Meetings of council to be arranged around prayer

Move to attract more councillors

Council meetings will be arranged to avoid clashes with the times when people need to pray.
The move is part of a drive to attract more people from ethnic and faith groups to stand as councillors reported the Barnsley Chronicle today. They reported that considering cultural and religious requirements when organising the council diary would help to make the council more diverse. A report put to senior councillors on Wednesday states: “where practicable and on the advice on the equalities and diversity officer, meetings should not be scheduled to take place at those hours of the day which have cultural or religious significance for the different faith communities living in the borough” It also recommended that when the actual dates of the meetings clashed with days of cultural or religious significance they should be altered, when possible. These have been approved in the first instance and will now need to go through another process and then to the full council for final approval. After the meeting, Councillor Mike Stokes (who chaired the steering group for the IMCB project) said “the new way of working is aimed at recognising cultural differences.” He added “it is about saying instead of having a meeting at this particular time why can’t we have it at some other time.” “It’s not a case of changing the system dramatically it’s about trying to be sensible and aware of peoples needs and if we can meet them then that’s wonderful.”

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