Catford and Bromley United Synagogue is to rejoin the Board of Deputies seven months after quitting the organisation because it did not think it was "good value".

Chair of the south-London shul, Joe Burchell, said the change of heart had followed discussions with senior Board vice-president Richard Verber, "who clearly appreciated that the Board of Deputies needed to modernise the way it engages with a smaller community like ours". Mr Verber said he was delighted to welcome Catford back into the fold. "The Board of Deputies' strength comes from representing hundreds of communities, big and small."

Speaking to the JC in March, Mr Burchell said that it cost a synagogue such as his around £500 annually to send a deputy to the Board, which was "uneconomical". Members could find out about the Board's work without the need to send a representative.