SpiritLevel

2012 – Issue 74

CRC News

Rural Thoughts The latest Thoughts from the Northern Mart and from the South Pennines are available from the CRC website here

Big Society Conference. Notes and a report on the recent Big Society Conference held in conjunction with LCI can be found here.

Partners’ Events

2011-2012 Ebor Lectures: The Good Society? Re-invigorating Public Life. Next lecture 2nd May 2012. There has been recent political debate about the importance of re-invigorating society, and increasing the engagement of citizens in public life. As part of this debate, the Government has proposed the development of the Big Society, encouraging people to engage in neighbourhoods and communities. They propose a shift of power from the state to communities, through support of social enterprise, charities and co-operatives. Some argue that the Big Society represents a retreat from state provision. Within this context the 2011-12 Ebor Lectures, in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, ask fundamental questions about the nature of the ‘good society’, and the role of citizens, government, faith communities and voluntary organisations in the re-invigoration of civic life. The next lecture will be on 2nd May 2012 with Mr Will Hutton and finally 13th June Rev Dr Malcolm Brown , Director of Mission and Public Affairs, The Archbishops Council ‘Moral Communities in a Social Strangers, turning social themes into practical politics. On the website you will be able access past recordings of Ebor Lectures. The last lecture by Baroness Warsi can be heard here. bit.ly/H3gKOn You can also follow the Ebor lectures on twitter @Eborlectures.

Beyond the Lunchclub. Transforming communities and churches through better understanding and engagement with older people. An interactive day of training, workshops and conversation run by Livability Community Mission with Briony Broome (Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care); Keith Albans (Methodist Homes); and Mo Smith (Regenerate RISE). Thursday 24 May 2012. 9.45am – 3.30pm. £25 per person, including lunch. Venue: Quaker Meeting House, 10 St James Street, Sheffield, S1 2EW. Details and booking http://www.livability.org.uk/get-involved/events/community-mission-events/ More info: David Arscott 07786 397275.

Other news and links

Human Trafficking and the Olympic Games. One way to respond to issues of Human Trafficking in the context of the Games is to pray. The ‘More than Gold’ website now has two great recourses for individuals and churches; Gathering Voices is a 7-day prayer guide based on the prayers of women who have been directly affected by this issue and Responsive prayers - has 3 prayers to use in public worship or in small groups.

Grants from The Archbishop of York Youth Trust

The Trustees of The Archbishop of York Youth Trust have reopened their grant making programme for a short while for grants of up to £1,000. Further information on how to apply and the application form itself can be found by clicking here: http://archbishopofyorkyouthtrust.co.uk/?page_id=20

Sheffield Fairness Commission. You may already know that Sheffield City Council has established a Fairness Commission, which is asking individuals and organisations with an interest in Sheffield to submit written evidence to help with its inquiry. Church Action on Poverty in Sheffield have submitted a report which highlights: the issues facing the city, the on-going response of the city's churches, and our suggested priorities for action. All the evidence submitted by the various agencies will eventually be on the Fairness Commission website, and their final report is expected in September. See www.sheffield.gov.uk/fairnesscommission for further details.

Questions of Right and Wrong - The Role of Faith in Contemporary Society. Whether it’s the banking crisis or the behaviour of the media, issues in medical ethics, foreign policy or sexual morality – questions of right and wrong are never far from the headlines. But it’s not only the big issues in public life that are currently under the spotlight. Personal ethical choices have become a minefield as age-old certainties are threatened by moral relativism, and traditional understandings of social responsibility give way to rampant individualism. The 2012 St Wilfrid Lecture bring together an exciting range of well known speakers to help us explore the vital questions of right and wrong that affect us all. Next Lecture: Bio-Ethic and Respect for Persons on Thursday 28th June given by Michael Nazir-Ali, former Bishop of Rochester. Tickets for the lectures are available from the Cathedral Office: St Wilfrid Lectures, Cathedral Office, Liberty Courthouse, Minster Road, Ripon HG4 1QS E: judithbustard@riponcathedral.org.uk T: 01765 603462. Admission is free, but we do rely on donations in order to fund the programme. If you are able to Gift Aid your donation it will increase its value by 25%. Other lectures in the series are 3 Sep Elaine Storkey, President of Tearfund Ethical Guardianship: Giving Childhood a High Priority.18 Oct Lisa Isherwood, University of Winchester Christ, Sex and Gender 22 Nov Peter Vardy, Heythrop College Capitalism: the Root of all Evil?.

