Nicola Martin
Nicola re-joined the Evangelical Alliance in August 2021 as the Westminster public policy officer. She previously interned in the Scottish office in 2018 before spending a couple of years working within Scottish politics and for a faith-based homelessness charity. Being a Glasgow girl, Nicola is adjusting to life south of the border and enjoys spending her time exploring new places, taking lots of photographs and meeting new people.
What is social cohesion and why should Christians strive for it?
19 September 2024‘Social cohesion’ is a term that does not have one straight forward definition, it means different things to different people. However, generally, social cohesion refers to the togetherness of a society, whether people of differing beliefs and backgrounds can live together peacefully in a diverse democracy. The Khan Review, that will be discussed later in this article, describes social cohesion as being categorised by “both the horizontal interactions (relationships between individuals,…
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Evangelicals care about others, but what role does this play in political engagement?
9 May 2024Christians care for others. It drives us to take action to meet the needs of those in our local communities and beyond. It also defines the way evangelicals vote, according to findings from Thinking faithfully about politics, our recent report. But if we want to care for our neighbours well, we need to go beyond voting in elections and deepen our engagement with politics.
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Evangelical parents are dissatisfied with relationship and sex education in English schools
7 November 2023RSHE is an area of significant interest, and often concern, for many of our members – particularly those who are parents, carers, children’s or youth workers. As the UK Government reviews its guidance into RSHE across schools in England, the Evangelical Alliance is seeking to be a voice for evangelical parents and carers within this space. Over July and August, we conducted a survey into RSHE in England, receiving responses from 664 parents and carers from a wide variety of church…
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The government are reviewing relationship and sex education in England: here’s what you should know
13 July 2023Since September 2020, relationship education has been compulsory in schools across England. While secondary schools are required to teach on sex and LGBT issues, this is optional in primary schools. As the government have released no guidance on RSHE since this legislation came into play, much of the content and delivery of lessons has been left to the discretion of each individual school – creating a postcode lottery of how children are taught about relationships and sex.
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550,000 people were given a Warm Welcome in churches and community spaces across the UK this winter
15 May 2023At the beginning of the current cost of living crisis, the ChurchWorks commission recognised the need for a collective response from churches to the crisis. Conversations were held between the different organisations and denominations that make up the commission (including the Evangelical Alliance) about how best to use our resources to meet immediate needs. It was out of these conversations that the Warm Welcome campaign was born. The mission of Warm Welcome was simple: to support…
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The Illegal Migration Bill has been passed through the House of Commons – what happens now?
9 May 2023The Illegal Migration Bill is the government’s attempt to reduce the high number of people who cross the Channel on a small boat in order to seek asylum in the UK. The bill will result in anyone arriving in the UK through unauthorised means being prevented from claiming asylum. Those who arrive through so-called “illegal” means will be detained and removed to a “safe country”, such as Rwanda. Anyone who is removed will be blocked from returning or seeking British citizenship in the future.
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Assisted Dying Inquiry: important things you need to know
13 March 2023As Christians, we believe in the sanctity of life, all human beings are image bearers of God. This means that even in our most vulnerable state, we are still of value to God. He loved us even before we were born, and He continues to love us up to and beyond our final stages of life on earth. When it comes to end-of-life care, we believe there is a better way to make sure people are comfortable and supported through serious illness, that does not involve legalising assisted suicide in the…
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Wales: 2022 advocacy round up
21 December 2022The relationships that have been built and maintained this year between the Evangelical Alliance and policymakers within the Senedd have been very positive. Back in March, our Wales public policy officer Nathan Sadler, and director of advocacy Danny Webster attended the Welsh parliamentary prayer breakfast which centred on the theme of revival. The work of the Evangelical Alliance was highlighted at this event by Darren Millar MS, and Nathan prayed to close the event. As well as the immense…
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ChurchWorks summit: exploring how the church can tackle the big issues
25 November 2022Those in attendance at the ChurchWorks summit heard from a range of panellists, who lead Christian-based charities operating in the areas of wellbeing, family and poverty. The discussion of how the church can work alongside policymakers was central to the day. There was an opening address from the government’s faith minister, Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, and the event closed with a parliamentary panel discussion chaired by the Evangelical Alliance’s head of public policy, Alicia Edmund.
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Eight changes you should know about from the Autumn Statement
18 November 2022Many of the plans unveiled by Hunt yesterday were a stark contrast to those announced in September. The general response to Hunt’s statement has been one of cautious optimism for what these plans mean for those who are struggling financially. However, increased support in some areas results in increased cuts in others. There remains concern over what the coming months are going to bring for those who are the worst-off in society and for public services.
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Cost of living crisis: share your experience of supporting others
5 September 2022Increased energy costs cause higher levels of debt, food poverty, child poverty, fuel poverty and poor health and mental wellbeing – not to mention the many other social issues that become more prominent in areas with high poverty levels. This is why as the church, it is important that we do not bury our head in the sand. Many people in our congregations are likely to be greatly impacted by the rise in energy costs, as will many households in our local communities. When it comes to responding…
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