About NASACRE
NASACRE works to celebrate, support, strengthen and promote the work of local SACREs and represents their interests at a national level.
Formed in 1993, on 11 March 2025, NASACRE was entered onto the Register of Charities with Charity Number 1212494. Our new constitution can be found here.
All SACREs in England are members of NASACRE, but we would urge SACREs to consider becoming subscribing SACREs in support of our work and to unlock extra resources to facilitate their own work.
NASACRE’s object is the advancement of education through the development of religious education and collective worship in schools and communities in England, with, through and alongside Standing Advisory Councils on Religious Education (SACREs), including but not limited by:
i) Services, education, advice, information and resources to and through local SACREs
ii) Workshops, conferences, seminars and/or lectures to and through local SACREs
iii) Undertaking and supporting research into factors that contribute to high quality religious education and collective worship in schools and disseminating the useful results thereof.
- To assist SACREs to fulfil their responsibilities
- To represent the common concerns of SACREs to other bodies
- To assist in the training of SACRE members
- To encourage the development of SACREs
- To undertake such other activities, appropriate to SACREs, as may benefit RE and collective worship.
- NASACRE exists to strengthen local SACREs and to support them in carrying out their statutory duties and responsibilities.
- NASACRE represents and celebrates SACREs at a strategic national level.
In March 1993, SACRE representatives met to set up and formally constitute a National Association of SACREs. This followed the implementation of the Education Reform Act [ERA 1988] and the statutory powers and responsibilities now entrusted to the local SACREs.
The new National Association (NASACRE) was launched in 1993 in the House of Lords in the presence of religious leaders and the then Minister of State for Education, Baroness Blatch.
For the launch, the National Association published its aims and has subsequently developed a mission statement. These continue to provide the focus for NASACRE’s programmes and activities.
NASACRE has a constitution, which recognises the primary powers of affiliated SACREs. To work on behalf of all SACREs, NASACRE has an Executive Committee comprising:
Honorary officers – Chair, Deputy Chair, Secretary, Treasurer – elected at the AGM for a 2 year term
8 Executive members – nominated by SACREs and elected at the AGM for a 3 year term. Executive members are Trustees.
Co-opted members.
Your Executive meets once or twice a term, usually in London. Previous Minutes may be viewed here.
The National Association is a non-profit making organisation which is financed by affiliation fees from SACREs and subscriptions to public meetings. It aims to raise sufficient monies to pay for speakers and meeting places and to meet its own, internal, running costs.
The Executive Committee meets at least once a term and is responsible for NASACRE’s policy and the planning of events and activities in fulfilment of its aims as a CIO. The Executive comprises 12 trustees, proposed and elected by member SACREs at the AGM. It includes the Chair, the Vice Chair and the Assistant to the Chair, and makes up to 3 additional co-options each year, in support of NASACRE’s work.
Who are NASACRE’s partners?
- NASACRE holds membership of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) and NASACRE representatives represent SACREs at REC meetings.
- Executive members represent the interests of SACREs at meetings with policy makers such as the government and the DfE.
- The Executive Committee has close links and works with all professional RE organisations, including the Association of RE Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants (AREIAC), the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE), and the regional RE Hubs, working with The Faith & Belief Forum to ensure that SACREs may support their schools in celebrating Inter Faith Week each year.