Social Responsibility

The Social Responsibility Council (SRC) is a group of people from the Diocese of York, the York and Hull Methodist District, and the United Reformed Church. This example of joint working is an institutional, structural, outward form that gives expression to what we hope and believe is our deeply faithful and biblical desire and intention to act in God's world with mercy and justice and to work for the kingdom coming.

Our principle area of interest is not the church, but rather just about everything and everywhere else.

Currently, those things which trouble the world and are troubling us particularly are:

• 'the environment'; (and linked to this in various ways.....)
• fair trade, debt forgiveness, climate change and its differential effects on rich and poor;
• rural livelihoods;
• asylum, destitution, immigration and racism;
• Palestine - to read 'A Monent of Truth', a message from Christian Palestinians, click here.

We are group of nominated activists drawn from around the three churches. We all bring different experiences and often different concerns. We pursue different concerns at different times and by a variety of routes which may include presentations to Synod; forming working groups and promoting things through Diocesan mailings and the like; creating opportunities for deeper study and reflection to which others may come. We also act, in effect, as a mutual support group.

We have a close working relationship the Social Care Fund and the Forum for Racial Concerns. We also have a 'World Development Adviser' and a Rural Officer in membership, together with a specialist in environment issues. Below, you can download the Racial Justice Policy which was formulated by the Council, and has been adopted jointly by the Diocese of York and theYork and Hull Methodist District.

We are predominantly lay body with a new three year membership from February 2010, and with a new Chair, the Bishop of Whitby. We meet three or four times a year. The meetings are jointly chaired by Bishop Martin [Bishop of Whitby] and Rev Ray Coates [Superintendent Tadcaster Methodist Circuit ] The Bishop's PA services the meetings. The Diocese of York has a full time social responsibility officers, Andy Dorton, based in Hull/East Riding (though he can travel if requested!).

We welcome the opportunity which the websites bring to share with you, fellow followers of Christ, what we are doing and thinking. We have not been the best about making our work known, but we will use this facility to keep you better informed and we hope motivated to take action with us, to ask questions and/or challenge our approaches. If you are interested in knowing more about the SRC, contact Trisha Hunter, PA to the Bishop of Whitby on, bishopofwhitby@yorkdiocese.org [01609 882241] or Dr Stephen Leah 01904 792773 .