BRIDGING FAITH COMMUNITIES IN CARLISLE
The aim of this COWC theme year (July 2024-June 2025) was to bring together members of the faith communities living in the city through information events, walks, shared meals and marking special events together as well as sharing dates and cultural celebrations through social media. One of our lasting achievements was the compilation of the new Carlisle Faith Directory which you can read here or by clicking on the image.
Some of the highlights of the year and useful links are listed below. We are hoping to continue this work through Carlisle One World Centre and the planning group, made up of representatives of some of the main faiths in the city, that was set up to agree on and help deliver the events. Many thanks to Cumberland Council and the Cumbria Community Foundation for the financial support to help COWC to start and deliver this important work.
Highlights of the year
Launch event, COWC AGM and Carlisle's first Faith Walk
The theme year was launched at a Tea Party in the Tithe Barn in September 2024 with members of different faith groups and COWC supporters present to enjoy Fairtrade food, drinks and activities together.
The COWC AGM on 24th October was presented with a plan for the year following a talk by Mohammed Dhalech on his many years of multifaith work in Carlisle and other parts of the UK. The talk can be viewed here.
On 9th November, over 30 members of the local community took part in Carlisle’s first faith walk around the city centre, covering churches,
the Cathedral, Carlisle Mosque, the Quaker Meeting House and ending at the Uma Kadampa Buddist Centre for tea and coffee. The energy and enthusiasm by participants and hosts was very encouraging and it was a really interesting afternoon, enjoyed by all concerned. We are planning our next walk for Saturday 4th October from 2-4.30pm. Save the date!
Community Meal and preparing the COWC Christmas Tree
In November COWC hosted a shared community meal at Currock Community Centre to mark Inter-Faith Week 2024. The High Sheriff of Cumbria, Chris Holmes attended the event and participants were invited to make a decoration that represented their homeland or belief for the COWC tree at Carlisle Cathedral's first Christmas Tree Festival. Members of Carlisle Fairtrade and Carlisle International Women's Group also took part in the decoration of the tree which looked amazing.
On Mitzvah Day, at the end of Inter-Faith Week, a group of refugees and people seeking asylum living lwere invited to a reception at Rose Castle where they met many dignitaries including the local MP.
New partnerships and work on Carlisle Faith Directory
In March 2025 COWC hosted a talk by Jane Yates, humanist and Co-ordinator of Cumbria SACRE (Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education) as well as a member of Cumbria Development Education Centre, Rashmi Manemi, Hindu speaker and organiser of the Cumbria Hindu Association and Jenny Jay, Baha'i and member of the previous Carlisle Inter-faith group. Jane spoke about the work of SACRE in schools around the county and also told us about the CDEC Virtual Voices resource. We agreed to strengthen the relationship with both projects. Jenny subsequently joined the Bridging Faith Communities Year planning group who's other members are: Revd David Newlove (Methodist), Iman Rashid (Carlisle Mosque), Revd Lisa Moore Wilson (URC and Churches Together in Carlisle), Revd Canon Jim Hyslop (COWC and Church of England (retired)) and Adrienne Gill (COWC). Together they have been working on the new Carlisle Faith Directory alongside the planning and delivery of other activities.
In March Adrienne interviewed Georgia May from the Rose Castle Foundation on the history of the Foundation, its current projects, community connections and plans for the future. In April a group of Muslim women were supported to organise a shared Iftar meal with volunteers from Carlisle Internatonal Women's Group and Carlisle Refugee Action Group.
Other community events that local faith groups were encouraged to take part in include the community Iftar at Carlisle United in March, Carlisle Culture Bazaar at Richard Rose Academy in May and the Cumbria Diversity Carnival in June. At the Culture Bazaar visitors to the stall were invited to match up statements of the Golden Rules of different world faiths.
In July, following a resurgence of violent attacks in the Middle East and mindful of some the ongoing conflicts around the world the group members compiled and shared a Call to Peace.
Video recordings
A Call to Peace from the planning group members, July 2025
Get involved and find out more
Email: contact@cowc.org.uk
Facebook: Carlisle One World Centre
Instagram: @CarlisleCOWC
Thanks to our funders
