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.

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.  Most applicants are referred to us by social workers, the probation service, clergy or teachers.  Members can also recommend cases to clergy.
 
In Southwark Mothers’ Union, in 2007 we provided 9 holidays for 41 people.  These holidays were mainly stays at family run hotels, or caravans/chalets at holiday camps.