Friday, 16 October 2009

Religious charity anomaly in Tower Hamlets

It is odd that just 7% of charities based in Tower Hamlets claim to be faith-based organisations. The figure seems low not just because Tower Hamlets has a large and active Muslim population but also because it is a great deal lower than both its neighbours. In Newham 23% of charities claim to be primarily faith-based. In Hackney the figure is 22%.

(Figures in this story come from Cabinet Office of the Third Sector's National Survey of Third Sector Organisations)

The low level of faith-based charities in Tower Hamlets looks even more peculiar in the context of the main beneficiaries of their services. In Tower Hamlets 7% of charities say their main role is faith-based. Meanwhile 9% of charities in Tower Hamlets say that the main beneficiaries of their services are faith communities.

So there are more charities in Tower Hamlets that serve faith communities than there are faith-based charities.

The opposite is true in Newham and Hackney.

In Newham 23% of charities are faith-based. However, proportionately fewer - 15% - of Newham charities claim that faith communities are the main beneficiaries of their services.

In Hackney 22% of charities say they are faith-based but, again, proportionately fewer - 12% - of Hackney charities say that faith communities are the main beneficiaries of their services.

So, in Tower Hamlets, there are charities that claim not to be faith-based that serve faith communities. While in Newham and Hackney there are charities that claim to be faith-based but don't serve faith communities.

Is this discrepancy because charities in Tower Hamlets believe that if they describe themselves as faith-based they will not be eligible for public funding? Or is there a less sinister explanation for these differences?

The table below shows the answers given to the question "What are the main roles your organisation undertakes?"

Tower Hamlets -The first column is the answer to the question, the second column is the national average (as a percentage of 48,939 respondents nationally), the third column is the response of the borough's charities as a percentage of 281 respondents.
Q6 Community development and mutual aid1720
Q6 Delivery of public services (e.g. social housing, health care, day centre, counselling, community safety)1421
Q6 Delivery of other services (e.g. business services, financial services, leisure, retail, manufacturing, community support)1618
Q6 Buildings and/or facilities (e.g. community centres, village halls, religious buildings but NOT social housing)1510
Q6 Advocacy, campaigning, representation, information or research1024
Q6 Capacity building and other support to third sector organisations (e.g. acts as a coordinating or resource body)411
Q6 Grant makers (e.g. make grants to individuals or organisations)1111
Q6 Provides other finance41
Q6 Provides advice to individuals1016
Q6 Helps people to access services or benefits69
Q6 Provides staff and/or volunteers85
Q6 Advancing religion and / or spiritual welfare by supporting religious or spiritual practice107
Q6 Advancing cultural awareness713
Q6 Other1311
Q6 Cannot say31
Q6 No answer given99
Number of respondents48939281



Compare this to Hackney: The first column is the answer to the question, the second column is the national average (as a percentage of 48,939 respondents nationally), the third column is the response of the borough's charities as a percentage of 285 respondents.

Q6 Community development and mutual aid1717
Q6 Delivery of public services (e.g. social housing, health care, day centre, counselling, community safety)1421
Q6 Delivery of other services (e.g. business services, financial services, leisure, retail, manufacturing, community support)1614
Q6 Buildings and/or facilities (e.g. community centres, village halls, religious buildings but NOT social housing)157
Q6 Advocacy, campaigning, representation, information or research1018
Q6 Capacity building and other support to third sector organisations (e.g. acts as a coordinating or resource body)46
Q6 Grant makers (e.g. make grants to individuals or organisations)1112
Q6 Provides other finance41
Q6 Provides advice to individuals1018
Q6 Helps people to access services or benefits69
Q6 Provides staff and/or volunteers86
Q6 Advancing religion and / or spiritual welfare by supporting religious or spiritual practice1022
Q6 Advancing cultural awareness714
Q6 Other137
Q6 Cannot say31
Q6 No answer given97
Number of respondents48939285

And compare it to Newham: The first column is the answer to the question, the second column is the national average (as a percentage of 48,939 respondents nationally), the third column is the response of the borough's charities as a percentage of 246 respondents.

Q6 Community development and mutual aid1726
Q6 Delivery of public services (e.g. social housing, health care, day centre, counselling, community safety)1417
Q6 Delivery of other services (e.g. business services, financial services, leisure, retail, manufacturing, community support)1610
Q6 Buildings and/or facilities (e.g. community centres, village halls, religious buildings but NOT social housing)1511
Q6 Advocacy, campaigning, representation, information or research1014
Q6 Capacity building and other support to third sector organisations (e.g. acts as a coordinating or resource body)412
Q6 Grant makers (e.g. make grants to individuals or organisations)116
Q6 Provides other finance41
Q6 Provides advice to individuals1021
Q6 Helps people to access services or benefits611
Q6 Provides staff and/or volunteers88
Q6 Advancing religion and / or spiritual welfare by supporting religious or spiritual practice1023
Q6 Advancing cultural awareness716
Q6 Other1310
Q6 Cannot say32
Q6 No answer given97
Number of respondents48939246

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