Faith in Wales: Counting for Communities:
Summary of Findings for the City and County of Cardiff

Until now, Wales has lacked statistical evidence about the role of faith communities in the wider communities of which they are a part. The Gweini report, Faith in Wales: Counting for Communities,provides new information on the services provided by faith communities to the wider community, including: the numbers of volunteers they mobilise, the numbers of staff they pay to work with the wider community, the rooms and halls they make available, and their impact on tourism.

The survey on which it is based achieved an exceptional response rate of just over 49%, (just under 49% for Cardiff), and this allows summaries to be made for each of the unitary authorities. Here are some of the highlights of the information available for Cardiff.

On the basis of this research, and other information, it is estimated that over 200 faith communities are active in Cardiff. Eleven are mosques, four are Hindu Temples, another four are Sikh Gurdwaras and two are Synagogues. In addition, there are a number of Buddhist and Bahá'í­ centres. The remainder are Christian churches (individual congregations, or parishes in the case of the Church in Wales), representing one church for every 1,600 people in Cardiff.

Every week, roughly 7.6% of the population of Cardiff is estimated to be present at a church or chapel service. However, this figure understates the numbers who attend over the course of a year. Taking the single largest service in each congregation over a year raises the figure to 11%. A considerably higher proportion that this must attend one or more church services over the course of a year.

The range of services churches provide in Cardiff is enormous, including many services governments are not well equipped to deliver. The top five are: Children's work (under 14 year olds); Social activities (lunch club, coffee bar, etc.); Marriage preparation; Hospital visiting and Parent-toddler groups; in which the number of churches involved is estimated to be 129, 127, 95, 94 and 93, respectively.

In addition, a number of churches are already working in areas of emerging need and opportunity; over 20 churches are estimated to be working in at least one of the areas of employment training, alcohol and drug awareness, and personal finance issues, and 35 hope to work in these areas in the future.

Over 95% of the churches in Cardiff are active in one or other area of community services, with an average number of around nine areas of activity each.

Around 4,300 volunteers are estimated to work on behalf of the wider community in activities organised by churches in Cardiff. This represents over 8,500 hours a week, equivalent to around 210 full-time workers.

In addition, churches in Cardiff employ over 170 paid staff to work with the wider community, representing a further 2,500 hours a week, equivalent to over 60 full-time workers.

Many churches provide accommodation for the wider community. In Cardiff, around 40 are estimated to operate purpose-built community centres; around 120 rent out rooms to outside groups; and around 80 supply some accommodation free of charge.

Churches offer support for the Welsh language: around 25 churches in Cardiff are estimated to be involved in running classes in Welsh, or activities for Welsh speakers.

Using standard techniques, the economic benefit impact of just part of the services provided by churches to Cardiff can be estimated at £9.2M per year.

And, of course, this is only part of the impact of churches. For example, around 25 churches in Cardiff are estimated to be strongly involved in their local Community Strategy or have been involved in Government regeneration or community or economic development initiatives, or both.

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Ffydd yng Nghymru: Yn Cyfrif i’n Cymunedau:
Crynodeb Casgliadau ar gyfer Dinas a Sir Caerdydd

Hyd yn hyn, bu diffyg tystiolaeth ystadegol gan Gymru am rôl cymunedau ffydd yn y cymunedau ehangach y maen nhw’n rhan ohonynt.  Mae adroddiad Gweini, Ffydd yng Nghymru: Yn Cyfrif i’n Cymunedau, yn darparu gwybodaeth newydd am y gwasanaethau sy’n cael eu darparu gan gymunedau ffydd i’r gymuned ehangach, gan gynnwys: niferoedd y gwirfoddolwyr maen nhw’n eu defnyddio, niferoedd y staff maen nhw’n eu cyflogi i weithio gyda’r gymuned ehangach, yr ystafelloedd a’r neuaddau maen nhw’n eu cynnig, a’u heffaith ar dwristiaeth.

Cyrhaeddodd yr arolwg a fu’n sail i’r adroddiad gyfradd ymateb ardderchog ychydig dros 49%, (ychydig o dan 49% i Gaerdydd), ac mae hyn yn ein galluogi i greu crynodebau i bob un o’r awdurdodau unedol.  Dyma rai o uchafbwyntiau’r wybodaeth sydd ar gael ar gyfer Caerdydd.

