| Gweini
Policy Submissions
Welcome
to the Gweini Policy Submissions page. These include some
of the submissions that Gweini has made since the year 2000.
In reading them you will discover that there are certain common
'relational' themes that underpin Gweini's approach to sustainable
development, economic development etc. We hope that you find
these documents useful.
Gambling
RESPONSE
TO
Cyngor
Sir CEREDIGION County Council’s consultation on
STATEMENT
OF GAMBLING POLICY FOR CEREDIGION
Jim
Stewart
October
2006
Ceredigion Gambling Policy – comments on casinos
Evangelical Alliance Wales has concerns about the moral impact
of casinos and recognise the harm that problem gambling and
gambling addiction causes. Gambling affects the lives of millions
– 72% of the population taking part in gambling activity
in the previous year in a study published in 2000 - and yet
we agree in particular with the objective in the Gambling
Act to protect children and other vulnerable persons . Recently,
doctors in Scotland warned that supercasinos could lead to
a huge increase in gambling addiction. GamCare, the gambling
addiction charity, similarly saw the referrals that it received
from their help-line published in literature in bookmakers
rise from 16.4% in 2004 to 19.5% in 2005.
• The
presence of a casino would have a negative impact on the quality
of life on the inhabitants of many people of the County. Because
of the perceived connection with crime and disorder , being
regularly highlighted in both the tabloid and broadsheet media,
many residents’ happiness would be affected. We are
in agreement with the point 5 of the draft Statement of Gambling
policy document where an actual link is made between Licensed
Premises and crime and disorder .
The
presence of a casino in Ceredigion would be at odds with the
image that it has as a family holiday destination and as a
place to live. People often choose the County as a place to
spend their holiday because of its tranquillity and rural
beauty. Although links to crime and disorder are not true
in every case, in people’s minds there is a link and
thus the establishment of a casino would send the wrong signals
to both the inhabitants of the County and people considering
visiting or moving to the County. The mayor of Riga in Latvia
has recently been in the news, criticising the behaviour (e.g.
drunkenness) of many of the British tourists that have been
coming to visit this historic city. The choice of European
capitals as the location of stag weekends has been largely
fuelled by low-cost air travel. The combination of rising
air prices and the escalating cost of the average stag weekend
could easily lead to a reversal in trends and to many more
people opting to spend their stag weekends in UK resorts.
The presence of a casino could easily be a determining factor.
While a smaller element of the community would welcome the
arrival of a casino, the impact on the vast majority would
be negative.
• Because
casinos are becoming more prevalent in the UK, and pressure
may be ongoing to grant a license in the future, we would
advocate that the Licensing Authority observe and study places
in the UK, similar to Ceredigion demographically, that have
been granted a license to see what the longer term affects
are, both positive and negative. Research into gambling is
still ongoing - the Gambling Commission, for example, will
be publishing a report in 2007 on gambling’s prevalence
. As we learn more about gambling, our decisions will be more
informed; in the meantime, we would strongly advocate a cautious
approach to granting licences. We strongly endorse and support
Ceredigion Council’s inclination ‘ to prohibit
casinos in the County’ .
The
Alliance is aware of the responsibility of casinos and gambling
institutions to educate their clients. We would advocate strongly
that, where consideration – either now or in the future
– is given to grant a licence for a casino, the Licensing
Authority would be satisfied that the establishment has a
practical and thorough programme for helping clients with
gambling problems. Topics that would need to be covered would
include:
• The
provision of leaflets on display that include a help-line
number and that covered relevant points to help people identify
their problem.
• Training being given to staff to enable them
to recognise problem gambling and gambling addiction.
• A strategy for developing networks within the
community so that clients who are under stress will be able
to access counselling services and/or agencies immediately.
• Demonstrating knowledge of other programmes that
have been tried in other parts of the UK – e.g. the
‘self-exclusion’ policy operated by Gala Casinos
.
In
such a case, a steering group made up of relevant charities
ought to be established in the area to both monitor the casino
and to develop good working relationships with the management
staff.
The
comparatively low GDP of Ceredigion evidences that a casino
in the County would have a detrimental effect on the local
community. It is widely accepted that people from low income
groups gamble proportionately more of their income than others
and run a greater risk of developing into problem gamblers.
The Evangelical Alliance has long argued that the burden and
social cost of gambling falls hardest on those who can least
afford it.
