Custodians of Care - Caring for the Community

Caring for the Community

Anecdotal evidence suggests a link between people who become involved with violent gangs and extremism and mental health, with the issue moving higher up the Trust’s agenda.

Gang Violence
Chris Dyer
Youth Crime Manager, Safer Birmingham Partnership

Chris has been working in the youth offending, criminal justice and community safety fields for close to twenty years. He has produced and overseen delivery of Birmingham City Council’s Safe & Clean Neighbourhoods Plan, and for the last two years has been the strategic lead on the ‘Reducing Gang Violence’ agenda. He jointly chairs the panel that refers the young people identified at risk of gang involvement, and is also the lead for The Safer Birmingham Partnership on the City’s Youth Crime Strategic Group.

Violent Extremism
WPC Gail Colley
Security & Partnerships Officer, West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit\

Gail works under the Prevent Agenda which aims to reduce the number of people becoming or supporting violent extremists, particularly individuals who may be susceptible to radicalisation.

Community Havens
Carol Ann Wilson
BSMHFT Head of Spiritual Care and WMFF Executive member
and
Jane Gallagher
West Midlands Faiths Forum, Development Manager

The West Midlands Faiths Forum (WMFF) offers a unique opportunity for faith communities to share and learn from one another, whilst making a major contribution to policy-making. WMFF participates in a wide range of decision-making bodies in the West Midlands and regularly consults with members to ensure faith perspectives are reflected in responses to regional and national policy initiatives.

Many faith-inspired organisations provide informal support and counselling to people suffering mental distress, effectively offering community havens. Such organisations often see themselves outside of the voluntary & community sector, and work on the false assumption they will not be eligible for funding from statutory sources – a belief demonstrated by the recently reported decision of the YWCA to drop ‘Christianity’ from its name and purposes.

“The YWCA is the latest in a series of charities that have tried to update their image, sometimes in the hope of getting more money from the Government.”

This event will help explode the myth as Primary Care Trusts do commission some community services provided by faith-based organisation, and the Faiths Forum will showcase one such organisation and its work.

Download event flyer [290kB, PDF].