Home > Mission > The Social Justice Network

The Social Justice Network

The Social Justice Network brings people together to share best practice and build capacity. Issues of low income, debt, lack of skills, poor mental health and isolation are complex and closely interlinking, trapping communities and individuals in a web of poverty.

Our vision is to see all churches, in every community, coming together to tackle these issues through action, prayer and giving. The Social Justice Network works closely with the Communities and Partnerships team at Canterbury Diocese to provide support to churches in Kent.

We aim to deliver work through innovative partnerships with other charities, voluntary organisations and local authorities. We aim to improve access to resources, make local work more effective, and create a framework for others to respond to the social challenges in Kent.

We engage with churches of all denominations, as well as faith based organisations, to encourage them to work together and with others in responding to poverty and marginalisation. We offer practical advice and guidance to parishes considering how they can better serve the socially and financially deprived in their communities.

Our diocese expresses our faith in God through work in high profile topical issue areas such as community engagement, social and environmental justice. We work closely with and develop relationships with partner networks to discern and develop new audiences for future engagement.

'The team has a range of expertise, as well as being linked into a wider network of diverse, knowledgeable, and passionate people. We aim to be a resource for deaneries, parishes, and the general community to help them fulfil their mission to work towards a sustainable and flourishing future. To this end we will increasingly shape our work in response to diocesan and Church of England priorities and in partnership with other agencies.' The Rev’d Dr Jonathan Arnold, Executive Director of The Social Justice Network.

Please click on a blue heading to see our projects and partnerships:

The Church and Social Justice Today conference

Meet the team here.

How can we help you and your local community?

To contact us please call 01227 459401 or email Revd Dr Jonathan Arnold, Executive Director of the Social Justice Network on: jarnold@diocant.org

Our projects and partnerships

Anglican Refugee Support Lead - Bradon Muilenburg

As joint partners in the Refugee Project in the Northern France Coastal region, The Social Justice Network seeks to respond to the growing needs of numbers of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in the area. The Diocese in Europe, the Diocese of Canterbury and USPG have shared their resources and experience to facilitate an innovative approach to ministry in this challenging context. The role is focussed on front-line working with people seeking asylum, and connects partnerships with stakeholder organisations, the Kent Refugee Programmes Manager, and other key contacts in the Diocese in Europe to deepen wider work with refugees.

Break the Cycle

Break the Cycle aims to end the cycle of re-offending caused by releasing people from prison into street homelessness, by means of a partnership project to provide supported housing and community support and to evaluate the effect this support has on re-offending rates. This project is led by The Social Justice Network, in partnership with the Diocese of Canterbury, CampaignKent, and others. A diocesan property has been made available to the project. A key element of this project is integrating house residents into the local community to build their self-confidence and improve their mental health and well-being.

Chaplain to the Homeless in Canterbury – The Revd Jo Richards

Chaplain to the Homeless is a new chaplaincy created during the pandemic and arising out of Jo Richards existing work with the homeless. The chaplain is the listening ear on the street, working closely with local organisations. Part of the role includes going out on early morning patrols with the outreach team as well as a weekly prayer walk around the city. The chaplain is forever mindful of the needs of all parishioners, particularly those who live on the streets, to see Christ in the other and to be Christ to the other.

Connecting Canterbury

Connecting Canterbury is a network of community hubs located across the City of Canterbury, offering information and signposting alongside access to safe and responsible saving and borrowing through Kent Savers Credit Union products. In times of lockdown and social distancing we have continued to serve people by phone, text and online. With many people and families struggling to survive debt and the inability to provide for basic needs, thanks to the support of Christians we are willing to consider making small emergency grants for heating and transport etc. For larger needs such as white goods, we apply to charities and trusts such as Acts 435. We work alongside organisations such as Canterbury Food Bank, the Salvation Army, Catching Lives, Social Workers, the City Council and Citizen's Advice. We are members of Christians/Churches Together in Canterbury, but our support is open to everyone, of faith or no faith.

Fuel poverty

Some resources where financial and practical help may be available.

Kent Refugee Programmes Manager - Domenica Pecoraro

We work with refugees and asylum seekers within the Canterbury Diocese. This role is tasked with identifying the current and future needs of this vulnerable group of people in order to guide where our diocese can most usefully provide support. This work is carried out through the important partnerships with other organisations such as KRAN.

Partnerships and projects supported by The Social Justice Network

Click for a list.