Luton mosques are dedicated to building a safer, stronger and increasingly cohesive society and work closely with a number of partners both in a strategic and tactical capacity.
This includes:
Interfaith dialogue and collaboration
As well as being active member of Luton Council of Faiths, we often host faith leaders to discuss areas of common working and collaboration such as the FACEs programme.
Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE)
We attend and advise at SACRE full member meetings and working groups in relation to faith materials and policy.
Community cohesion and contingency planning group (CCCPG)
The CCCPG monitors and works to prevent community tensions leading to serious disturbance wherever possible. This allows the local authority and its partners to act quickly and coherently to reduce, control or mitigate the impact of disturbances on cohesion if they do occur. Luton mosques have been actively involved for a number of years presenting the views of the community in relation to a range of matters pertaining to community safety including demonstrations held in the town.
Luton has been the venue for a number of emotionally charged demonstrations led by fringe groups which can often cause tensions and fears across the town. On a few occasions, this has led to young people getting involved in the heat of the moment and ending up with criminal sentences ruining their lives permanently. In a bid to minimise such unruly behaviour, Luton Mosques worked closely with Luton Borough Council and Bedfordshire Police to reassure and calm community members.
Luton Council of Mosques played an active role in a strategic Commission chaired by Baroness Howells to make recommendations for how everyone in the town could work together more effectively to achieve Luton’s vision for 2020. Following ten months of engagement and research, the Commission produced the “Building cohesion in Luton” report.
Health and Sports
Working with LBC Strategic Commission Manager (Leisure & Culture) and Active Luton following publication of the Sporting Equals research (executive summary). The report highlighted there was a lack of participation in physical activity by the Muslim community and the need to develop services that engaged the Muslim community. The aim of sessions were to create a realistic action plan that ultimately boosted participation in sport and physical activity, particularly within the Muslim and BME communities and the central wards of the town.