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De Montfort University

Inter Religious Relations can be studied part-time through St Philip’s Centre.
Qualifications are available at Certificate, Diploma or Masters levels validated by De Montfort University.
(See Study tab and Post Grad Courses dropdown menu)

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Islamic Foundation, Markfield, Leicestershire

The village of Markfield lies about 8 miles north of Leicester city centre.  The Foundation includes the Markfield Institute for Higher Education.

St Philip’s Centre signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Foundation in October 2005.This has given a number of mutual benefits:

• St Philip’s ongoing support for the Islamic Chaplaincy course.  This pioneer course was commenced in 2003, and Andrew Wingate was a consultant from the beginning.  It has become an outstanding example of partnership between an Islamic institution and the churches, who form a major part of the advisory board, and the resourcing of the course.  Well over 100 women and men have now received the certificate in chaplaincy, focusing on either educational, prison or hospital areas.
• Provision of staff mutually where need arises, for courses and for one off programmes, include the St Philip’s MA.
• The receiving of groups for exposure visits, especially theological students, clergy, overseas delegations.
• Development of inter faith dialogue programmes.
• Mutual use of facilities such as library.
• Mutual support and encouragement of staff.
• Profiling each other in helpful ways, including with the media.

Henry Martyn Institute in Hyderabad, South India

This Institute is now nearly 80 years old, and has been a premier institution in enabling Christians to relate effectively to Muslims, in this most Muslim of South Indian cities.  It has also included engagement with Hindus in its programmes in recent years.  It is, like St Philip’s, a study, training and engagement Centre.  The partnership was signed in 2006, and remains still in its infancy, though we trust with potential for the future.

•  St Philips received an Intern from HMI in 2007, Shobha Gosa.  She returned to the Centre to do an MA in Youth Work, and helps the Centre with Information Technology, and receiving a scholarship from the Centre.
•  Various individual visitors have been to Hyderabad, and lectures given.
• Where funding is available, sabbaticals and learning programmes can be offered at HMI for British students, in association with a period at St Philip’s.  This can also include spending time at the Islamic Foundation (see sabbatical leaflet).

 Leicestershire County Council: 

Engagement with the County Council has included:

• Working closely with Leicestershire County Council in setting up the recent Leicestershire Inter Faith Forum
• Offering training to strategic and frontline staff
• Resourcing the County in various ways, for delivery of which there is now a Service Level Agreement.  From our side, this is part of our offering services in County as well as City, since both are concerned with our primary aims 1 and 2.  The hope is that we will be able in the future to work with the seven district and borough councils.

With Leicester City Council:

Partnership has been around particular projects:

• Finance towards the senior Muslim consultant, who is shared between the Police, City Council and St Philip’s.
• Finance towards a young adult worker. This focused upon the Inter Cultural Leadership School (ICLS), but we are in process of raising finance for a full time worker, with a wider brief.
• Financing a women’s leadership project Strive.  We were asked to act as parent body for this work, which involves two young Muslim women, on an 18 month development project.
• Enabling interaction between senior leadership groups visiting our centre, from Senior Church leaders in England, and groups from Europe, who come to the city to experience the Leicester model of cohesion.
• Involvement in various training programmes.
• City sponsorship, through the Learning and Skills Council, of Introduction to Faith Tourism courses taught by the Centre. 
• Facilitating meetings between young people and the Foreign Office, in partnership with the City.

National  Christian Muslim Forum (CMF):

Our Director was involved in the process of the establishment of this Forum, which was launched in 2006.  Since then:

• Involvement in Imam-Clergy conferences nationally, and for the East Midlands.
• Participation in a CMF visit to Indonesia, and receiving a return group back here.
• Providing a venue for CMF regional meetings.

Hindu-Christian Forum UK:

This was founded in 2003, and Andrew Wingate is joint chair person.  It met for four years regularly in Leicester and London.  The Archbishop of Canterbury visited the Forum and Sanatan Mandir in 2005.  There has been a break since 2007/8, and it is to recommence in 2009.

We are partners in a Research Exercise in Hindu – Christian dialogue, being carried out in 2009.

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Leicester Council of Faiths:

The Council of Faiths was founded in 1986, with the Diocese of Leicester as a lead agency since then.  Two of our staff are members, and one of these alternately is on its executive.  It is a vital link with the City Council, who sponsor it.  It is one of their ways of engaging with the nine faiths who are members.

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Faith Leaders Forum

This has met every 6-8 weeks since 9/11.  It is convened by the Bishop of Leicester, and facilitated by the Director of St Philip’s, in his capacity as Bishop’s Inter Faith Adviser.  It has become a key body in Leicester for vigorous discussion, and action, related to contentious issues, international, national and local, as they arise.

The Inter Faith Network UK

We have been full members of the Inter Faith Network since 2007.

Leicestershire Constabulary

• Training of all new police recruits.
•  More advanced training courses.
•  Sharing in the services of a Muslim consultant.
•  Support for Young Adults worker.

Leicester College

• Training of staff.
• Sharing in support of faith ambassadors.