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Client/detail.asp?Contentid=43
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=941882006
http://www.gamcare.org.uk/pdfs/careservices4.pdf
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23366284-details/How+supercasino+'would+start+a+crime+avalanche'/article.do
i.e.
the County’s compliance to the Crime and Disorder Act
1998 in applying the Prevention of Crime and Disorder Objective
when considering applications for Premises Licences
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5101628.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5101628.stm
http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Client/detail.asp?ContentId=43
http://games1.eurobet.com/gc/20/help/account/responsible_gaming.html
SOR (1)
A letter written
to Tony Blair and Peter Hain ahead of plans for the Sexual
Orientation Regulations to pass into legislation on January
1st 2007, ahead of the rest of the UK.
The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern
Ireland ) 2006
Gweini,
the Welsh word for serve , is a Christian charity
that is actively involved in representing, networking and
informing Christians working in the voluntary sector in Wales
.
We
value the recognition given in the Sexual Orientation Regulations
to faith-based organisations and the attempt to be inclusive
by providing exemptions in Clause 16. However, we feel strongly
that a longer period of consultation is necessary, not least
because the form of these regulations, when it comes into
law, is likely to influence future legislation in the United
Kingdom as a whole. The SOR raise some very important issues
which, if not discussed and thought through properly, will
lead to much time, effort and money being wasted as the courts
encounter difficulty in attempting to enforce the regulations.
Redefining
the Role of the Church & the Charities Act 2006
Under
the previous Charities Act, religious organisations clearly
qualified for charitable status under the advancement
of religion category. While this gave churches undeniable
benefits it was nevertheless inaccurate in that it limited
the raison d’etre of the church, omitting the breadth
of work carried out in service provision, the voluntary sector
and social enterprise.
Under
the new Charities Act, there is now the added onus that charities
must exist for the public benefit . While many religious
organisations will be able to demonstrate this immediately,
the exemption clause for religious organisations in the SOR
needs to reflect the true position of the church as an institution
that is of public benefit and that is involved in a wide number
of initiatives in society.
Because
time spent in religious services only accounts, on average,
for less than 2% of a Christian’s life, legislation covering
his or her time spent in work and other activity is equally,
if not more important.
There
are at least 30 separate areas of key involvement of faith-based
activities in Wales at present that are not religious services,
of which the following are examples:
- Community centres
that have been built via public funding being accessed
by churches in order to serve their wider community.
- Support for women
working in the sex trade.
- Rehabilitation
of drug addicts and alcoholics.
- Support for asylum
seekers and refugees.
- Feeding the homeless.
It
cannot be overstated that these initiatives come from a Christian
motive and are perceived by those involved as coming from,
and being an expression of, their Christian faith.
Similarly,
because of fierce competition for existing pots of funding
and some, possibly unintentional, bias against them (see below),
religious organisations are increasingly starting up Social
Enterprise Companies as a means to generate finance for projects
in which they have been unsuccessful in obtaining funding.
Normally such projects do not have funding bids rejected because
of lack of compliance to regulations but simply because there
is not enough money for everyone.
Because
of this, and because the lines between charitable work and
commercial work are being increasingly blurred, thought needs
to be given as to how SOR exemptions could be applied to religious
organisations involved in commercial activity where the motive
is to generate funding for charitable work.
Christians
as Active Citizens
Because
the government needs the voluntary sector to provide services
that it does not have the capacity to perform itself, it is
important that faith-based organisations – an integral part
of the voluntary sector in the UK – are given space to flourish
and to grow in their work in the voluntary sector.
Many
individuals working in Christian organisations do not yet
have a sufficient grasp of the language needed in order to
successfully access public funding. In Gweini, we talk frequently
with constituents who have been unsuccessful in bids for funding
and while we are able to offer advice on how to fill out application
forms, there is also a widely-held belief that discrimination
exists against faith-based initiatives in applying for such
funding, which presents a further hurdle for Christians to
overcome.
A
Christian charity working in drug and alcohol rehabilitation
had funding stopped two years ago despite strong support from
Welsh Assembly Members and the local media. It was a widely-held
belief amongst these supporters at the time that the charity’s
Christian ethos had been the cause of the withdrawal of funding,
despite subsequent denials by the funders.
Another
organisation that was running a successful training programme
in a Welsh prison was forced to cease its activities when
a new Governor was appointed. The Christian ethos of the charity
was understood to be the reason for the change in policy,
although the outgoing Governor had been very satisfied with
the results.
