The NWMFTA seeks to encourage sacred sites or faith centres to be open,  enrich the visitors’ experience, and help these sites to offer the best possible welcome by providing skills training. It also encourages and facilitates the use of sacred sites for education, understanding of heritage, multi-faith discovery and to make a contribution to community cohesion.

One way is to encourage sacred sites to apply for and achieve the Marque of Excellence which is recognised by the Tourist Board as a quality standard for visitors.  A number of Cumbrian sacred sites have already achieved the Marque of Excellence.To find out how to gain the marque visit www.multi-faith.org.

The NWMFTA also runs training courses across the region focussing on particular skills.  Joanna Booth, the NWMFTA Development Officer covering the whole region, can be contacted on 07545 580437 or you can email her This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  She has produced a number of downloadable resources to support churches and other faith sites that wish to start planning for welcoming visitors as follows. 
Welcoming Visitors to Your Church,
Planning for Welcome: Activities,
Encouraging Visitors to your Church,
Open Churches,
and
Interpreting Churches: how the belief of a worshipping community is reflected throughout a church building.

A Ministry of Welcome

In 2006, Carlisle Diocece produced a toolkit for churches entitled "Offering a Ministry of Welcome in Your Church". CTfC have revised the toolkit in 2009 to bring it up to date and ensure it is relevant to all places of worship.

The toolkit can be downloaded here in pdf format.  The file is 7MB so a broadband connection is required.