The Sandford St Martin Trust has welcomed the review by the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, of the BBC’s Royal Charter, but recommended reinstatement of the Corporation’s obligations to represent the UK’s diverse belief communities.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Trust called for “formal opportunities for representatives of faith communities to participate meaningfully in the public consultation as part of the Charter Review”.
It also urged the BBC to commit itself to commissioning and making available “programming and content that reflect the full diversity” of the UK. It cited 2023 Ofcom data, which included the finding of a 42-per-cent decline between 2010 and 2022 in the time devoted to religion and ethics programmes by public-service broadcasting networks.
“This included near-zero provision from Channels 4 or 5, raising concerns about religious literacy, cultural understanding and representation,” the Trust said.
The @sandfordawards has welcomed the review by the Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, of the BBC’s Royal Charter, but recommended reinstatement of the Corporation’s obligations to represent the UK’s diverse belief communities#BBC #RoyalCharter #DonaldTrumphttps://t.co/Jl7np1og8c
— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) December 17, 2025