Minutes from Local Gweini Meeting for Gwynedd & Anglesey - July 2009

Thanks for your prayers for my meeting with local church leaders in Bangor yesterday. We had a very good discussion as summarised below although the turnout was low.

In attendance:

• Siân Caldwell (a dietician and Tearfund rep) This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Hywel Meredydd - Tearfund and Capel Cildwrn in Llangefni, Anglesey
• Neil Rymer - deacon at Penrallt Baptist
• Bob Searle - representing IGO and The Oasis in Dwygyfylchi, Conwy (!)
• Geraint Hughes - minister in Bethesda near Caernarfon
• Paul Dicken
• Paul and Brenda Hummel - leaders of Caernarfon Pentecostal Church
• Peter Cousins - minister of Penrallt Baptist

Summary of discussion:

All could see the benefit of establishing a local Gweini serving Gwynedd.

Peter and Neil said they were keen first time round but the process ground to al halt due to lack of momentum locally.

Paul Hummel said the first time round he thought the emphasis was funding rather than actually helping churches think of ways of engaging with community, but is now very keen to se a LG established.

I proposed that we start a low-key LG for Gwynedd and Anglesey, with Peter Cousins and Neil Rymer and Paul and Brenda Hummel forming the core team since their churches are already very active in serving their communities.

I then suggested that from this small beginning through good practice and example they "entice" other churches to come on board.

All were happy with this approach and we agreed that I will contact Peter and Paul in September to check on progress and offer help from National Gweini.

In my experience of north Wales this is the best way forward i.e. start small with a good example of "Gweini- type activity" then gradually win the attention and respect of other churches in NW Wales and in turn the Local Authorities.

Faith in Wales: Counting for Communities:
Summary of Findings for the Isle of Anglesey

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%, (over 52% for the Isle of Anglesey), and this allows summaries to be made for each of the unitary authorities. Here are some of the highlights of the information available for the Isle of Anglesey.

The Isle of Anglesey has over 190 active faith communities (individual congregations, or parishes in the case of the Church in Wales). Apart from one Bah¡ community, all faith communities identified in the survey are churches. This represents roughly one church for no more than 350 people in the Isle of Anglesey.

Every week, roughly 8% of the population of the Isle of Anglesey is estimated to be present at a church service. However, this figure understates the numbers who attend over the course of a year. Taking the single largest service in each faith community over a year raises the figure to over 19%. A considerably higher proportion that this must attend one or more religious services over the course of a year.

The range of services churches provide in the Isle of Anglesey is enormous, including many services governments are not well equipped to deliver. The top five are Social activities (lunch club, coffee bar, etc.); Marriage preparation; Children's work (under 14 year olds); Support for older people; and Support for bereaved; in which the number of churches involved is estimated to be 44, 43, 27, 23 and 22, respectively.

In addition, a number of churches are already working in areas of emerging need and opportunity; around 8 churches are already working in at least one of the areas of employment training, alcohol and drug awareness, and personal finance issues and another 4 hope to work in these areas in the future.

Around 50% of the churches in the Isle of Anglesey are active in one or other area of community services, with an average number of around three areas of activity each.

Around 1,100 volunteers are estimated to work on behalf of the wider community in activities organised by churches in the Isle of Anglesey. This represents around 1,700 hours a week, equivalent to over 40 full-time workers.

In addition, churches in the Isle of Anglesey employ around 10 paid staff to work with the wider community, representing a further 120 hours a week, equivalent to around 3 full-timers.

Many churches provide accommodation for the wider community. In the Isle of Anglesey, around 25 are estimated to operate purpose-built community centres; around 65 rent out rooms to outside groups; and around 35 supply some accommodation free of charge.

Churches offer support for the Welsh language: around 50 churches in the Isle of Anglesey are estimated to be involved in running classes in Welsh, or involved in activities for Welsh speakers.

Using standard techniques, the economic benefit impact of just part of the services provided by churches to the Isle of Anglesey can be estimated at £1.9M per year.

And, of course, this is only part of the impact of churches. For example, around 7 churches in the Isle of Anglesey are estimated to be strongly involved in their local Community Strategy.

