Issue 2/15
United in Prayer
Newsletter
April - June 2015
New Members
Canterbury Archdeaconry
Holy Trinity, Margate:
St Martin
& St Paul, Canterbury:
Maidstone Archdeaconry
St Nicholas, Allington:
Louisa Clark
Julie Thurman-Newell
Revd Jo Richards
Rita Wilson
Revd Donald Bish
Hilary King
Congratulations
Ashford Archdeaconry
St Leonard’s, Deal:
90th Birthday, Pat Young
Long Term Membership
Georgina Curling, 50 years
Canterbury Archdeaconry
St Mary’s Church Minster: 90th Birthday, Margaret Clark
Maidstone Archdeaconry
St Nicholas, Allington:
Long Term Membership,
Barbara Haynes, 60 years
FROM THE EDITOR…
Caption Competition
Margaret Horwood turns up in
surprising places. Let me have
your suggestions for a caption
for this photo. If you have a
photo you think might be
suitable, then please send it to
me.
David Horwood.
Front Cover photo: Away From It All (AFIA) is a Mothers’ Union holiday scheme,
primarily funded by Mothers’ Union members of the Diocese, to help people who
are experiencing stress in their family life have a chance to get away and have a
holiday. This is important outreach work for us, as those hoping to have a
holiday will not necessarily be a member of a church or organisation and
applications can come from themselves or through a recommendation for the
forthcoming AFIA holiday in August 2015.
My dear friends,
I have just returned from a visit to the library. My love
of books and reading has been with me for so long that
I don't ever remember not being able to read. Amongst
other things, I love reading war-time fiction, tales that
relate to the hard times that everyone suffered. Tales
of that wonderful fellowship and camaraderie and the
sense of never having to feel alone. Such was the
response at a time when life was so uncertain. Never knowing from one day
to the next when it would all end. Of course today we can relate to that
fellowship; the giving of support and friendship to our AFIA (Away From it
All Family) families. Through your generosity you are making it possible for
families to know what care and love means. I have been involved with this
project for about 30 years and have seen it grow and expand. I have such
fond memories: making endless piles of sandwiches; hiring a double-decker
bus; rushing out for a pregnancy testing-kit before we could take a mum to
Farming World in Faversham; visiting Dreamland in Margate; swimming at
Faversham pool; for many visiting the seaside for the very first time;
experiencing the excitement whilst watching the Eastbourne Air-show; and
finally of the deep gratitude when accepting monies from other outside
agencies, all of whom were anxious to support this amazing project.
I know you will all be anxious to fulfil the wish list that Rosemary
McArragher has placed further on in this newsletter and that request from
Liz Deane too for Tesco vouchers so that they can go to visit Drusilla's Zoo.
What a magical place that is for the adults as well as the children. On
behalf of those families a huge thank you to you all. This project has always,
and, will continue to bring us all together. Incidentally I had a phone call
asking if we take babies. Yes we do! We take children of all ages up to the
age of 11.
I look forward to seeing many of you joining us for the next Pilgrimage that
Lesley Valiant is preparing. We are venturing a little bit further afield this
time by travelling from Canterbury to Rochester.
Well done Canterbury you are all doing so well. I so look forward to seeing
many of you in the forthcoming months.
With my love to you all.
Di Sabel, Diocesan President
Canterbury Archdeaconry
We are now heading towards
spring and Christmas seems a far
distant memory but I hope you all
enjoyed the festival of the coming of
our Lord and were able to attend
some services over the holiday. It all
started with the wonderful MU
Advent service in the Cathedral,
which I found very moving. There
was a good number from the
Archdeaconry there which was
wonderful.
I attended the morning session at
Holy Trinity Margate for their “16
Days of Activism”, which followed
their weekday Holy Communion
Service. I then attended an hour
Vigil in St Stephen’s Church
Canterbury, [my parish] which was
led by our new parish priest and MU
member Revd Kevin Maddy, which
was very thought provoking and
moving. I hope that most of you were
able to do something during the 16
days to help hi-light the atrocities.
