Hertfordshire Faith Covenant

Hertfordshire Faith Covenant 

What is the Faith Covenant? 

The all-party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society believes that an important resource can be realised by supporting faith-based organisations to work with local authorities constructively and effectively, as part of civil society. 

The Faith Covenant is a joint commitment between faith communities and local authorities to a set of principles that guide engagement, aiming to remove some of the mistrust that exists and to promote open, practical working on all levels. 

What is the Hertfordshire Faith Covenant? 

On Tuesday 16 January 2024, the first ever Hertfordshire Faith Covenant was signed at County Hall, Hertford. In attendance were dignitaries including the representative of Hertfordshire Lieutenancy, High Sheriff, Chairmen and Mayors, Faith and Inter Faith leaders from across Hertfordshire, and Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) leaders and colleagues. The event was hosted by the Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council, Councillor Terry Douris, who signed the Faith Covenant on behalf of the council. 

22 Faith Leaders from Bahai, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jain, Jewish, Quaker and Sikh faiths and Inter Faith leaders signed the Covenant. 

The Faith Covenant is a joint commitment to a shared set of principles that guide engagement between faith communities and public services. It aims to promote open, practical modes of working together and to strengthen community cohesion. 

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How to join the Hertfordshire Faith Covenant 

If you are an authorised representative of your faith community and would like to sign the Hertfordshire Faith Covenant on their behalf, then please email equalities@hertfordshire.gov.uk   

Further information can be found at: 

All-party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society 

Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom 

Signing of the Covenant 16 Jan 2024 at Herts County Hall

Hertfordshire Faith Covenant

The Faith Covenant is a joint commitment to a shared set of principles that guide engagement between faith communities and public services.

It aims to promote open, practical modes of working together and to strengthen community cohesion.  

•The principles are: 

o Faith communities are free to practice their beliefs and religious observances, and to raise their voice in public debate and to be respected, within the framework of UK law.

o Public services and faith-based social action should respect service users from all backgrounds, without discrimination.

o The voice, participation and solutions that faith communities bring are important.  We intend that the active engagement of Faith Groups with our public services will bring  benefit the wider community.

Both faith groups and public services will commit to working together to:

o Pro-actively build trust/relationships and aim to remove any mistrust between faith groups and public services

o Create opportunities to raise awareness and share learning and knowledge between different faith communities, and within the public services

o Seek opportunities to bring people together to serve the community, particularly the most disadvantaged

Both faith groups and public services will use the Faith Covenant as a tool to develop activity around uniting communities to better serve Hertfordshire residents.

Signatories of the Covenant are invited to gather annually to share their achievements with the broader faith community and public services.

Disclaimer:  Nothing in the document is intended to be legally binding on either party.