SPAB Faith in Maintenance Training Day East Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust invite you to a Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) Faith in Maintenance Training Day at Kirby Grindalythe on 28 April. The Faith in Maintenance course aims to help volunteers who look after historic places of worship. We provide training to help you understand how your building works and how to solve problems caused by leaky gutters and blocked drains. For more information, click here: http://www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/news-events/events/events/02561.html

Veteran’s Helpline. The telephone charity Community Network is launching Veterans’ Shareline to help injured veterans stay in touch. Many injured ex-servicemen and women lose contact with their former colleagues when they leave the forces. This can deprive them of a vital element of support as they set about rebuilding their lives and come to terms with their disabilities. The charity will use the latest digital telephone technology to link up groups of six to eight ex-service personnel on the telephone, allowing them to chat and share experiences. The telephone link-ups will take place once a week and last for up to an hour. Veterans Shareline is open to anyone who has retired from Her Majesty’s Armed Forces and who is injured in the service of their country. The project is being funded by a £10,000 grant from Awards for All and all calls will be free for those taking part. For further information about Veterans Shareline please contact Gabby Cheung on 01752 816251 or email gabby@community-network.org

For further information about

National Citizens service (NCS) This summer all 16 year olds are being offered the opportunity to get involved with the second year of the National Citizens service (NCS). They will gain valuable life experience and new skills, make friends from all walks of life and prepare themselves for their futures, whilst assisting in making their communities better. NCS takes place over three weeks full time during the summer and then 30 hours spent making the local community a better place. This year 30,000 places are available nationally. NCS promotes: A more cohesive society by mixing participants from different backgrounds; A more responsible society by supporting young people's

transition into adulthood; and A more engaged society by enabling young people to work

together to create social action projects in their local communities. Feedback from last year's scheme showed that participants felt more confident and more responsible for making a difference in their community. To find out more information and book a place for this summer visit: http://nationalcitizenservice.direct.gov.uk/

Concord’s 7th Annual Walk of Friendship Saturday 28th April 10am – 1pm. 10am at Jamia Masjid Bilal, Conway Road LS8 5JH, talk and tour of the Mosque. Follow the rainbow banners to St Augustine’s RC Church and St Aidan’s Anglican Church to hear about beliefs and practices.

Leeds Concord AGM Tuesday 15th May 7.15pm. in the Quaker Meeting House, Woodhouse Lane LS2 9DX for reports on Concord’s year of activities with guest speaker Dr Mel Prideaux, University of Leeds Director of Undergraduate Studies, Dept of Theology & Religious Studies on Religious Mapping of Leeds City Centre 2011

Church Growth in the North of England – A one day conference at Cranmer Hall Durham – Monday 2nd July 2012

Meditation as an Art of Healing. York St John University Tuesday 22 May 2012—9:15 am to 5:00 pm Chair: Professor Peter Gilbert Keynote Speaker: Laurence Freeman OSB What on earth does 'spiritual' mean? It is evidently an important element of people's sense of 'well-being' today but it defies exact definition. Maybe this is because it is about wholeness and a catalyst for wholeness. This Meditatio Seminar brings together a variety of new viewpoints. Different schools of contemporary psychology and different religious traditions converge in seeing how meditation aids the healing process. The new UK NHS mental health policy emphasises the importance of prevention, early intervention and developing practices that, like meditation, support well-being. The Seminar creates a forum for clarifying the role that spiritual practice, (in particular meditation) can play. The approach is geared towards the practical ways open to a stressful, fast-paced and pluralist society for relieving suffering and promoting happiness. The presentations and workshops will be facilitated by leading teachers in the field of meditation, experienced mental health practitioners and those who have personal knowledge of using mental health and recovery services. An open discussion will also look ahead and share possible ways to proceed after the event. For more details including how to book go to www.wccm.org .

The Fellowship of Saint Luke – Russian/Byzantine Icon Painting courses for 2012

Zero rate VAT e-petition. The Church of England has today created an e-petition calling on the Chancellor to bring back zero rate VAT to alternations to the CofE’s 12,500 listed churches. It follows the recent launch of a consultation by HM Revenue & Customs on VAT charging to approved alterations to listed buildings, which closes on 4 May 2012. The e-petition can be signed online now at: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32229 . In a letter to the Chancellor, sent today, Anne Sloman, chair of the Church Buildings Council, writes that a very large proportion of the alterations to listed churches “are concerned with making these buildings viable for use by the wide community… The imposition of 20 per cent VAT on this work means in practice most of it will simply stop… it seems that this VAT proposal was aimed at householders and that the implications for the Church were not fully understood.”

