Bradford community projects get £70,000 boost (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Near Neighbours charity grants will improve inter-faith relations

8:10am Friday 27th January 2012 in Bradford

Bradford community projects have been given a cash injection of £70,000 from a £5 million scheme aimed at helping improve inter-faith relations.

The Near Neighbours charity, created by the Church Urban Fund and the Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, awards small grants of up to £5,000 to communities in Bradford, Birmingham, Leicester and London.

It aims to help near neighbours in diverse communities get to know each other better and work together on initiatives that improve the community.

Carlo Schroeder, the Near Neighbours Co-ordinator, said Bradford had done well within the national hand-out of cash.

“In Bradford and Keighley we have possibly got as much as Birmingham, and the aim is to get more projects funded,” he said.

“The Catalyst Programme has also got money. That project encourages leadership in the next generation of the Bradford faith communities.

“Our aim is to find young adults that are going to be putting together Near Neighbour projects in their own community.”

Cash has been awarded to a boxing club in Allerton, for a Yurt tent to hold art exhibitions and other events and to fund youth talks in Manningham to help 16 to 19 year olds living in a multicultural area.

Money has also been awarded to fund an interfaith football tournament at the Sunbridge Road Mosque to get youngsters from different faith communities to interact through sport, and the Frizinghall Photo Trail has also been funded.

That is a photography project which documents the diversity of Frizinghall and includes photography workshops in schools and a walking trail around the district.

The Venture Project in Heaton has also got cash so that older members of the community can get together and create friendships.