The association [the East of England Faiths Council] has grown from a meeting of leaders of faith groups active in the region. Initially it is being chaired by the Bishop of Huntingdon and administered by the East of England Churches Network (EECN), which has already been active in making input to regional strategy. Its formation is supported by the 25 regional church leaders.
There are a number of interfaith groupings in the region, established to promote dialogue and understanding, some of which have been in existence for a considerable time. The East of England Faiths Leadership Conference does not primarily seek to take on this function, but has the unique role of bringing together key players from the major faiths of the region.
Its remit is to provide a clear point of contact with bodies of regional governance, and to engage with them such that faith leaders can speak with a common voice when appropriate.
Its objective is to ensure that faith communities are an effective stakeholder in the region, by making input to regional development at a strategic level, and facilitating dialogue with senior decision makers. This is being achieved through joint activities between the faith communities and regional government organisations.
It is linked to similar faith groups (most of which have seats on their Regional Assemblies) in the English regions, through the EECN’s membership of the Churches Regional Network.
Extract from the minutes of East of England Faiths Council meeting 4 July 2002