Mapping church-led social action projects in our communities
Together Liverpool is mapping the faith-based social action churches and their partners provide in communities across the Diocese of Liverpool area.
The Network of Kindness team is working with churches in each deanery to map the activities they tell us they are involved in.
This is helping build a dynamic picture of church projects helping make a bigger difference across our diocese - from food pantries, warm hubs and debt support, to asylum support, children's activities, craft groups, and community gardens.
Work is underway to map all 14 deaneries. Maps so far been created in collaboration with churches in Huyton, Liverpool South, Sefton North, St Helens, Toxteth and Wavertree, and West Derby.
Here is an example Map created with churches in Liverpool South.
A tool for churches to develop social action
Click here to view all six maps created so far. The aim is to create a tool for churches to help visualise what’s happening in their area; connect with each other to share ideas and expertise; signpost local people to nearby group, and pray about each other’s work.
The maps help identify where there may be gaps meeting needs in a community, as we work with churches to develop existing social action activities, and launch new projects through our Learning Communities programme.
Activities are categorised according to the main area of social injustice they aim to address including: Food Insecurity, Financial Insecurity, Social Isolation, Displaced People, Mental Health, Housing and Land, Environment, Modern Slavery, Housing and Land.
The maps give more local detail complement the Diocese-wide Statistics for Mission survey, and feed into Together Liverpool’s structured Learning Communities programme.
The Learning Communities bring together faith groups from within a deanery area to meet over four sessions, with the purpose of developing existing social action projects or launching new ones.
Thirteen churches joined the first Learning Community in North Sefton launched in spring 2023. With their four sessions completed, participants are now preparing to launch a series of new social action projects in 2024.
The second Network of Kindness Learning Community gathered for the first time in November 2023 bringing together churches from across Huyton deanery - read more.
View the maps created so far in collaboration with churches in Huyton, Liverpool South, Sefton North, St Helens, Toxteth and Wavertree, and West Derby.
The Together Liverpool team are working towards creating maps for all 14 deaneries across the Diocese of Liverpool in 2024. If you are in an area we’ve not yet reached please expect to meet our Social Action Lead Development Officer Joseph Cottrell at a Deanery Synod or Chapter Meeting soon.
If your church is in one of the mapped deaneries and your action is not shown, please get in touch by emailing Joseph Cottrell so we can add your details, if you would like to be represented.
Joe said: “We hope these maps will help people to network better, build relationships, identify where new projects might be needed or existing projects could evolve to fill gaps, and share knowledge and expertise.
“This forms a foundation for churches to build on if they are taking part in Network of Kindness Learning Communities, and for those who are not, to inform how they take their next step in social action.
“This may be as simple as signposting people to each other’s activities, and praying for each other.”
Rev James Green, Executive Director of Together Liverpool, said: “We are doing this as part our mission to help create a kinder, more just and generous society through the Network of Kindness.
“We know the church provides a huge amount of social action, and these maps provide a picture of the social action that churches are involved in making a bigger difference throughout our communities.
“The ultimate aim is that we will have a clearer visualisation of all the social action happening across the diocese, which churches can use to start to better understand our impact and develop future activities, to help people in our communities to thrive not just survive.”