Caritas welcomes Lords consultation on citizenship and civic engagement
In a response to a House of Lords consultation, Catholic charities have praised their volunteers who build genuine relationships with the marginalised and are inspired to engage with civil society to address the issues which affect them.
The evidence, given by members of Caritas Social Action Network, tells of grassroots initiatives which rely on volunteering and foster a sense of commitment to wider society. Faith communities provide both the structure and the motivation for these encounters. They also reported that the major barrier to active citizenship, above all, is the isolation caused by poverty.
The House of Lords Select Committee on Citizenship and Civic Engagement called the consultation, seeking to identify new ways of building bridges within and between communities, and to support civic engagement.
Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) is the social action agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. CSAN is a network of 42 charities that work across the field of social action including families and children, prisoners, elderly people and homeless people.
For more information, see: www.csan.org.uk
The submission can be found on the CSAN website: www.csan.org.uk/policy/response-inquiry-citizenship-civic-engagement/
Detail of the consultation can be found on the Select committee website: www.parliament.uk/citizenship-civic-engagement