PRESS RELEASE 05/10/2016 FOR IMMEDIATE USE
Birmingham Faiths come together to inspire the next generation to meet our Climate Change challenge – The “Small Footsteps” programme
Thirty children from across the main faith communities in the City have together successfully completed a week-long programme of environmentally themed interactive workshops.
Hosted each day by a different faith venue – a Mosque, a Sikh temple, a Church, a Buddhist Centre and a Synagogue, the eight to fourteen year olds’ learned to work together on engaging activities based around the themes of our food, recycling, water, bees, ecology, energy supply, trees and climate change. A reunion of Small Footsteps “graduates” is being planned with tree planting in Nov/Dec.
An initiative of “Footsteps”, part of the Birmingham Council of Faiths (BCF), the programme was provided free to children through donations from Jubilee 2000, Near Neighbours Fund, Quaker Peace Hub and others…and with the enthusiastic support of volunteers working together from across the main faiths.
As a record of their achievement, each child received a framed certificate presented by Councillor Waseem Zaffar, Cabinet Member for Transparency, Openness and Equality.
“We think this is a national ‘first’ for Birmingham – a comprehensive learning programme for children bringing together the faiths to inspire a love for our shared environment which is under threat” said Steve Baines, Programme Leader.
“We want to be an example to the children of how people from different backgrounds can come together to work for a common goal” said Shabana Parveen, Programme Leader.
“All the faiths agree on looking after our planet – so let’s work together to make this happen” said Emad Choudhury, Programme Leader.
“The workshops were a lot of fun! I learnt so much and made many new friends. I would love to do it again” Ifsah Hussain (aged 12) .
ENDS