In 2025, we launched our Youth & Faith Research Community via our first annual gathering held in-person at Bute Mills, Youthscape. We had a fantastic time hearing from several individuals, with presentations ranging from emerging research ideas to the outcomes of particular projects. We also had the opportunity to hear from Dr Naomi Thompson, our keynote speaker, who shared on Young People in 2025: Seeking the Spiritual but Rejecting the Institutional? It was a fantastic launch to the research community and provided momentum for developing other opportunities for connection throughout the year through two subsequent online ‘Community of Learning’ events. We are now excited to announce our second in-person Annual Gathering which is taking place on 27 February 2026.

The Youth & Faith Research Community brings together researchers and research-engaged (or research-curious) practitioners to share work, receive feedback and advice, and build meaningful connections. Together, the community seeks to identify where further research is needed, critically reflect on the key issues facing young people, and explore gaps in existing research. We also aim to connect with other networks and groups to co-create outputs that lead to tangible action and positive change.

We invite you to join us and learn together.

What’s this year’s theme and why?

Our 2026 Annual Gathering will focus on the intersection of far-right political movements and racial justice. As far-right movements continue to gain traction in the UK, the Centre for Research is committed to understanding the impact this has on young people and their discipleship journeys. In particular, we want to listen, learn, and reflect on how these movements affect young people of colour, and how youth workers and ministers can better support young people when engaging with these complex intersections.

We are really excited to be able to announce our keynote speaker: Professor Robert Beckford. Robert, a Professorial Research Fellow, is a scholar-activist researching the intersections of faith and racial justice in and through diverse media texts. A BAFTA award winning documentary filmmaker, Robert has written and presented over twenty films for the BBC, Channel 4 and Discovery USA. His films explore a range of themes including political critiques of the British Empire, biblical history, and popular culture.

Our venue is Bute Mills, 74 Bute Street, Luton, LU1 2EY. We're less than 50m from the main bus and rail station. Here is a short overview of the day - a final programme will be published closer to the time of the event.

09:30-10:00
Arrival and Registration (tea, coffee, and pastries on arrival)

10:00 - 10:30
Welcome and Introductions

10:30 - 11:00
Networking

11:30 - 1:00
Session 1 and Reflection

1:00 - 2:00
Lunch (not provided)

2:00 - 4:00
Sessions 2, 3 and Reflection (tea, coffee, biscuits available)

4:00 - 4:30
Close

Throughout the day, we will also have some shorter presentations from other individuals and allow for plenty of individual and corporate reflection time, as we consider what we hear means for our learning, future research, and practice.

You can book tickets for £20. This includes tea, coffee, pastries, and biscuits throughout the day. Lunch will not be provided, but there are plenty of options in walking distance of Youthscape including Starbucks, Nando’s, Greggs, Tesco, and Lidl.