Riots 'summit' meeting with community workers

Church Urban Fund invited clergy and community workers from areas affected by the August riots to take part in a two-day 'riots summit' this week.

The aim of the summit was to gather stories, first-hand accounts and opinions about the recent unrest and look at how the wider Church can engage with the underlying community issues, and respond in a practical ways to the many challenges presented.  One individual told us, "If I learnt anything from the riots, it’s that there wasn’t a universal picture, that things were very different in different places."

Many of the summit's 28 participants had been directly involved in positive action during the riots, either during the clean-up or by taking part in peace walks, street prayer, outreach and mediation.  One of the prime motivation of the summit was to tell these 'good news' stories, which have largely been buried in the media coverage surrounding the events.

A full report, drawing on the stories and issues expored during the summit, will be released shortly.