Supporting interfaith relations and spiritual care during Interfaith week

Interfaith Week takes place on 13-20 November, and is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the role of faith and highlight the overwhelmingly good relations between people of different faiths and beliefs.

There are three aims of the week:

Strengthening good inter faith relations at all levels
Increasing awareness of the different and distinct faith communities in the UK, in particular celebrating and building on the contribution which their members make to their neighbourhoods and to wider society
Increasing understanding between people of religious and non-religious beliefs.

Here at Mid Yorkshire, we know that our staff, patients and volunteers follow a number of different faiths, and we want to create an inclusive environment in which individuals can truly express their faith and beliefs. We caught up with some of our colleagues to find out what Interfaith Week means to them:

"Interfaith is a word that embraces and advocates for the wisdom of the world’s faith traditions. For me it means giving identity to our individual faiths, and at the same time celebrates our communities and beautiful diversity. Interfaith involves dialogue, devotion and understanding, an integrated approach to discovery, revealed in the many encounters we have along the way." - Reverend Charlene Smith

"While our great religious traditions are distinct in beliefs and practice, there is much that unites us. Interfaith is an opportunity to draw on the fundamental values that we have in common and on the wisdom of our respective faith traditions to continue to work as individual communities together for the wellbeing of our society, our wider global community and our planet." - Aslam Seedat, Hospital Chaplain

"Celebrating Interfaith week gives us the opportunity to show case our work, knowledge, appreciation and interaction on the benefits of working in collaboration with different faiths, non-faiths and interfaith organisations in our communities." - Reverend Gladys Mudada

"Celebrating Interfaith week is a fantastic opportunity to reconnect, learn and bring together individuals from diverse religious and spiritual beliefs. Interfaith co-operation will help with any misconceptions or unawareness people may have on religious and spiritual beliefs as well as develop people’s own understanding of their faith and values.

Our wonderful Chaplains honour and embrace all faith traditions and spiritual perspectives to best serve the personal and collective spiritual care needs of our patients, carers, relatives and staff." - Clare Blackburn, Head of Patient Experience

You can find out more about Interfaith Week here.