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Liz Dancey, Church Trails Adviser for West Midlands Area, lives just one mile from the Symphony Hall, the Museum and Art Gallery, and the Town Hall – venue of the NADFAS AGM in 2017. Her immediate neighbours are Jewish, Sikh, Moslem, Hindu, Christians and non-believers – signifi cantly different to the membership of her local Society, but refl ective of the diversity of our cities today. So when NADFAS Chief Executive Florian Schweizer suggested extending the idea of Church Trails to other places of worship, she immediately volunteered to lead a ‘Birmingham Trails for Children’ project. Liz had already discussed something similar with two friends: Guy Hordern MBE, formerly Above Members of the West Midlands Area Trails team with Ranjit Dhanda Singh and Kiran Kaur Jheeta in the Prayer Hall at the GNNSJ, BirminghamBRIDGING COMMUNITIESBirmingham is the location of a very special project – creating Trails in diverse places of worship to help children appreciate the similarities, as well as the differences, between religions Chairman of the Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education, and Dr Marius Felderhof, senior Lecturer in Theology at the University of Birmingham and Executive Director of Museum of World Religions UK. Marius drafted the Birmingham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education, which enshrines 24 moral and spiritual dispositions. It makes a dramatic departure from previous syllabuses because its main principle is that young people’s religious education should be approached as ‘whole persons’ through their experience. NADFAS Trails are very compatible with the 24 dispositions (eg appreciating beauty; being imaginative and explorative) especially if accompanied by cross-curricular activities in art and crafts, music and poetry. Purpose-built places of worship are designed to be ‘read’. Concepts that transcend language, such as the holy scriptures; the symbols of candles, lamps and light; the circles of life; triangles and stars; the aisles leading to holy places; stained and decorative glass; and music can all be found in the gurdwara, temple, synagogue, church and mosque.NADFAS Trails have a recognisable format, with a central plan, questions, space to draw and attractive illustrations. They focus on the building, artefacts, imagery and symbols, set against the background of local identity, heritage and belief. Last June, the Trail team of designers, illustrator and photographer was formed from 08 — THE ART OF GIVING