Agenda and minutes

Martin Bennett

Andrea Burrows

Leanne Harwood

Councillor Neghat Khan – other Council business

Kirsty Lacey

Anne Lumb

Fiona Maciel

Irfan Malik

Emmanuel Ofori

Sarah Peek

Chris Richards

Councillor Sajid Mohammed - unwell

Louise Regan

Pvail Singh gave an introduction to the Gurdwara and the Sikh Community in Nottingham, including the Sikh Community Youth Services, Guru Nanak’s Mission, and the Baisakhi parade which marks the beginning of the Sikh year and parades throughout Nottingham visiting all of the Gurdwaras.

Guru Nanak’s Mission provides free food to the homeless, rough sleepers, vulnerable and those struggling in Nottingham.

None.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 14 March 2024

The minutes were agreed for accuracy. They could not be confirmed as the meeting was inquorate.

• All Members: To reach out to their relevant contacts and encourage them to get accredited and listed with the RE Hubs project.

• Councillor Cheryl Barnard: To write to David Wand to formally thank him for his years contributing to SACRE.

• Heidi Shewell-Cooper: For meetings to be scheduled outside of Ramadan and Purim from the next academic year.

Proposed Dates 2024/5  Avoid – 2 October  - 28 June 7/8 days

Autumn: Thursday 17 October

Spring: Thursday 27 February: joint meeting with Nottinghamshire SACRE at Central Library, Nottingham

Summer: Thursday 17 July

All checked against a calendar of religious festivals

• To arrange for roundtable discussions in smaller groups at the next meeting, as part of the SACRE self-evaluation. Item 6

• To set up the Monitoring Sub-Group. See Item 9: LA Officer’s Report

(a)  members committed to reach out to their relevant contacts and encourage them to get accredited and listed with the RE Hubs project;

(b)  the Chair wrote to David Wand to formally thank him for his years contributing to SACRE;

(c)  Heidi Shewell-Cooper proposed the following dates for 2024-25:

·  Autumn: Thursday 26 September

·  Spring: Thursday 27 February: joint meeting with Nottinghamshire SACRE at Central Library, Nottingham

·  Summer: Thursday 17 July

(d)  venues are required for the Autumn and Summer meetings, and Middleton Primary will be explored for Autumn.

Members split into small groups to discuss ways that the SACRE could improve its working and impact. Statement were provided and each group chose its priorities with the following priorities being selected that the SACRE

·  advises its LA on RE CW and the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and social cohesion;

·  is representative of the variety of beliefs within the local community;

·  is proactive, not passive;

·  has a committed membership;

·  works to develop strong partnership between SACRE members in order to model the cohesion they believe that should develop in their community;

·  is well attended by committee members and consistently quorate

·  encourages and values the contribution of all its members and ensures they all know that they are appreciated.

Following the discussion it was suggested that a project be identified for next year, such as a children’s art exhibition. This could be supported by Challenge, Nottingham.

The membership of the SACRE will be reviewed soon as 2 members have recently resigned. To avoid meetings being inquorate, a substitute system is already encouraged.

Resolved to

(1)  identify a project for that SACRE to undertake next year such as a children’s art exhibition;

(2)  contact SACRE members who have missed several meetings to ascertain their intention re future attendance and participation to ensure that the meeting is quorate in future;

(3)  write to the government as a SACRE to suggest that it review the rules regarding SACRE membership and the fact that CofE members must be in attendance for a meeting to be quorate.

Heidi Shewell-Cooper advised the Committee that the Constitution has been reviewed drawing on national guidance and the County Council’s constitution. Suggestions have included expanding Group A and a rotating Vice-Chair role.

It was noted that ‘Greek Orthodox’ should be revised to ‘Orthodox Church’.

As the meeting was inquorate it could not vote on approving the constitution.

Resolved for Committee Members to provide feedback on the Constitution to Heidi Shewell-Cooper within the next 2 weeks

Rev Ken Johnson, former head of RE at Bluecoat School and member of the County Council SACRE, explained that the Religious Studies Resource Centre, which serves schools & communities in Nottinghamshire and beyond, is seeking ways to sustain its work providing day and half-day Faith Experience sessions as well as a loan scheme for educational resources supporting RE.

The centre is seeking volunteers to allow it to continue to offer its services. There is a good level of demand for Faith Experiences, but currently only about one can be offered a week. With additional volunteers, with experience in education and with the ability to run these day or half day events, more could be offered. All travelling expenses and a sessional honorarium are available. The centre will close if it is unable to source volunteers.

Resolved to circulate information on the role to all SACRE members

The following updates were provided by Heidi Shewell-Cooper:

(a)  Fr Julian Lowe has been appointed as a new SACRE members representing the Orthodox Church;

(b)  the SACRE’s RE Monitoring Group met in May 2024 to discuss how the SACRE is meeting its statutory functions and has made the following recommendations:

·  that SACRE request funding from the LA SACRE budget 2024/5 to cover the cost of 20 days per year (supply teacher rate), approximately £10K for an appropriately qualified person to develop a baseline audit of religious education in the city, a gaps analysis and resultant work plan. This is additional to the cost of SACRE co-ordination;

·  that the Monitoring sub-group meet once per term to support this development;

·  that the LA Officer identifies any new resources/opportunities from SACRE members to support professional development.

(c)  NASACRE is working with a number of other organisations to secure the continuation of Inter Faith Week (IFW) in 2024, following the closure of the Inter Faith Network (IFN).

Resolved

(1)  to endorse the recommendations of the RE Monitoring Group, and the Director of Education Services to respond to the request for funding;

(2)  for the Chair to write to the new Secretary of State for Education and local MPs to promote high quality religious education.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday 26 September, provisionally at Middleton Primary School.