News

The WESTHILL/NASACRE Awards (June 2022)

In March 2022, Bristol SACRE successfully applied for a Westhill Award. These awards are
funded by the and are managed by the National Association of Standing Advisory Councils
on Religious Education (NASACRE). They support projects that encourage diversity in
schools, generate compelling learning experiences in RE, and build up a bank of RE teaching
resources which can be used in the future.

Bristol Minds

Bristol is a city of many faiths and worldviews and is celebrated for its contribution to the
artistic and intellectual worlds. It is as famous for its music and street art as it is for its
world-leading university. However, as in all cities young people often lack the opportunity to
meet Bristolians with worldviews different from their own. Meanwhile the artistic and
intellectual cultures of the city may seem out of reach and ‘untouchable’.

With funding from the Westhill Foundation, Bristol SACRE is bridging these gaps through its
Bristol Minds project. This introduces KS3 students from ten secondary schools to ‘Bristol
Minds’ (BMs), who are adults of diverse worldviews working in creative, intellectual,
scientific, non-profit or professional fields. BMs are identified through SACRE and the young
participants themselves.

Participating schools nominate two students to meet their Bristol Mind. The students are
tasked with interviewing their BM about how their worldview informs their professional
lives and day-to-day activities and experiences. Questions regarding meaning and happiness
are particularly encouraged. From this, the students create a range of visual resources to
share understanding of the BMs and what they have learned through their direct
interaction.

In April 2023, a conference will be held to bring together all the participants, as well as
additional students and teachers to share the outcomes.

From June 2023, teaching resources based upon the project activities will be available via
the Bristol SACRE website.