Perhaps you could let me know if
you are holding any special events
and I will try to come along.
However, on a sad note, we have
had to say “goodbye” to our
wonderful friend and Pastoral
Adviser, the Revd Bill Hornsby who
has decided to resign as from 31st
December to enjoy his long awaited
retirement from the ministry. We
wish him and his wife Sylvia well
and extend our very grateful thanks
to Bill for all that he has done over
the last two years. We have decided
to not appoint anyone in his place
until the next Triennium. I will keep
you informed of what we decide
regarding another Quiet Day, but
perhaps you could let me know your
thoughts on what you would like to
have, so that we can help everyone
enjoy the occasion.
Our Archdeaconry Lady Day
Service was held in the Cathedral
when we joined in with their Holy
Communion, a fuller report on this
will be in the next edition of the
Diocesan Newsletter. A Quiz Evening
has been arranged for Saturday 11th
April at 7.00 pm in Holy Trinity
Church, Margate and is being
organised by the MU branch
members. Tickets are £7.00 per head
and include a ploughman’s supper
and are available from either Valerie
Browne or Rita Pengelly. Please
support this as it is a first such
event in the Archdeaconry of which
we hope to have a couple more in the
year.
Please don’t forget that I am
always willing to come along to your
meetings if you invite me, as meeting
new members is always good.
We have had several enrolments
within the Archdeaconry which is
wonderful, so keep up the good work
you are doing in your branches.
Please don’t forget you should be
thinking about new officers not only
for your branches if they are due to
stand down at the end of 2015, but
also for the Trustee Board and Unit
Coordinators, and not forgetting the
Archdeaconry officers. If you want to
nominate anyone for any post,
please remember to ask their
permission beforehand. With all
good wishes.
Margaret Horwood
MOTHERS’ UNION
2015
AWAY FROM IT
ALL HOLIDAY
This is an all expenses paid holiday for families who are in need of a break
and who otherwise would be unable to afford one. We have booked Pilgrim
Hall, near Uckfield in East Sussex for a week, from 1st to 8th August, and are
in the process of selecting the families. Some of our volunteers will be on
hand to organise activities and provide support when needed.
As for the last holiday in 2012 lots of items are needed for the families - as
AFIA holidays are for all children up to and including 11 years and parents who will attend the holiday. These are:
CHILDREN UP TO 11 YEARS: Summer clothes, swimming costumes,
armbands, flip-flops, crocs and sun-hats.
ADULTS: Summer clothes, swimwear suitable for young men and women.
GENERAL ITEMS: Tricycles, Scooters, Ride-on toys, Craft materials, Towels,
Holdalls, Back-packs, Buckets, Spades and Sun-cream.
If you are able to collect any of these items within your branch, please
contact: Rosemary McArragher tel. 01622 831007 or
e-mail:[email protected], to arrange transport to Marden
where they can be sorted and stored, BY 12TH JULY AT LATEST PLEASE.
Best Wishes Rosemary McArragher
TESCO VOUCHERS
We are hoping to take the AFIA families to Drusilla’s Animal Park
for a day during their holiday. The cost for all of us would be over
£700 but Drusilla’s is happy for us to use Tesco Clubcard Boost
vouchers. If you would like to help the holiday by exchanging your
vouchers for a Drusilla’s token, please could you let me know, so
that we have an idea of how many tokens we will be able to use.
You can exchange £6 of Tesco Clubcard Boost Vouchers for a one day ticket, for
one person, to Drusilla’s. These tokens are valid for 6 months , so please wait
until April before you apply. The tokens will be sent to your address. Please can
you either post them to me or give them to me at a meeting,
If you have any questions about the tokens or how to apply for them, please do
contact me.
Liz Deane e-mail: [email protected]
Holy Trinity Church, Margate
The branch held a Christmas craft evening on the 13th November at Holy
Trinity Church. It was well supported with a happy atmosphere and with the
children having a go at some of the crafts. The evening raised £226 towards
AFIA in the General Fund.
