The Slough Faith Compact was officially launched on Thursday 13 August at Slough Borough Council’s Council Chambers, bringing together faith organisations, community groups, local leaders and partners to celebrate collaboration and strengthen support for communities across Slough.
Hosted by Slough Borough Council (SBC) and Slough Council for Voluntary Service (SCVS), the event marked the culmination of SCVS’s involvement in developing the Compact and provided an opportunity to reflect on the work undertaken since June 2025.
The evening brought together faith and community leaders to learn more about the background and purpose of the Compact, network with partners, hear from community groups that have been making a difference locally, and learn about faith-focused training delivered through the programme.
Building the Slough Faith Compact
The development of the Compact has involved extensive engagement with faith and community organisations, with partners working together to identify shared priorities, principles and commitments.
Key milestones included the Cohesion and Faith Forum Scoping Session in July 2025, the Slough Community Forum World Café session in February 2026, the first Slough Faith Compact Steering Group meeting and development of the first draft of the Compact in March 2026, the Faith and Community Microgrant process from March to May 2026, faith-focused training sessions delivered by SCVS from April to July 2026, further Steering Group engagement in June 2026 to refine the Compact and broaden stakeholder involvement, and the official launch of the Slough Faith Compact in August 2026.
The Slough Community Forum World Café session provided an opportunity to:
- Introduce the Faith Compact and its vision for partnership working between faith groups, the voluntary sector and public services.
- Share information about a new funding opportunity designed to support faith-led and community-based initiatives that improve outcomes for local residents.
- Discuss the important role that faith communities play in addressing social challenges, promoting community cohesion, and supporting vulnerable people across Slough.
Celebrating local impact
The launch event also highlighted the positive work taking place across the borough. Three recipients of the Faith and Community Microgrants were invited to share their experiences and explain how the funding has helped them make a difference in their communities. Attendees heard from Viva Slough, The Ramblers and Slough Museum who each presented an overview of the work undertaken. A brief summary of the work by the other two recipients, Together as One and BeatRoutes was also shared.
Attendees also heard about the learning and benefits from the faith training sessions delivered by SCVS, which included five sessions covering Faith Celebrations, Roma, Faith culture and Traditions, Celebrating life’s milestones in faith and Exploring other faiths and Faith and Culture.
The event included a networking and Q&A session and featured comments and messages from the Leader of Slough Borough Council, the Council’s Chief Executive, SBC officers and representatives involved in the development of the Compact.
Next Steps
The Slough Faith Compact provides a framework for continued partnership between faith organisations, community groups, the Council and other local stakeholders. It sets out a shared vision and guiding principles, alongside commitments from partners to support stronger, more connected communities.
The launch represents an important milestone, but also the beginning of the next stage of collaboration. By bringing organisations together around shared values and priorities, the Compact aims to strengthen relationships, encourage partnership working and help ensure that faith and community organisations continue to play an important role in the life of Slough.
The event closed with opportunities for networking and continued conversation, giving partners the chance to celebrate what has been achieved so far and look ahead to the work still to come.
Photos from the event can be viewed at https://photos.app.goo.gl/Gghvuk2NT4Rxkwb19