Love Your Neighbour Get Involved

Travelling around the city in recent months, you may have noticed ‘Love Your Neighbour’ banners appearing outside schools, temples, churches and businesses. Indeed you may have read about the campaign when it was launched early in July.
It was launched as a response to attacks on individuals and premises, particularly on people from Eastern Europe and on the Muslim community. The campaign has been supported by members of the council, business, faith communities, the arts, humanists and many others.
Although the campaign has been co-ordinated by staff from the Church of England Birmingham, and there is a clear faith lead from the Bishop of Birmingham, it is not a faith project and in fact the idea was suggested by a Birmingham Humanist.
Since July the campaign team has produced and distributed banners, posters and stickers, and developed a website, twitter and facebook page which have created a considerable amount of interest and led to Love Your Neighbour launches in Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Luton with other towns and cities showing interest.
So now the visual campaign is well underway, the team wants to focus on the actions that result, particularly where they discourage or counter tension or hatred, or more positively build relationships across difference.
Campaign co-ordinator, Fred Rattley, says: ‘It feels to the small group making this happen that now is the time to take stock and see how we can draw on the wisdom and connections of our partners to sustain the campaign and reach the places we have not achieved so far – we know it is early days and nothing has significantly changed! We very much need ideas that people can take forward as Love Your Neighbour activities and of course connections to more people and groups’.
How can you help?
Click here to:

• to buy banners, posters and stickers
• to show your support
• to make a donation

There is an open invitation to a steering group which next meets on Thursday 15th September at 8.00 am at Church of England Birmingham office, 1 Colmore Row, B3 2BJ.

Posted on 12th September 2016