Because
the landscape is still very new for churches working in the
voluntary sector, churches need to be given time in order
to develop ways of putting their convictions into practice
and engaging with their communities in new ways.
The
SOR are being rushed through, and many Christians have not
been consulted on these issues which, to them are greater
than areas of sexual orientation – they involve wider matters
of conscience. The government needs to affirm its commitment
to faith communities and to allow them to develop their engagement
with the broader community in active citizenship.
Freedom
of Conscience
While
we acknowledge that faith communities have sometimes allowed
unjustifiable discrimination to exist and for it to be couched
in religious terms, religious organisations – especially where
they have been successfully working in partnership with local
government as service providers – must be allowed room to
make decisions based on their freedom of conscience. Freedom
to act and to bring their distinctive contribution should
not be unnecessarily curtailed by hasty regulation.
At
the very least a longer consultation period is recommended
if not wholesale exemption for religious organisations as
service providers to continue their work unabated.
Harassment
While
re-emphasising our appreciation that faith communities have
been taken into consideration with exemptions in Clause 16,
there is concern that the harassment regulations will nullify
this. By defining harassment, within the context of the SOR,
as violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating,
hostile, degrading, humiliating or hostile environment, a
very low threshold has been established which will inhibit
religious liberty and freedom of speech. Furthermore, many
Christian organisations may withdraw their service provision
rather than being faced with the dilemma of being forced to
comply with regulations that they consider excessive or being
threatened with court action.
SOR (2)
A
letter written to Tony Blair, Ruth Kelly and Meg Munn asking
for the Catholic church's adoption agencies to be granted
an exemption from the SORs
Re:
Sexual Orientation Regulations & the Catholic Church
We
have been following the debate over the implementation of
the SORs in England and Wales with both interest and concern.
While
we welcome the principle of equality of opportunity for all
people, we strongly recommend that the Catholic church be
allowed an exemption from the SOR s
for their adoption agencies.
Evangelical
Alliance Wales is part of the UK Evangelical Alliance which
provides a voice for the one million evangelicals in the UK
while Gweini represents the Christian voluntary sector in
Wales to the National Assembly for Wales and to Westminster
If
the SORs go through without this exemption, one of the consequences
will be the de-motivation of many Christians – and other faith
communities - from further engagement in service provision.
There has been a growing interest in such work in recent years
and we receive inquiries on an ongoing basis from Christian
individuals, churches and organisations about accessing funding
for an extensive range of projects. There are also many excellent
examples in Wales of existing works run by churches that,
having already accessed funding, have partnered with local
authorities and are providing services for their communities.
At
this pivotal point in church history, and in the relationship
between church and state, it is important that government
legislation takes into account both the current desire and
the relative inexperience of the church for engagement with
civil society. It is our concern that many churches will withdraw
their services and not consider future projects if they feel
that their religious liberty is under threat.
The
Department of Work and Pensions, in a press release issued
this month, envisaged and welcomed faith communities playing
an increasing role in public service provision in the years
to come. Without due care and attention, the opposite will
happen.
In
a week that has seen reports in the media of Muslim youth
being increasingly radicalised, it is important that the government
be seen to be engaging with faith communities and respecting
their religious liberty. The Christian church, with its history
of service provision in the UK , is often seen as a barometer
for other faiths and Christian engagement in public service
will encourage other faiths to engage as well.
A
perception amongst faith communities that the SORs are being
rigidly and inflexibly applied and interpreted, not taking
into account the diversity and breadth of opinion within Britain
today, will lead many to think that their voice is not being
heard and subsequently to further disengagement. Our diversity
and sometimes differing world-views ought to be celebrated
and respected.
The
Christian motivation of William Wilberforce in his work leading
to the Abolition of Slavery Act in 1807 serves as a poignant
reminder of the sometimes undervalued role that religious
conscience plays in British society.
Refugee
Inclusion
Welsh
Assembly Government Refugee Inclusion Strategy Consultation
Response
to the consultation questions
Enabling
Christians in Serving Refugees ( ECS
R )
ECSR,
The Welcome Centre, 105-107 Maple Road , London , SE20 8LP
,
Tel:
0208 7787788, Email: admin@ecsr.org.uk
Web: www.ecsr.org.uk
About
ECSR
ECSR
was setup to support Christian organisations and individuals
who work with asylum seekers and refugees throughout the UK
. We network with secular and other religious groups to better
serve our members.
