For a number of years we have been working with colleges training vicars. Each year we have partnered with a financial institution to immerse the students within the corporate world. This is especially important for those who have never experienced it and enables them to experience the world of some of their potential parishioners and congregations.
This year for the first time we were delighted to partner with Barclays. A number of senior people gave their time to the programme and provided really good and thought provoking presentations as well as an interactive exhibition.
The Multifaith Chaplaincy also widened the student base to include Christian students from Ripon College Cuddesdon and Muslims students from Cambridge Muslim College, making this the first time we facilitated a day across two faith communities.
There are a large number of people working in financial and professional services who come from a faith tradition and so part of the day was to challenge the students think through in what way can their church/mosque communities can support people in the business world and enable them to honour God in their work
One of the students described the day as ‘absolutely brilliant’ and another said it was ‘eye opening’. They all were surprised by the different aspects that go in to providing good quality, accessible and ethical banking and learnt things they could take back into their own contexts.
We look forward to repeating it again next year.
