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Strengthening local communities

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People cutting farmed flowers and carrying cratesQuakers have a long history of supporting and standing up for people who are marginalised and disadvantaged, and of working for understanding, inclusiveness and tolerance in society.

Housing is a basic need, essential to gaining access to many services. Quaker Housing Trust, Britain Yearly Meeting’s own housing charity, is part of our practical witness. In 2009 Quaker Housing Trust supported 14 local projects with advice and funding. Many are providing good quality homes to people who might otherwise be left homeless.

Our Quaker Committee on Christian & Interfaith Relations works to help Quakers engage in dialogue, study and fellowship with people of other faiths. In doing this we deepen our own spiritual understanding. We join with other faiths to work on campaigns.

In 2009:     

  • we produced new research for a report by our partner, the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR), into how companies can reduce the vulnerability of migrant workers. This led to a debate in the House of Lords about how the government should protect migrant workers’ rights
  • we joined “Still Human, Still Here” – a campaign to end the destitution of refused asylum seekers
  • we updated our best practice guidance for local Quaker meetings on working and building relationships with churches and other faith groups
  • after our Yearly Meeting in July took its decision on same-sex marriages, we published We are but witnesses, a booklet to help local Friends explain our position both to Quakers and people of other faith traditions

“[This is] an eye-opening and conscience-shaking document… a must-read for all companies, investors, policy makers and consumers.”

Barbara Storey, SOS Polonia (migrant worker support organisation), on the ECCR report into the vulnerability of migrant workers