ECSR
in Wales
In
2006, our work in Wales was evaluated and a strategic plan
was put in place to develop ECSR’s effectiveness. Currently
we have 9 members who support asylum seekers and refugees
in Wales . They work in three of the four main regions, Swansea
, Cardiff and Wrexham. At the latter part of 2006, ECSR became
a member of a Welsh organisation, Gweini
( http://www.gweini.org.uk/ ) in view to
develop our effectiveness in Wales . Through Gweini and the
Evangelical Alliance Wales ( www.eauk.org
) we intend serving
Refugee and Asylum Seeker projects in Wales .
Consultation
response
We
welcome the strategies set out with the aim to create a Welsh
society that has refugees and asylum seekers participating
and partnering in their communities. We have answered the
questions from our experience in working with refugee and
asylum seekers projects and faith groups. Please note that
the term ‘refugee’ is used to include asylum seekers unless
stated otherwise.
Given
that resources are limited, what would be your two top priorities
that would make a real difference to Refugee communities from
within the strategy ?
Promoting
better understanding and challenging negative attitudes
in refugee and
receiving
communities (Chapter 6, pg 17, 18)
We
have witnessed over and over the problems faced by refugees
and the receiving communities. We are pleased to note
the work already being carried out in Wales by the Refugee
Media group and the promotion of Refugee Week. Racism,
discrimination and most of the community tension is caused
by how refugees and receiving communities perceive each
other. Media has a large share of blame in the way it
portrays asylum seekers and refugees as dangerous and
useless people group. Very few positive stories come out
in the media on the richness that refugees bring to the
UK . We would like to see balanced reporting in the media
on these issues as media pressure has at many times led
the government to amend and implement policies that have
detrimental effects on refugees.
Understanding
diversity and supporting the most vulnerable: Children
The
consultation reports that the most vulnerable group are
children (Children and Young People, pg 44)
and identifies that the needs of accompanied children
and unaccompanied children can be common but also be very
distinct (where are we now? Pg 45) . As a whole
the issues faced by refugee children can be enormously
different from British children and it is important for
schools, social services and other agencies to be equipped
to face these challenges. At some point in the future
Wales could receive large numbers of young people and
we welcome the points raised in this consultation.
ECSR
fully supports the following statement
“The
Welsh Assembly Government’s policy commitments for children
and young
people
in Wales do not sit easily with some aspects of UK asylum
and immigration policy - in particular, the peremptory
removal of children and young people from their homes,
schools and communities.” – Pg 45
Although
Wales has a small intake of refugee children, we wish
to see the protection and rights of all children living
in Wales . We hope the Welsh Assembly Government will
pressurise policy makers to stop making the lives distressful
for refugee children and families.
How
can the Welsh Assembly Government assist you to ensure that
the recommendations in the Strategy are delivered?
ECSR
has Welsh members who work at the grassroots with refugees.
Although not addressed in detail in this consultation
paper, we believe Faith Groups have
a central part to play (Developing an Action Plan:
14, pg 54) in any refugee inclusion strategy.
Why?
Firstly, a higher proportion of refugee adults and children
entering the UK have a strong religious faith. To many
their faith gives hope and no torture or persecution can
dispossess that belief. Supporting them holistically is
vital and many faith groups provide this in various ways.
Most of the projects ECSR works with are church groups
who welcome refugees and tirelessly try to support the
basic needs with their limited funding resources. For
many refugees the first positive image of the UK is the
faith groups that stand with them in their need. This
is central for refugees to integrate within communities.
Faith groups act as a bridge to integration.
We
hope that the work that churches and other faith groups
do in Wales will be recognised and supported. W hile recognising
the particular skills and expertise people can offer their
own ethnic group, ECSR recognises the real importance
of faith groups and RCOs serving a diverse clientele so
as to discourage segregation and encourage integration
between different people groups from the outset of arrival
in the UK . We would like to suggest that there
would be merit in the Welsh Assembly Government, in conjunction
with ECSR and other appropriate groups, to develop a specific
strategy and action plan for the active involvement of
faith groups.
Employment
is a major issue among refugees through out England and
Wales . Employers need to be briefed with their responsibility
to employ refugees and to use the wealth of skills that
refugees bring into Wales .
Training
refugees to start their own businesses and mentor them
through the whole process might be another strategy that
we would like to see being encouraged. Many budding refugee
entrepreneurs lack confidence with the whole bureaucratic
system and are caught in poverty. We wish to see
the Welsh Assembly government working closely with local
projects and liaise with the business sector to enable
refugee communities to find suitable employment.
