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Big Society Agenda

Before the Division, I was speaking about the role of faith-based organisations in developing the big society in Northern Ireland. When one thinks of the troubles, it is clear that the Churches played an important role in keeping communities together. One positive legacy—there are not that many—of the years of conflict is the fact that communities stuck together in Northern Ireland and we did not have the breakdown of society in perhaps the same way as other regions. That banding together within the community and the positive influence of Churches points to the need to give greater support to faith-based organisations that are involved in the kind of activity that the Minister described as exemplars of what the big society should be about. If I may, I shall mention a couple of faith-based projects that have demonstrated over the years a capacity to deliver very real benefits for the communities in which they work. The Vine centre, which is in the constituency of my right hon. Friend the Member for Belfast North, operating on the Crumlin road-Shankill area of Belfast, has demonstrated a real and long-term commitment to working in that area involving social enterprise, outreach and providing a place for people to come to. That positive project has been operated by the Presbyterian Church. In the constituency of the hon. Member for Belfast East, we have the East Belfast mission operated by the Methodist Church. Again some excellent work is going on there. I am sure the Minister has had an opportunity to visit the project—if not, he might well in the future. It is another example of the type of work that faith-based organisations are doing beyond what might be seen as the traditional activities of Churches by reaching out into the community and making a real difference in the lives of the people of that community.