‘Called To Listen’: Advanced Course of Christian Listener Training. A unique opportunity to explore the listening ministry over the 2 weekends of: Friday 27th - 29th July & Friday 31st August - 2nd September 2012 at Wydale Hall, led by Pat Dale. All applications to: Jacque du Preez: Diocesan House, Aviator Court, Clifton Moor, York YO30 4WJ. 01904 699504. jacque.dupreez@yorkdiocese.org. Questions or clarifications about the course to: The Revd Phil White: St James Vicarage, 24 Seamer Road, Scarborough. YO12 4DT. 01723 361469 or 077 200 100 66. phil_07@btinternet.com. Cost of the course: £275, including full board for two weekends, all Acorn materials and tutoring.

The significance of religion to those accessing social care and other helping services: listening to service users. Sheila Furness and Philip Gilligan are researchers at the University of Bradford. They have been carrying out research into the significance of religion and belief in social work practice for almost 10 years and have reported some of our findings in the book Religion, Belief and Social Work: Making A Difference published by Policy Press. They also train social work students and would now very much like to develop some further materials to better prepare and equip them and other relevant practitioners to recognise and understand the significance of religion in the lives of many of those who access their services. If religion is important to you and you have experience of a social work, social care or similar service, then they would very much like to hear from you and to hear whether or not you feel that your beliefs were taken into account, sufficiently by the worker(s) involved. They would like to interview and film you talking about the significance of your religion and discussing experiences. The film (DVD) will be used for training purposes mainly with social work students. The interviews will take place at the University of Bradford and travel expenses will be paid to you. If you do decide to take part then they will send you a copy of the edited film on a DVD. If you would like to discuss this request further or would like to participate then please contact one of them. Prior to the filmed interview, you will asked to sign a form consenting to our using your interview for training purposes. However, before, during or after the interview and after viewing the DVD you will be free to withdraw your consent, should you wish to do so. Contact s.furness@bradford.ac.uk Tel: 01274 234782 or p.a.gilligan@bradford.ac.uk Tel: 01274 233072

Church Guides. Churchguides.co.uk is a new not-for-profit website helping to link volunteer researchers with churches in need of a new guide. It is our ambition that every parish church will have a guide to its history, architecture and community, to help inform visitors, preserve Britain's built heritage and encourage links between churches and their surroundings. The service is entirely free to use and open to any place of worship. There are already many volunteers signed up, usually university students or recent graduates, willing to conduct original research for local churches. Please see the website for further details or follow us on Twitter:https://twitter.com/ChurchGuides or Like us on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/ChurchGuidescouk/156549741123583

Help Traidcraft to stop supermarket bullying! Almost four years has passed since the Competition Commission concluded that UK supermarkets transfer 'excessive risks and unexpected costs' onto their suppliers and recommended that the government set up a supermarkets watchdog (now known as the Groceries Code Adjudicator). However, millions of farmers and workers around the world are still waiting for a fair deal. Many of the people that pick, pack and grow our food are still left with little choice but to work long hours for low pay in unsafe conditions because of the demands placed on them by supermarkets. We say they have waited long enough. Find out more. Please email your MP today and help Traidcraft make the supermarkets watchdog a reality.

Measure for measure success! Government commits to introducing a minimum unit price for alcohol After intense pressure in the run up to the publication of its Alcohol Strategy including the Churches Measure For Measure campaign, the Government has finally acknowledged the seriousness of alcohol-related harm in the UK and committed to introducing a minimum unit price in England and Wales (similar policies are already being pursued in Scotland and Ireland). Many thanks to all those who wrote to their MPs to call for action against alcohol remaining too cheap and too strong. The Churches will continue to put the case for a rigorous implementation of Minimum Unit Pricing following the University of Sheffield's authoritative research which shows that 40p is more or less the lowest justifiable figure and that there are strong arguments for 45-50p. It is encouraging that the Strategy includes local commitments, such as "Strengthen local powers to control the density of premises licensed to sell alcohol, including a new health-related objective for alcohol licensing for this purpose" but further work is needed to enable communities to debate the UK's drinking culture, as the Strategy determines the role alcohol will play in our society. Current information and ways to get involved will be available at the Measure For Measure webpages.

