If you, or your church, want to get involved in any particular area of policy action, you probably want to know what is going on already, and how you can link up with like-minded people to make a difference.

Jim Stewart, Gweini Policy Director

This page lists a number of key areas where policy networks are up and running with Gweini involvement, as well as a number of other areas where networks are being developed.

Contact Jim Stewart, Gweini Policy Director, j.stewart [at] eauk.org, 02920 229822, or other people listed below to find out more about any of these networks – or to tell us about others we should mention.

Refugees and Asylum Seekers

The South Wales Churches’ Refugee Network has been active for some time, responding to the needs of different communities in Wales. It holds regular meetings in South Wales.

Organisations active within the network include the Welsh Refugee Council, and a number of churches (see Gweini News Autumn 2010 for some stories about this).

See also the Sanctuary Seeker and Refugee Internship Scheme set up by Cardiff Gweini.  The network has already organised a number of conferences, and links in with the Housing and Homelessness Network – see below.

For more information, contact Jim Stewart (email above); or Mark Seymour, Gweini Councillor for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, markandclaire.seymour [at] btinternet.com; or Reynette Roberts, based in Tredegarville Baptist Church, Cardiff, reynette [a] oasiscardiff.org

Housing and Homelessness

This network operates throughout the whole of Wales, in conjunction with the UK-wide Housing Justice, http://www.housingjustice.org.uk, one of Gweini’s supporting "Together Organisations".  It held a successful conference in September 2010 in Newport.

Recently, Jim Stewart has being compiling lists of Christian housing works in different local authority areas in Wales, including Bridgend and Newport, and Wrexham.

Follow the links on the Gweini Home page, under Newsletters.

Christian Healthcare Forum Wales

This Forum is designed to support Christians working in the Health Sector in Wales and, in particular, to provide them with a voice to Government.  It is co-chaired by Jeff Dyas, jeffdyas [at] tinyworld.co.uk, and Jim Stewart, who puts out a “news and updates” email at well-chosen intervals.

Ralph Upton, Gweini Board Member

A number of other more specialised health networks are operating in Wales – Jim and Jeff can give you details of many of them.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Two specifically Welsh networks involved in tackling drug and alcohol abuse are WACOD (the Welsh Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs) http://welshcouncil.org.uk, and the South Wales Christian Drug Network, http://www.swcdn.org, organised by Ralph Upton, Gweini Board Member.

Black and Ethnic Minority Churches

Black and ethnic minority churches are among the most vibrant and active churches in Wales – and there are a large number of them.  From time to time they meet together under the auspices of EA to discuss co-operation in community involvement.  Contact Jim for more information about these meetings.

Other areas for networks to be developed, or where networks appear to be forming:

• Social enterprise churches
• Spirituality in Health Care
• Criminal Justice

Contact Jim Stewart at J.Stewart [at] eauk.org if you would like to be involved in networks in these areas.