Faith groups gather for uplifting conference
Hope within a success
People from all walks of life and all parts of Lanarkshire came together at a conference for faith and belief groups.
Organised by South Lanarkshire Community Justice Partnership and entitled Hope Within, the event heard from people working to help others turn their lives around, both within the justice system and in its aftermath.
Liam Purdie, chair of the South Lanarkshire Community Justice Partnership, said: “There is a huge amount of work being done in this area to help people who have been through the justice system, or who are in danger of being drawn into it.
“But just as important as doing the work is letting people know about it and listening to them in return, so that everyone can learn and develop our work to be the best, and most effective, that it can be. The Hope Within conference brought together a range of people from all sorts of backgrounds and experience who are actively working in this field.
“They heard from those working at the top level in community justice in Scotland and those operating local projects, but the one thing that all of them had in common was a passion for helping those who need it in ways that make a meaningful difference.”
The aim of the Hope Within conference was to identify how best to support people in need to lead happy and fulfilled lives, by drawing on the long history that faith and belief groups in this area have of supporting innovative approaches for many vulnerable people.
This work has included many different aspects such as suicide prevention activities, tackling poverty and support for people with dementia, and it was hoped that the conference would encourage the same level of activity to help people to end offending, or to never be involved.