Westmorland and Furness Faith Covenant

Find out more about our work on faith and social action.

We signed a Faith Covenant with local faith communities and partners in our area on 1 July 2026. The Covenant is a shared commitment to work together in open, respectful and practical ways. It will make it easier for partnership working across our area.

Read the Faith Covenant (PDF , 1.6MB).

The Covenant shows that we're all committed to: 

  • the right to practice religion freely
  • helping people to live without fear or intimidation

It also explains how we're going to work together. This includes:

  • principles for working collaboratively 
  • supporting inclusive services 
  • building stronger relationships across communities

The Faith Covenant is part of a national initiative, which encourages local authorities and faith communities to work together. More than 30 councils across the UK have already signed up. 

Read more about the all-party parliamentary group Faith Covenant

We've been part of a Faith Covenant Partnership since early 2025. The Partnership helped us to develop the Covenant together. It includes: 

  • local faith communities
  • partners across the public, voluntary and community sectors

If you're interested in being part of the Faith Covenant, please email us at equalities@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.

Faith Covenant Handbook

The Faith Covenant Handbook provides an overview and key terminology for different faith groups in Westmorland and Furness.

Faith Covenant Handbook (PDF , 1.2MB)

Religion, belief and culture in Cumbria

Faith communities in our area

Local faith communities play vital roles in our area, such as:

  • supporting inclusion and community cohesion 
  • providing practical help and safe spaces for people 
  • contributing an estimated £1.67 million in financial value to the area

Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partnership

In 2019, the South Lakeland Equality and Diversity Partnership (SLEDP) produced the second edition of their Cumbrian supplement of Religion, Belief and Culture in the Community. This document accompanied the National Faith Guide, which can also be found within the Cumbrian supplement. 

The Westmorland and Furness Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Partnership has since replaced the SLEDP. 

Westmorland and Furness Faith and Social Action Audit

Churches Together in Cumbria carried out a Social Action Audit for the Westmorland and Furness region in May 2024.

We partially funded the project, which gathered information about local activities that support communities and enable them to thrive in our area.

Read the Churches Together in Cumbria Social Action Audit.