• The origins of IFW go back to the late 60s, when, following Wolverhampton MP Enoch Powells Rivers of Blood speech, discussions between members of different faiths began to take place in order to counter-act the potentially divisive effects of the speech. The Wolverhampton Inter Faith Group (WIFG)  was established as a charity in 1974, later to become Wolverhampton Inter Faith Council. Its early development was very much inspired and facilitated by Ivy Gutridge, a Methodist lady who was awarded the MBE for her inter-faith work. In 2010 the Wolverhampton Inter Faith Council merged with the Wolverhampton Faith and Regeneration Network to become the Wolverhampton Inter-Faith and Regeneration Network In September 2014, the charitys name became Interfaith Wolverhampton.
  • Details of the organisations history can be found in particular in its publications celebrating different anniversaries: Memories and Visions (1994), 25 years and Counting (1999), Reflections on the Past, Visions for the Future (2006), Building Bridges, not Walls (2014).
  • The Wolverhampton Archives & Local Studies (01902-552480) retain a wide range of documents, held under the title of Wolverhampton Inter-Faith Group, spanning the organisations history. They are available for inspection on request.


What we do


All our activities are inspired by our mission to provide education aimed specifically at nurturing and disseminating knowledge and understanding of the rich diversity of religious beliefs and practices within the City of Wolverhampton with the purpose of supporting community cohesion through dialogue and collaboration on specific projects. In particular, we:

  •  Work closely with statutory and voluntary organisations to pre-empt and respond to instances of inter-faith tension within the City
  • Act as the prime referral point for any matters relating inter-faith issues
  • Respond to requests for information from members of the public
  • Organise visits by schools to different places of worship
  • Arrange RE days in schools on different faiths
  • Provide training on faith customs and traditions for statutory and non-statutory organisations which deal with people from different faiths
  • Hold monthly ‘Bring and Share’ lunches, led by a different individual, to discuss how our faith affects our lives
  • Hold an annual conference on a particular topic (Forgiveness, human rights etc.)
  • Arrange social and cultural events where people of different faiths can meet and talk
  • Arrange an annual pilgrimage to local places of worship
  • Arrange an annual coach trip to more distant places of worship
  • Arrange an annual interfaith Prayer service
  • Organise an annual Holocaust Service on behalf of the Mayor’s Office
  • Publish a quarterly newsletter