A GROUNDBREAKING initiative has been launched to promote better understanding between a town's diverse communities and faiths.

Christians, Jews, Muslims Buddhists and Sikhs have forged links in Middlesbrough, representing more than 80 churches, mosques, temples and other places of worship - and the communities who attend them.

They have come together to form the Middlesbrough Faith Communities Network Development Group and have already applied for a £65,000 Home Office grant to open an inter-faith centre in the town.

There are plans to elect Middlesbrough's first Council of Faiths next month, following a public meeting at a Middlesbrough mosque on Thursday, January 26, when proposals and a draft constitution will be put to town's people at a public meeting.

An open-air celebration of faith is planned for the summer, should a faith council be elected.

A Government policy is to encourage "participative democracy" and the hope among organisers is that a faith communities network will be able to play a full part in local decision making.

Members of the development group have already raised concerns with Middlesbrough Mayor Ray Mallon over his bid to have a super casino on the Middlehaven redevelopment site, it was revealed at the weekend.

Former Anglican vicar turned Quaker, Michael Wright, chairman of the development group said: "We have applied for a Home Office funding for the first year.

"There is a special, national fund we can apply for. We have applied for something like £65,000 which will give us a foundation and funds to employ a development worker.

"There is a lot of common ground between us all, the principal common ground of seeking to live a godly life, with a respect for the differences between us. We respect each other's traditions."

He said one of the aims of the network was to forge safer and better communities with good relations between members of different faiths.

"As people get to know each other and understand each other they can work together on issues of common concern," Mr Wright added.

There has been a Cleveland Inter Faith group for 18 years, but representatives from the Buddhist, Christian, Hindy, Muslim and Sikh communities started meeting last April to pave the way for a faith communities network and a council of faiths.