Ffydd yng Nghymru: Yn Cyfrif i’n Cymunedau:
Crynodeb Casgliadau ar gyfer Ynys Môn

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%, (dros 52% i Ynys Môn), 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 Ynys Môn.

Mae gan Ynys Môn dros 190 o gymunedau ffydd gweithredol (cynulleidfaoedd unigol, neu blwyfi yn achos yr Eglwys yng Nghymru).  Ar wahân i un gymuned Bahá’í, eglwysi yw’r holl gymunedau ffydd a gafodd eu hadnabod yn yr arolwg.  Yn fras mae hyn yn cynrychioli un eglwys i ddim mwy na 350 o bobl yn Ynys Môn.

Bob wythnos, mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 8% o boblogaeth Ynys Môn yn mynychu gwasanaeth eglwys.  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 cymuned ffydd dros flwyddyn mae’r ffigwr yn codi i 19%.  Mae’n rhaid bod cyfran sylweddol uwch na hyn yn mynychu un neu ragor o wasanaethau crefyddol ar draws blwyddyn.

Mae amrywiaeth y gwasanaethau y mae eglwysi yn eu darparu yn Ynys Môn yn enfawr, gan gynnwys sawl gwasanaeth nad oes modd i lywodraethau eu darparu.  Y pump uchaf yw Gweithgareddau Cymdeithasol (clwb cinio, bar coffi, ac ati); Paratoi ar gyfer Priodas; Gwaith Plant (o dan 14 oed); Cefnogaeth i bobl hŷn; a Chefnogaeth i bobl sydd wedi cael profedigaeth; mae niferoedd yr eglwysi sy’n cymryd rhan yn y rhain yn cael ei hamcangyfrif yn 44, 43, 27, 23 a 22, yn eu tro.

Ar ben hynny, mae nifer o eglwysi yn gweithio eisoes mewn meysydd o angen a chyfleoedd sy’n dod i’r amlwg; mae tua 8 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 4 arall yn gobeithio gweithio yn y meysydd hyn yn y dyfodol.

Mae tua 50% o’r eglwysi yn Ynys Môn yn weithredol mewn un maes neu’r llall o wasanaethau cymunedol, gyda chyfartaledd o tua thri maes o weithgarwch yr un.

Mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 1,100 o wirfoddolwyr yn gweithio ar ran y gymuned ehangach mewn gweithgareddau wedi’u trefnu gan eglwysi yn Ynys Môn.  Mae hyn yn cynrychioli tua 1,700 o oriau’r wythnos, sy’n gyfwerth â thros 40 o weithwyr llawn amser.

At hynny, mae eglwysi yn Ynys Môn yn cyflogi tua 10 o staff i weithio gyda’r gymuned ehangach, gan gynrychioli 120 o oriau pellach yr wythnos, sy’n gyfwerth â thua 3 gweithiwr llawn amser.
Mae llawer o eglwysi’n darparu ystafelloedd a neuaddau ar gyfer y gymuned ehangach.  Yn Ynys Môn, mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 25 yn gweithredu canolfannau cymunedol at bwrpas; mae tua 65 yn rhentu ystafelloedd i grwpiau allanol; ac mae tua 35 yn cynnig rhai ystafelloedd am ddim.

Mae eglwysi’n cynnig cefnogaeth i’r iaith Gymraeg: mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 50 o eglwysi yn Ynys Môn yn cymryd rhan mewn cynnal dosbarthiadau yn Gymraeg, neu’n cymryd rhan mewn rhedeg gweithgareddau ar gyfer siaradwyr Cymraeg.

Gan ddefnyddio technegau safonol, mae effaith budd economaidd rhai o’r gwasanaethau sy’n cael eu darparu gan eglwysi i Ynys Môn yn cael ei amcangyfrif i fod tua £1.9M y flwyddyn.

Ac, wrth gwrs, dyma ond ychydig o effaith yr eglwysi.  Er enghraifft, mae’n cael ei amcangyfrif bod tua 7 eglwys yn Ynys Môn yn cymryd rhan weithredol yn eu Strategaeth Gymunedol leol.