It could also be said that the English are whatever you make them. Anyone studying the history of these Isles will swiftly realise there really is no such thing genetically as an English ethnicity. We are made up of many different peoples. Recently, the Labour politician David Lammy, in his book Tribes, wrote up his […]
One year on: a better Britain? A more polite society?
As the mob of school children bustled towards me down a cramped alleyway near where we live, my wife held me back to observe social distancing. It was good to see the normality of young people, in that classic teenage way, seemingly unaware of any other walkers, deep in conversation about the latest outrage, of […]
’11 years of lockdown’
I was due to film a short video at a studio space adjacent to a local “Men’s Shed”. Max met me at the door. He enthusiastically showed me into his workshop and through to the room I would be using (of course, we greeted each other in the normal covid-secure fashion). We moved some furniture […]
Faith in the Future: Is faith the glue for 21st century society?
Over the past few months, I have found myself considering the knotty issues of integration, citizenship and cohesion. Life in lockdown acts as a pressure cooker for the issues already present in society. Tensions have been bubbling up between communities, social classes, blue and white collar, young and old, and even within families and households […]
What we need is a roadmap, not a promise
I’m sure that you—like me—are attracted to simple and dramatic headlines. Of course, the fact that we pick up a newspaper or click on a link because of these headlines makes us part of the reason journalists write in such a dramatic fashion. However, life is rarely summed up so accurately in a headline or […]
Behind the Headlines
Who would’ve guessed this time last year what 2020 had in store? Back in October 2019, we were in the midst of Brexit entanglements (okay, maybe little has changed there!). Then there was a general election, the economy started to pick up, and we began to hear about a disease in China. What a difference […]
How many times have you wished you had known then what you know now?
How many times have you reflected on your reactions or decisions and wished you had known then what you know now? It’s now September 2020. Schools have reopened, there are suddenly more of us out and about, and yet we are still supposed to remain socially distant. For those commuters who have been enjoying a […]
Turbo-charged social prescribing
After the initial deluge of activity surrounding the UK government’s ‘lockdown’ in response to the coronavirus and the massive changes to life that incurred as a result, the attention of policy-makers has moved to the impact of the virus, the lockdown, and wider life around us. The great need to act and to achieve some […]
Making a difference in uncertain times
There is a certain pride I feel when I see the way that those who work in the voluntary sector and in faith organisations respond to a crisis like that which we are facing. It is not a wrong, boastful pride but a ‘settled rightness’ that makes me want to tell others the good news […]
We’re in extraordinary days: what’s my part to play?
As we face the current crisis around COVID-19 (or Coronavirus) more and more guidance is starting to appear, particularly advice to organisations and communities. Yet beyond the questions on gatherings and hand washing, there is always that internal preparation that we each individually need to consider, particularly as faith is a leading influence on our […]