for the elderly/those in need. 90

Charity shop work. 2000

Sustainable Thornbury. 10,000

Charity work, both at home and abroad eg Christian Aid. 20,000

Schools (eg governors, classroom help, leading assemblies, PTA). 10,000

Thornbury Town Council. 12,000

GLOSS FM (formerly Thornbury FM). 25,000

Hospital visiting. 100

8.11 The links the churches have with other Churches in South

Gloucestershire are also important. In addition to being

part of Thornbury Churches Together, some churches are

part of a network of South Gloucestershire churches, and

have formal links with parishes such as Oldbury on Severn

and Bradley Stoke, as well as within the city of Bristol. They

are active in the South Gloucestershire Faith and Belief

Forum. Thornbury churches are outward looking in their

perspective and aim to engage with churches from other

cultural backgrounds who are often less fortunate than

those in Thornbury, to offer support and encouragement

and in some cases funding.

8.12 Challenges.

8.12.1 The most frequently mentioned challenge for

Thornbury churches is the overload of work for both

paid staff and volunteers. Five churches noted this as

an issue and four stated that having insufficient

volunteers to carry out the necessary work was a

problem. Despite the efforts of a large number of

committed volunteers, there remains a need for further

involvement, to share the load and to allow for growth

in the work of the churches.

8.12.2 Many of the churches (4 out of 7) stated that funding

was an issue, especially noting the expense of

maintaining listed buildings. Four of the churches felt

that communication was a challenge, given the

numbers of church members, and three considered that

providing for the needs of the whole community

caused difficulties. Four churches mentioned growth as

a challenge, particularly in relation to encouraging the

involvement of younger people in the life of the church.

8.13 Areas of success.

8.13.1 The churches which responded to the questionnaire all

felt there were many positive and successful aspects to

their work. Five churches stated that growth in

particular areas of ministry such as bereavement

visiting and links with industry was a recent success,

and four had been fortunate in attracting outside

funding. One church commented that a growing

congregation is a current highlight, due to the

introduction of afternoon all-age worship.

8.13.2 The close links with other Thornbury churches and the

work that this allows was cited as a success by five

churches, and work with schools and Thornbury

Churches Together events were seen as a result of this

close relationship. Four churches felt that their events,

including weekends away, church gardens and festivals

had been successful and helped to promote the work

of the church amongst a wider audience. The

development of stronger links with the community was

noted as a positive area of work by four churches. As

an example of this work, one church stated that their

buildings were being used increasingly by those outside

the church for various pre-school and youth groups

which brought more people into contact with the

church than previously.

8.13.3 Four churches felt that their fundraising and charity

work was going particularly well, with the majority of

the churches supporting charities through annual and

sometimes more frequent donations. All the churches

who responded supported either Christian Aid or

CAFOD through donations.

8.14 Chapter summary.

The churches in Thornbury are highly active and work

hard to establish close relationships not only with other

Christians and Christian groups, but those currently

outside the church community. There are a number of

common challenges for the churches, but also common

successes and opportunities. The shared experience of

being part of Thornbury Churches Together and having

the opportunity to complement one another’s work

should allow the churches to grow and have a

continuing relevance and impact on people’s lives.

20 ROLE OF THORNBURY CHURCHES: Challenges. Areas of success. Chapter summary.

21 VOLUNTEERING WITHIN CHURCHES

9.0VOLUNTEERING WITHIN CHURCHES

9.1 As well as being active within their communities, 58% of

those who responded to the questionnaire were involved

in voluntary activities to support the Thornbury churches.

People are involved in a huge range of activities, as

shown below:

9.2 Many of those who responded were involved in several of

the activities listed above, in addition to carrying out work

for the wider community, which demonstrates a

willingness to give up time not only for the church family

but for the whole community.

CHURCH BASED ACTIVITY No OF RESPONDENTS

Music and the Arts. 9

Children and young peoples activities. 18

Church cleaning, flowers, grass cutting, maintenance. 31

Coffee, breakfasts and refreshments. 18

Helping at services, spiritual direction, house groups. 67

Pastoral visiting, at home or in hospital, offering transport. 15

Serving on committees, distribution of information, parish contacts. 28

CONCLUSIONS

10.1 Thornbury churches and their members make a

significant contribution to the voluntary sector in

Thornbury and beyond. At least 936 hours of voluntary

work are contributed formally and informally by those

faith individuals who responded to the questionnaire, the

value of which, using an average wage is £608,400 per

year. This figure could reach £1,850,000 if all

volunteering by church members was to be documented.

The 319 respondents represent less than a third of

average church attendance on an ordinary Sunday, and

just a fifth of people who attend at least monthly.

Thornbury churches care not just for those who attend

church but for the wider community through a huge

range of projects and outreach work, making use of

volunteers’ talents in many diverse ways.

10.2 On an ordinary Sunday, 7% of the population of

Thornbury attend church. The churches as organisations

initiate many voluntary projects, and individuals from

these faith communities contribute even more through

non-church based activities which support

their community.

