Mothers' Union

Projects

Members offer practical help and support to the Church and the Community in a variety of activities and projects at both Diocesan and local levels, Further details can be obtained from the Diocesan Office.

We are also involved with several projects set up by the MU at national level.

Practical work in church and community

Members across the Diocese are committed to many individual activities as well as those organised by the MU.

These include:

  • Running/helping at Toddler Groups
  • Running/helping at Pram Services and Sunday Schools
  • Helping in contact centres for separated families
  • Helping at and collecting for refugee centres
  • Running Parenting Groups led by MU-trained facilitators
  • Baptism preparation and follow-ups
  • Knitting clothes for premature babies in hospital
  • Providing toiletries, clothes, etc. for survivors of domestic abuse
  • Sending Christmas cards to those who work in prison
  • Marriage preparation and talks on marriage
  • Celebrating Mothering Sunday in church
  • Participating in consultations with various government and non-government organisations on issues affecting families

Support for children and families affected by imprisonment (SCIP)

This involves members working in over 50 prisons nationwide. They offer a wide range of help from supervising children's play areas in the visits hall to leading parenting courses in the prisons that enable inmates to return home with a new perspective on child care.

In Southwark members help at the Visitors' Centre at Belmarsh Prison. The children of prisoners have also received small Christmas gifts from Mothers' Union. Recently, money was provided by our Diocesan Mothers' Union to re-equip the play area in the visits hall and for a digital camera and printer, so that prisoners could have photographs taken with their families on special family days.

For more about the work of SCIP and how to become a volunteer, please click here to read the information (PDF)

Away from it all project (AFIA)

This is a scheme to provide holidays and breaks for people experiencing financial or emotional hardship and who have not had a holiday in recent years. For others it is their first holiday ever.

Most applicants are referred to us by social workers, the probation service, clergy or teachers. Members can also recommend cases to clergy. They came from East Surrey, Kingston, Lambeth and Wandsworth.

In Southwark Mothers' Union, in 2010 we provided 8 holidays for 34 people - 17 children of whom 5 have special needs* and 17 adults of whom 3 have special needs*

(*Physical Disability, Mental Health and Learning Needs)

All the holidaymakers have had/ will be having a one-week caravan holiday at Combe Haven, St Leonards.

please click here for more details.

Faith and Policy Watch

February 2011 - includes Buy Buy Childhood, Child detention, the Home Front (parenting), upcoming events, International Women's Day, the Sudan, Candlemas, Consumer Detox.

March 2011 - includes Bye Buy Childhood, Marriage, Child poverty, the promise of Easter, European Union Internet Safety compaign.

April 2011 - includes Bye Buy Childhood, An Easter reflection, The Budget, Paternity leave and pay, Gender and equalities.

May 2011 - includes Bye Buy Childhood, UK government consultation on the registration of civil partnerships on religious premises, UK Government consultations on violence against Women, Women in the Bible - Phoebe, forthcoming events.

June 2011 - includes Bye Buy Childhood, Modern workplace consultation, the rise in the State Pension age for women, the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost, the launch of the UN Women National Committee UK and Teatime for change.

July/August 2011 - includes Bye Buy Childhood, Modern workplace consultation, The empowerment of rural women.

September 2011 - includes Bye Buy Childhood, family proofing family policy, Christian witness in the world

October/November 2011 - includes Bye Buy Childhood, Party Conferences 2011, Scottish Government consultaion on the registration of civil partnerships, European year to end violence against women, Prisons week

December 2011 - includes Christmas reflection (including link to an interactive Advent calendar), Bye Buy Childhood, Scottish Consultation on Civil partnerships, Family justice review, welfare reform bill, violence against women

January 2012 - includes Bye Buy Childhood, vViolence against women, proposals on inheritance, children's access to parents, New year reflection