We welcome the Action Plan 34, pg 47
Establish
a specialist all Wales resource that can supply information
and advice to those providing services to asylum seeking
and refugee children and young people.
ECSR
would like to contribute to the development of a set of
resources that contribute to the successful integration
of newly arrived children and young people into schools.
On Action plan
35, pg47
Put
in place arrangements to collate and share existing administrative
data and derive new data on the population of asylum seeking
and refugee children and young people in order to better
inform future policy and to direct resources.
We
hope the newly established National Register for Unaccompanied
Children ( http://www.nruc.gov.uk/default.htm
) will work closely in partnership with Welsh agencies
that work with Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children.
How
can we best ensure that the implementation of the recommendations
is having an impact on therefugee communities?
Poverty
among refugee communities has to be addressed just as
it is considered in BME groups. Participation and consultation
of RCOs and faith groups in policy changes is vital to
evaluate the impact on refugee communities.
Encourage
media to work closely with refugee communities. The media
can be a powerful tool to change perceptions and to get
the action plan implemented effectively in Wales .
Employment
and Education among refugees are two aspects that need
to be regularly evaluated. Action Plan 16 (pg 31)
stipulates the need for increased levels of English
and Welsh language skills among refugees and asylum seekers.
We hope that the changes in funding for ESOL classes announced
by the Learning and Skill Council (‘Raising our Game’,
October 2006) will not affect the Welsh Assembly
Government’s plans for refugee inclusion. ECSR believes
that all asylum seekers and refugees should be able to
access free 'English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)'
provision as learning a common language is fundamental
in striving for integration.
Is there anything missing
that you would
want to see included?
Nearly
all asylum seekers we work closely have reported the
lack of good legal support. This has not been addressed
in the consultation paper. ECSR would like to
see the Welsh Assembly Government address this at grassroots
to provide asylum seekers in Wales with proper and competent
legal support.
Settled
refugee communities also have to face the above issue
due to the changes in 2005, where the UK government
has decided not to grant ILR to those given refugee
status (5-year Integration and Asylum Strategy Controlling
Our Borders: Making Migration Work for Britain, February
2005) . Many who have been granted asylum in Wales
may need good legal advice in a few years time.
Asylum
seekers at present desperately need help with their
legal cases. With legal aid cuts, we see many reputable
solicitor firms distancing themselves from asylum cases.
ECSR members are aware of many situations where bureaucratic
‘mistakes’ or lack of time to collate good evidence
has led to likely miscarriages of justice and a lack
of the protection that those fleeing persecution require.
ECSR hopes to see the Welsh Assembly Government address
this issue at a political level and also at grassroots
to grant a fair hearing for people desperately seeking
our protection.
Voluntary
Sector Scheme
A
Strategic Action Plan for the Voluntary Sector Scheme
General
Comments
-
The
greatest area of relevance for many Christians at the
moment revolves around the provision of public services.
An increasing number of churches in Wales and Christian
organisations have, in recent years, applied for and
successfully received public funds to deliver services.
They have built fruitful partnerships with local authorities
and other agencies and desire further engagement.
-
Many
others however, are uncertain as to whether this journey
is one that they should take. With changes in legislation
occurring in the UK at a rapid pace, many Christian
leaders fear that, if they are contracted to deliver
public services, they will be obliged to take decisions
that will compromise the ethos of their faith.
-
Indeed,
the Charity Commission, in their recent publication
“Stand and Deliver – the future for charities providing
public services” ,
highlights concerns it has for charities that have either
begun to provide public services or are considering
doing so. It was surprising that the WAG publication
did not cover these issues in depth.
-
Of
primary concern is the potential loss of independence,
with public authorities coercing charities to comply
with their rules and regulations and with trustees “prevented
from acting solely in the charity’s interest”
-
Although
there has been much legislation in recent years that
has affected faith communities, recent publicity has
surrounded the Sexual Orientation Regulations (SORs)
which came into force in Northern Ireland in January
and are soon to come into effect in Great Britain .
These have caused considerable consternation and many
feel that enough time was not given for consultation.
Certainly there was little (if any) opportunity for
faith communities to engage in public debate on the
SORs in Wales and to express their thoughts and concerns
before the decision not to provide exemptions for faith
communities was finalised.