Ar sail yr ymchwil hon, a gwybodaeth arall, mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod dros 200 o gymunedau ffydd yn weithredol yng Nghaerdydd.  Ymhlith y rhain ceir un mosg ar ddeg, pedair Teml Hindŵaidd, pedwar Gurdwara Sikhaidd a dwy Synagog.  At hynny, mae nifer o ganolfannau Bwdhaidd a Bahá’í.   Eglwysi Cristnogol yw’r gweddill (cynulleidfaoedd unigol, neu blwyfi yn achos yr Eglwys yng Nghymru), gan gynrychioli un eglwys i bob 1,600 o bobl yng Nghaerdydd.

Bob wythnos, mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 7.6% o boblogaeth Caerdydd yn mynychu gwasanaeth eglwys neu gapel.  Serch hynny, mae’r ffigwr hwn yn tanamcangyfrif y niferoedd sy’n mynychu dros gyfnod o flwyddyn.  Gan gymryd y gwasanaeth unigol mwyaf ym mhob cynulleidfa dros flwyddyn mae’r ffigwr yn codi i 11%.  Mae’n rhaid bod cyfran sylweddol uwch na hyn yn mynychu un neu ragor o wasanaethau eglwys ar draws blwyddyn.

Mae amrywiaeth y gwasanaethau y mae eglwysi yn eu darparu yng Nghaerdydd yn enfawr, gan gynnwys sawl gwasanaeth nad oes modd i lywodraethau eu darparu.  Y pump uchaf yw Gwaith Plant (o dan 14 oed); Gweithgareddau Cymdeithasol (clwb cinio, bar coffi, ac ati); Paratoi ar gyfer Priodas; Ymweld ag Ysbytai; a Grwpiau Rhieni a phlant bach; mae niferoedd yr eglwysi sy’n cymryd rhan yn y rhain yn cael ei hamcangyfrif yn 129, 127, 95, 94 a 93, yn eu tro.

Ar ben hynny, mae nifer o eglwysi’n gweithio eisoes mewn meysydd o angen a chyfleoedd sy’n dod i’r amlwg; mae tua 20 eglwys yn gweithio eisoes mewn o leiaf un o’r meysydd o blith hyfforddiant cyflogaeth, ymwybyddiaeth am gyffuriau ac alcohol, a materion cyllid personol ac mae 35 yn gobeithio gweithio yn y meysydd hyn yn y dyfodol.

Mae dros 95% o’r eglwysi yng Nghaerdydd yn weithredol mewn un maes neu’r llall o wasanaethau cymunedol, gyda chyfartaledd o tua naw maes o weithgarwch yr un.

Mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 4,300 o wirfoddolwyr yn gweithio ar ran y gymuned ehangach mewn gweithgareddau wedi’u trefnu gan eglwysi yng Nghaerdydd.  Mae hyn yn cynrychioli dros 8,500 o oriau’r wythnos, sy’n gyfwerth â thua 210 o weithwyr llawn amser.

At hynny, mae eglwysi yng Nghaerdydd yn cyflogi dros 170 o staff i weithio gyda’r gymuned ehangach, gan gynrychioli 2,500 o oriau pellach yr wythnos, sy’n gyfwerth â thros 60 o weithwyr llawn amser.

Mae llawer o eglwysi’n darparu ystafelloedd a neuaddau ar gyfer y gymuned ehangach.  Yng Nghaerdydd, mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 40 yn gweithredu canolfannau cymunedol at bwrpas; mae tua 120 yn rhentu ystafelloedd i grwpiau allanol; ac mae tua 80 yn cynnig rhai ystafelloedd am ddim.

Mae eglwysi’n cynnig cefnogaeth i’r iaith Gymraeg: mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 25 eglwys yng Nghaerdydd yn cymryd rhan mewn cynnal dosbarthiadau yn Gymraeg, neu weithgareddau ar gyfer siaradwyr Cymraeg.

Gan ddefnyddio technegau safonol, mae effaith budd economaidd rhai o’r gwasanaethau sy’n cael eu darparu gan eglwysi i Gaerdydd yn cael ei amcangyfrif i fod tua £9.2M y flwyddyn.

Ac, wrth gwrs, dyma ond ychydig o effaith yr eglwysi.  Er enghraifft, mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 25 eglwys yng Nghaerdydd yn cymryd rhan weithredol yn eu Strategaeth Gymunedol leol neu wedi cymryd rhan mewn mentrau adfywio’r Llywodraeth neu fentrau datblygiad economaidd neu gymdeithasol, neu’r ddau. 

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