Welcome to our website.

Churches Regional Commission for Yorkshire and the Humber (CRC) is a Christian organisation that is proactive with public bodies and faith partners in promoting regeneration in the region.

These pages are designed to provide online information on CRC’s activities in culture, interfaith, social inclusion, rural renaissance, church tourism and other regeneration activity in Yorkshire and the Humber. There is also an introduction to CRC, its partners, and faith in our region. There are also publications which are free to download. 

Big Society Conference.  Details of the recent Big Society conference can be found here

A Northern View of the Health and Social Care Bill. Church Leaders in Yorkshire and the Humber have today voiced their concern over the Coalition Government’s Bill to reform the NHS. In an open letter to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Health, Northern Church Leaders argue that the Bill’s more market-oriented approach to health care will inevitably leave behind weaker communities and vulnerable people. Senior leaders in the region’s churches point out that health inequality is particularly acute in many of the old industrial cities of the north. In spite of Government assurances to the contrary, they are unconvinced that health inequality will remain a priority in the long term, once the Bill is enacted.  

The Church Leaders state that they have no confidence in market forces as they are being applied to health care through the Bill. Private enterprise introduces a long term conflict between self-interest and care, and between shareholder expectations and patient needs. They acknowledge that there are difficult, potentially unpopular,  decisions to be made over health care now and in the future, but insist that these should be made by political design and intention, rather than by market forces.

The open letter is built around the Churches Regional Commission’s recent policy paper, A Northern View of the Health and Social Care Bill, which draws together research on the Bill and expertise from lay Christians in the region who have significant experience in the health care sector.

The church leaders conclude by urging the Government to rethink its approach to health care reform. The paper can be downloaded here.

CRC have a contract with Faithworks as part of the FaithtoEngage project. This aims to support all faith groups to work together and with others, to make purposeful partnerships, share information and to use their knowledge and practical experience of serving their communities to influence regional decision making. For further details contact contact janet.bryer@crc-online.org.uk.

As part of the Faith to Engage project we have just submitted a response to the Communities and Victims panel. To read it look here.

For details of all the forthcoming conferences see here

CRC has produced a new extensive briefing paper on 'Christian Mission and the Big Society'. It can be downloaded here. If you would like further information, contact Philip Bee on 0113 244 3413 or email him.