-
Although
it was the Catholic adoption agencies that dominated
the news in the debate between the SORs and faith communities,
we are aware of other churches and Christian organisations
in Wales that are either withdrawing services or considering
doing so, until the implications of these recent changes
in legislation become clearer. It is therefore very
much a current issue that would benefit from better
communication between faith communities and the Public
Sector.
-
Other
concerns cited by the Charity Commission are mission-drift
– where charities carry out services beyond their aims
and objectives in pursuit of funding - and long-term
sustainability.
As
a result, it is important for faith communities that
the WAG is seen to have their best interests at heart
and that it demonstrates an understanding of the specific
concerns relating to them. They have much to offer,
as a Gweini project on the contribution of faith communities
to civic society in Wales will soon establish.
Specific
comments to questions raised in the consultation
Helping
citizens to be heard
7.5
The
pros of helping citizens’ voices to be heard through
the Third Sector are:
-
The
Third Sector is trusted more than the Public and Private
Sectors and therefore can elicit a greater response
-
It
is independent, non-political and able to speak out
over issues
-
It
is more in touch with communities and able to reach
the most vulnerable people.
-
Unrealistic
expectations may be given – despite the intent to
hear citizens’ voices, deadlines mean that every voice
will not be fully heard
-
There
will be a need for the Public Sector and the Third
Sector to understand each other’s cultures and this
will take time. The Third Sector, used to a more people-orientated
approach, may resist attempts made upon it to improve
productivity or to achieve targets, for example.
Going Public, Vale of Glamorgan Romance Academy and Gweini's
Response to
Draft Quality Requirements for Sexual
Health Services in Wales
Jim Stewart Policy Director, Gweini
Going Public
Vale Romance Academy
October 2007
Introduction to Going Public
Going Public, a Cardiff-based charity, started its school work in 1992 under the banner of The Seduction Project. Since then it has traveled to schools all over the UK, with over 150,000 students having attended a presentation. Using a combination of drama, video, speech, games and discussion, The Seduction looks at the many pressures facing young people today in the whole area of sex and sexuality. Among the issues it tackles are the media, peer pressure and self worth. The presentation has received acclaim from pupils, teachers, head-teachers, governors and parents alike.
For more information go to www.goingpublic.org.uk
Introduction to the Vale Romance Academy
The Romance Academy is a fifteen-week project specifically designed for teenagers. Based on a Christian ethos, the project looks at sex, relationships & love, among other topics such as the media, alcohol and drugs.
There have been 13 Academies held in the UK since 2004. The first two held in Wales in 2006, in Penarth and Dinas Powys, received much acclaim from the Welsh media, participants and parents. The third, the Vale Romance Academy, begins in November 2007.
For more information go to www.valeromanceacademy.org.uk
Draft Sexual Health Services Quality Requirements
Cover sheet for responses to consultation
Name: Jim Stewart
Job title: Policy Director, Gweini
Contact details:
Tel No: 02920 22 98 22
Email: j.stewart@eauk.org
Are you responding as an individual?
No
If no, on behalf of which organisation are you responding?
On behalf of Gweini, the Vale Romance Academy & Going Public.
If you are responding on behalf of your organisation how were the views of your colleagues ascertained?
I send out a fortnightly Gweini Post email service to over 500 people in Wales who are involved in the voluntary sector. In the 31/08/07 edition, I alerted readers to this Consultation and invited interested parties to send me an email.
In September, I arranged a meeting with leaders from Going Public and the Vale Romance Academy – two organisations with a Christian ethos that teach widely in the area of sexual health – to discuss the consultation and to submit a joint response. Both teach to a wide range of young people, both within Wales’s faith communities and to those outside.
Alison Jensen and Cath Evans came on behalf of Going Public, with Naomi Roberts and Nathan Scott-Cook representing the Vale Romance Academy. Each one plays an active role in their organisation and is thus able to make informed comments on the consultation document. With all of us having read the document prior to the meeting, we proceeded to systematically work through the questions, identifying areas of agreement and disagreement.
Also present was Matthew Rees, a committed Christian who has just finished his A-levels and who is taking a gap year, working both with Gweini and with his church.
I drafted up the notes and submitted them to everyone in attendance for their perusal and to make any amendments.
Draft Sexual Health Services Quality Requirements
Specific questions……
I. Sexual Health Networks
-
Have we omitted any key area? Will the requirement achieve the aim?
-
Is any of the content inappropriate/inaccurate?
-
Have you any suggestions for improvement?
II. Sexual Health Promotion
-
Have we omitted any key area? Will the requirement | 