Study Day at Mirfield Centre. A Study Day entitled “Talking with Jews: Enriching our Christian Calling” at the Mirfield Centre, College of the Resurrection, Mirfield, on Saturday 16th June, 10.00am to 3.30pm, led by Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke, President of the World Congress of Faiths. Cost £16.50 (includes lunch and refreshments); £10 (includes refreshments, bring your own lunch). http://www.mirfield.org.uk/ .

Big Society Capital. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has launched a £600 million fund to finance grassroots social projects run by charities and community groups. Big Society Capital will support social enterprises that can prove they are able to repay an investment through the income they generate. The scheme will be financed by £400 million from dormant bank accounts, with the remaining £200 million coming from Britain's four largest high street banks - HSBC, RBS, Barclays and Lloyds. So far, the fund has agreed investments worth £3.6 million in five schemes. These include the Community Generation Fund, which supports the development of renewable energy infrastructure, and Franchising Works, which trains unemployed people to run a franchise business. Further information can be found at http://www.bigsocietycapital.com/.

Richard III at Sheriff Hutton - Revealed! “Loyaulte me Lie” 7:30pm Saturday October 20th 2012 an evening of words and music featuring a concert performance by the YORK WAITS St Helen and the Holy Cross, Sheriff Hutton, York 11am Sunday October 21st 2012, worship, words and music to celebrate the life of Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales, his mother Anne and King Richard III and their connections with Sheriff Hutton. St Helen and the Holy Cross, Sheriff Hutton, are pleased to offer a unique opportunity to reveal and celebrate the connections between King Richard III and Sheriff Hutton, his wife Queen Anne Neville and their son, Edward of Middleham, possibly the only Prince of Wales with an effigy in a parish church. The Programme for the Ricardian week-end includes music, drama and historical presentations focusing on the connection of Richard III and his family with Sheriff Hutton. For further details go to the website. or contact Roy Thompson, Churchwarden, May Rose Cottage, Sheriff Hutton, York YO60 6SS or telephone 01347 878644 or email roythompson2@btinternet.com

New World Order? China Today and our Response As China emerges as a major player on the world stage, our need for a deeper understanding of its reality also grows. This conference will seek to: raise awareness about the economic, environmental and military role of China in the world; understand about the Church in China; and learn about the culture of the Chinese people. SPEAKERS Xinran, journalist and writer, will speak about the reality of women in China. John Baptist Zhang, a diocesan priest from Hebei Province, China will speak about his work to promote dialogue, reconciliation and cooperation within the Church in China, and between the Church and society in China. Martin Palmer, Secretary General of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, will speak about China and environmental issues Li Bingqin, lecturer in Social Policy at the London School of Economics, will share from her research on migrant housing in Chinese cities, intergenerational support in Chinese cities, and social inclusion of rural to urban migrants. The conference will be chaired by Fr Eamonn O’Brien, Director of Cultural Exchange with China. Cardinal Keith O’Brien will celebrate the Mass. Workshops include; China in developing countries; the environment; China’s development; migrant workers in the UK; HIV & AIDS projects in China; the role of women; the Churches in China; other faith traditions; Chinese history and culture; the impact of Chinese buyers on the UK property market; students and young people; human rights; the arms trade. Plus sessions on Tai Chi and Chinese calligraphy. Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd July 2012 The Hayes Conference Centre Swanwick Derbyshire

Tell us about your church’s royal connections. To celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, ChurchCare – the Church of England’s online resource caring for its 16,000 church buildings - is collecting stories about the regal links between churches, cathedrals and the monarchy. ChurchCare is looking for tales of visits, burials, baptisms, commemorations, weddings, funerals, battlefields, blessings and more. They are especially interested in accounts involving Queen Elizabeth II, but your stories can come from any period in history. Whatever your royal connection, ChurchCare wants to hear about it! Anne Sloman, Chair of the Church Buildings Council, said: “These individual histories will be woven together to create a ‘Royal Trail’ around England’s churches and cathedrals, celebrating the unique links between churches and the Crown in a remarkable Jubilee year.” The Royal Trail will be publicised and promoted via www.ChurchCare.co.uk. The deadline for submissions is 1 May 2012. Please send any information or queries to ben.greener@churchofengland.org or visit www.ChurchCare.co.uk for more information.