10.3 A number of important conclusions and proposals arose

from the focus groups which were held on the topics of

“Families”, “Environment” and “Offenders”. Those who

work with offenders felt that it would be appropriate for

Thornbury churches to have an even greater role in

working with our prisons, perhaps by accompanying

individuals to court, and by more work within prisons

leading religious services. The “Environment” focus

group suggested Thornbury churches could be more

active in promoting car sharing, and the possibility of an

inter-church car pool was raised to help reduce the

transport impact on the environment. A single point of

information for family services, both within and outside

the church, was proposed by the “Families” focus group.

In addition this group could see the value in an empty

shop or house converted into a neutral place for the

churches to carry out work with the local community.

10.4 The work carried out by the Christian community is of

significance, and there remain ways in which it could be

further improved. One of the challenges to better, more

collaborative working between and within churches is

communication. The focus groups held to gather

information for this audit were made up of individuals

from all the churches that carry out work on the same

theme. Despite this common ground, surprise was

10.0

22 CONCLUSIONS

23

frequently expressed at the work that another church

was doing on a similar topic. This suggests inadequate

ongoing dialogue between the churches in some work

areas, and implies there could be gaps in provision or

indeed at times duplication of effort.

10.5 The project also revealed an historical degree of

parochialism amongst the churches. Better sharing of

ideas or resources will lead to increased opportunities

for service.

10.6 It is very important that churches and other organisations

utilise their volunteers appropriately in order to make the

best use of talents, skills and areas of interest. There are

many reasons why people volunteer, but the most basic

is usually because they enjoy it. It is therefore important

to enable volunteers to engage with tasks best suited

to their abilities thereby encouraging their sense

of fulfilment.

10.7 The questionnaire revealed that 69 individuals from the

churches would like to become more involved in

volunteering or to offer more voluntary hours. One of

the key barriers to becoming involved or more involved

was time constraints. However, a significant number of

people (33 in total) commented that they did not know

how to find out about volunteering opportunities, or

were not asked or given the chance to do more. Yet the

activities and outreach programs run by the churches for

the community are in great need of volunteers, according

to the focus groups and interviews undertaken. As an

illustration of this, one individual who is involved in

youth work commented, “volunteers are very important

to my work as they enable everything to happen. This

can mean it is sometimes hard when you don't have

enough volunteers, and it means I am constantly on the

job of recruiting new people”.

It would be ideal if volunteering opportunities could

be better matched to those who have the capacity

to volunteer.

10.8 The questionnaires, focus groups and interviews have

enabled a comprehensive picture of the churches and

their work to develop. One in five of those who attend

church at least monthly completed the individuals’

questionnaire. This was made available by a variety of

means, both electronic and paper over a period of a

month. The results represent an approximate sample of

the total voluntary work undertaken by church members.

“volunteers are very

important to my

work as they enable

everything to happen.

This can mean it is

sometimes hard

when you don't have

enough volunteers,

and it means I am

constantly on the

job of recruiting

new people”

RECOMMENDATIONS

11.1 For Thornbury Churches Together to be used more

effectively as a vehicle to support collaborative working

between churches, including better communication and

“cascading” ideas and information from Thornbury

Churches Together to each church member, and from

individuals back through the entire Christian community.

11.2 For each church to evaluate how it uses volunteers,

whether they are enjoying what they do, whether they

could do more or different activities and whether they

feel they are being used effectively, ensuring that they

are valued and supported, and volunteering

opportunities are widely disseminated.

11.3 For each church to carry out an audit of skills and talents

to reveal how abilities could be matched to work which

needs to be undertaken, and to consider whether

training is needed in any areas where, after pooling

resources, a skills-gap remains.

11.4 For churches to work closely with Thornbury Volunteer

Centre to match volunteers to opportunities and

advertise voluntary work which needs to be done; and to

work with South Gloucestershire Council for Voluntary

Service, and other voluntary sector infrastructure

organizations, to build capacity.

11.5 For Church Together in Gloucestershire,

Faithnetsouthwest, South Gloucestershire Faith and

Belief Forum, and WE:network to raise awareness of the

good work demonstrated in this report, and to support

further work.

11.6 For Dioceses, Circuits, denominational partners and other

networks to take note of the findings of this report and

consider resource implications.

11.7 For statutory sector organizations, including South

Gloucestershire Council, Primary Care Trust, and National

Offender Management Service to recognise the work

being undertaken and, in the context of National

Indicators 1, 6 and 7, to engage in dialogue with the

intention to develop partnerships, building on the

churches’ expertise.

11.8 For Thornbury Town Council, and others with a

responsibility for the welfare of the citizens of Thornbury,

to seek opportunities to work with and support activities

undertaken by the churches of Thornbury for the benefit

of the whole community.

DOCUMENT REFERENCES

Faith in Action in the South West, by Faithnetsouthwest, 2006.

South Gloucestershire Faith Action Audit, by South

Gloucestershire Faith and Belief Forum, 2009.

Daily Service: How faith communities contribute to

neighbourhood renewal and regeneration in the South West of

England, by Government Office for the South West, 2004.

Counting for Communities, Faith in Wales by Gweini, 2008.

11.0

24 RECOMMENDATIONS DOCUMENT REFERENCES

Appendices if enclosed.

Copies of this report may be downloaded from the websites of the participating churches.

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