A new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Faith and Society has been launched.

The APPG will highlight the contribution to society by faith based organisations, identify best practice and promote understanding of the groups providing innovative solutions around the country.

The group will also look to learn from international best practice, on how other countries harness the innovation and solutions from faith based organisations and embed them in emerging policies and bills.

At a time when media commentary focuses on secularisation and the alleged decline of faith in Britain, there is a growing movement of faith based social activism around the country which could be better known and appreciated.

It is making itself felt in the UK in a growing range of projects – youth work, employment support, food banks, debt counselling – and overseas with fair trade, banks for the un-bankable and health initiatives on a large scale.

Stephen Timms MP, chair of the group, said: "The new all partygroup wants to hear from innovative faith based organisations at work in local communities. They often develop solutions to society’s key problems, but can go unrecognised in Whitehall. We want to see that change.

"And we will look at whether regulatory changes would enable them better to realise and sustain their potential."

Daniel Singleton, national executive director of FaithAction, the secretariat for the group, added: "We are delighted to be supporting this new all party group, building on contacts from our work on behalf of Government over the past five years.

"We hope that though this group, we can raise awareness of the fantastic work of faith based organisations that we at FaithAction witness on a daily basis."

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