Just Text Giving. JustTextGiving (JTG) is a way that people can give to your church through their mobile phones. If your church is a registered charity, you can sign up to JTG and allow people to give a donation to your church by sending a text message with a unique code. Find out more here: http://www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/news-events/news/news-from-the-diocese-of-york/01775.html

Free pack helps churches respond to the 2012 Games. A vast compendium of resources is now available to help churches make the most of their engagement with the 2012 Games. The 48 page publication offers churches a host of practical ways to engage with their community during the Games and the Torch Relay, which will come within ten miles of most of the UK churches. The ideas include large screen festivals, barbecues, street parties, picnics, breakfasts, children’s games, sports quizzes and sport competitions. There are also resources for church activities, including an all-age sermon outline, sketches, prayers and outlines for small groups. To help churches publicise their activities there are a sample press release and church magazine article. The pack comes from More Than Gold, the agency set up by all the main denominations to help churches make the most of the Games. Produced and funded by Traidcraft, it is available free of charge from www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/churcheventpack or calling 0845 330 8900. Throughout, there is an emphasis on helping churches keep justice in mind with the encouragement to use fair trade products during the Games and beyond.

Funding bulletin: The next edition of the Funding Bulletin is now available to download from the News page of the York & North Yorkshire Funding Advice Network website via this link: http://www.ynyfundingadvice.org.uk/index.php/news.html

Christian Aid quiz and meal. There will be an Indian meal and quiz at The Parvin, Haxby on Wednesday 16th May at 7.30pm. Price is £15 per person, which includes a 3 course Indian meal (English option available on request), a quiz and a donation to Christian Aid. Book as a team of 4, or book independently and we will allocate you to a team. For more information or to book please contact Steph Cooper, 0113 244 4764, 07970 735861 or scooper@christian-aid.org

Exploring Celtic Spirituality. A Day led by Rev Dr Ian Bradley, author of several books and lecturer of international reputation on the subject. Dr Bradley is the Reader in Church History & Practical Theology at the University of St Andrews. Saturday 12th May 2012 10am – 4pm Venue: St Mary’s Church, Marton in the Forest, YO61 1NH. Cost: £20 to include 3-course lunch. Please BOOK IN by Sunday 6th May: sending your name, contact details and payment (cheques payable to “St Mary’s Church, Marton”) to “Celtic Study Day”, The Vicarage, Main St, Sutton on the Forest, York, YO61 1DW. Contact Rev Chris Ellis 01347 810251

Yorkshire Living Churchyard Project. For up to date news on the Yorkshire Living Churchyard Project see here.

Mighty Men's Conference. Pateley Bridge. North Yorkshire.25 May 2012 - 27 May 2012

With Angus Buckan a successful South African farmer of Scottish descent . Angus Buchan is an honest and sincere South African farmer; his gentle but uncompromising Christian faith has carried him through droughts, financial crises and family tragedies. The Mighty Men's Conference will encourage and inspire men to re-evaluate their lives, get themselves back on track and to seek the Lord to be their Father, Friend and Guide. Where are all the men who have integrity, honesty and strength? They know what they are doing; where they are going; and how to live their lives as a witness to others. Where are the Mighty Men of Valour who will stand for what they believe and will not compromise? Camping on the site is available. The conference is free of charge. For more information, and to book, go to www.daleybread.org

Being Confident in an Uncertain Place: The BCDD Annual Lecture given by Rt Revd Nick Baines, Bishop of Bradford Wednesday 9th May 2012 Refreshments from 6.30pm, talk at 7pm at St Augustine’s Church, Otley Rd, Bradford, BD3 0DW . Free entry but donations appreciated To book your place please contact Carmel at the address below phone: 01274 668312 e-mail: admin@bcdd.org.uk

The Church and the Media Do you get frustrated with negative stories about churches in the papers? Do you wish you could see more good news stories about Christians in the media? You can do something about this! Eleanor Course, Diocesan Communications Officer, is running three training sessions on the Church and the Media, to help churches get their good news stories in the media and manage bad news stories better. You’ll learn skills including how to spot a news story and how to write a press release. Read more at http://www.dioceseofyork.org.uk/your-church/communications/training/

