On 29th April, Strengthening Faith Institutions (SFI) held its second annual awards ceremony in Birmingham to celebrate the contribution of faith institutions towards a more cohesive society. Many places of worship are run by volunteers, and at SFI we want to give recognition to those individuals who have contributed significantly to a faith organisation or place of worship, over the last 12 months. 

The nominations to recognise the great work being done was based on the following:

• Personal commitment – giving significant amount of time consistently for the betterment of    organisation and the society
• Being reliable – completing the tasks that they take on
• Committed to integration – happy to work with people of different faiths/ethnic groups/sects
• Sacrifice – giving their time and expertise despite their own personal/family challenges (such as young children, disability, financial hardship)
• Promoting diversity – trying to engage disadvantaged individuals/groups (for example, women, young people, refugees, elders) into the services and decision making forums of your organisations

The evening was attended by the members from local Mosques, Gurdwaras and Churches, as well as staff from the Charity Commission who govern all charities across England and Wales, and emphasise the importance of registering a faith institution as a charity.