National Tour Visit Bradford Cathedral Poverty Over – the touring exhibition to highlight some of the issues prioritised by Christian Aid in its work to eradicate poverty – has arrived in Bradford and remains until Thursday 3rd May before moving on to Salisbury, Guildford and Winchester before turning north to York in July. The exhibition includes a photographic display demonstrating that, though the work of Christian Aid, relationships can be repaired, and rights and dignity restored. It centres on a specially commissioned sculpture by Mel Howse which aims to explore the gap between those who are living in poverty and those who are not. Christian Aid is a Christian organisation that insists the world can and must be swiftly changed to one where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty. They work globally for profound change that eradicates the causes of poverty, striving to achieve equality, dignity and freedom for all, regardless of faith or nationality, and are part of a wider movement for social justice. They provide urgent, practical and effective assistance where need is great, tackling the effects of poverty as well as its root causes. Poverty Over is open Monday to Saturday from 9am until 4.30pm. For more information please contact the Cathedral Office on 01274 777720.

Walk of Friendship. As part of Treasures Revealed in Leeds, Concord Leeds Interfaith Fellowship would like to invite you to attend a ‘Walk of Friendship’ on Saturday 28th April 2012. It is an opportunity for people of all faiths and none to join together in friendship and visit places of worship in Harehills (Leeds), find out more about beliefs and practices and enjoy each others company. 10am – 12:35 pm Meeting point is at 10am at Jamia Masjid Bilal, Conway Road, LS8 5HJ The walk will include walking in procession behind the rainbow banners, visiting the mosque, St Augustine’s and St Aidan’s Churches for talks and tours for each venue. (Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy with new friends – tea & coffee will be provided at St Aidan’s Church) After the walk, you are welcome to join the visit to St Edmunds Church, Lidgett Park Road, Roundhay, LS8 1JN in the afternoon. For more information visit: www.concord-leeds.org.uk Email: secretary@concord-leeds.org.uk Tel: 01924 86395

Quaker Lecture. This year's lecture is to be given by Diana Francis, an inspiring speaker and writer with a lifetime of experience in conflict transformation.Venue: Huddersfield Quaker Meeting House, Church Street, Paddock HD1 4TR Time: 7.30pm - free admission (no need to book but it would be helpful if you could let us know if you will be coming) http://www.huddersfieldquakers.org.uk/ Diana Francis is a freelance facilitator, trainer and consultant. She specialises in working with groups of people involved in or affected by political (especially inter-ethnic) conflict, facilitating training, dialogue and strategy workshops. She was President of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation for eight years, and is currently Chair of the Committee for Conflict Transformation Support. She has worked extensively in the post-communist world (especially the former Yugoslavia and the Caucasus region of the former Soviet Union), and also in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Tariq Ramadan – 19th May 2012. St Marks Centre for Radical Christianity is delighted to welcome Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University to St Mark’s Church, Broomhill for its Spring Conference. Tariq’s searching analysis of the challenges involved in creating pluralist societies as well as his equally insightful assessment of areas of common ground informs a radical and progressive vision for how faith traditions could not only bring the best out in one another, but also become a force for good within the world. Tariq is a prophetic voice who speaks intelligently and eloquently, with passion and conviction. Website : www.tariqramadan.com. Tariq will deliver 2 lectures during the day; i) The Quest for Meaning and ii) Jesus and Mohammed. For more details and to book a place please download the booking form:Download booking form here or go to the St Mark’s CRC website www.stmarkscrc.co.uk

Job opportunities

Two committed, energetic people from North Yorkshire and York are required to serve as co-opted independent members on the North Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved from the start of new, and very different, arrangement for police governance and accountability. Each force area will have a Police and Crime Panel to maintain a regular check and balance on the performance of the Police and Crime Commissioner. The Commissioner will also be required to consult with the Panel on their plans and budget for policing, as well as the level of council tax and the appointment of a Chief Constable. The panel will be made up of ten local Councillors and two co-opted independent members who will serve from summer 2012 for a four year term. Applicants must be able to commit one day a month to the Panel. Meetings will generally be held during normal office hours at varying locations throughout North Yorkshire and York. Panel members will receive induction and other appropriate training. Applications are welcomed from all members of the community. Applications from people with experience (in a paid or unpaid role) in community safety, victim support, criminal justice and related issues will be particularly welcomed. Further information and an application form can be downloaded from www.nypartnerships.org.uk/pcp or telephone 01609 536030 to request a copy. The closing date for applications is Friday 1 June 2012.