A big thank you to all who helped and supported us, with a special thank you
to Eileen Welcome, who is one of our senior members, for making and selling
cards to raise money for AFIA, which now totals £23.
On 9th December our members were invited to join with our church group
CAMEO for a carol service, where there were mince pies and coffee
afterwards, which was a very enjoyable evening.
Members accepted an invite
from Cliftonville School, years 1
and 2, to attend their carol
concert on the 17th December.
We had a very enjoyable
afternoon, and the children,
with the guidance of teachers,
gave us tea and cakes
afterwards.
Two new members Louisa Clark and
Julie Thurman-Newell were enrolled
on 16th December, with several
branch members present, and are in
the photo with Margaret Horwood,
Archdeaconry President and Di
Sabel, Diocesan President.
The Mums and Toddlers group
of Holy Trinity Church, Margate
had a Christmas tea party
prepared by Mothers` Union
and the photo shows the
children enjoying their feast.
Valerie Browne
St Nicholas, Allington
New members Hilary King
and the Revd Donald Bish
were enrolled by Revd
Chris Lavender at St
Nicholas, Allington with
Mary Gentry, Branch
Leader.
Mary Sumner House Visit
How about a visit to Mary Sumner House, London, in its 100th year with the
unique opportunity to view Mothers' Union artefacts normally held at Lambeth
Palace? Celebrations are taking place on 5th and 6th August 2015. Cost for
the day is £10, and space will be limited to 150 per day, so book early,
bookings to close 30th April 2015.
Note: To all branches having new members, please try to take a
photo and send it to the Editor with names and a few lines, and I will
include it in the newsletter. We are also thinking of a special feature
on all the glorious banners that you have in your branches, so please
over the next few months take a photo of your banner. The banner
photo needs to be reasonably close with either the banner alone or
someone holding it.
A Member’s First Trustee Board Meeting Experience.
Wow, what an amazing organisation we belong to. Today I attended my
first Trustee meeting.
How blessed are we, such a wonderful bunch of ladies with a variety of
gifts, all working together to continue Mary Sumner’s vision. I am not sure
where I will fit in but I will trust that this is where God wants me to be.
One of the things I found helpful and was unaware of is, if we as a group
have a problem (say we want to arrange an event and we are not sure how
we stand re fund-raising), just ring Nikki Sweatman. She is a fount of
information, easy to talk to and very willing to help - as are all the
Trustees.
As we travel this New Year together with each other and with our Risen
Lord, let’s remember how blessed are we to have so many talents among
us - some still to be discovered.
Rita Pengelly - co-opted member on the Trustee Board
Those Who Have Died
Canterbury Archdeaconry
St Stephen’s Church, Canterbury:
Whitstable Team:
Maidstone Archdeaconry
St Nicholas Church, Allington:
St Paul’s Church, Maidstone:
Connie Cage - aged 103
Gwen Harper
Gwen Hodges - member for
over 70 years
Barbara Chick
Dates for your Diary
Saturday 11th April
Canterbury Archdeaconry Quiz Evening at
7.00 pm at Holy Trinity Church, Margate.
Tables of 8, bring your own glass and drink.
Thursday 30th April
Cathedral Prayer Time, 12 Noon St Gabriel’s
Chapel.
Thursday 30th April
Finance & Diocesan Services meeting,
3.00 pm to 5.00 pm at Tunstall.
Friday 1st May
Copy deadline for Newsletter.
Saturday 9th Sunday 10th May
Pilgrimage to Rochester
see back cover
Thursday 14th May
Trustee Board meeting 2.00 pm to 4.45 pm
(to approve accounts) Diocesan House.
Thursday 28th May
Cathedral Prayer Time, 12 Noon St Gabriel’s
Chapel.
Tuesday 2nd June
Annual meeting 10.30 am to 12.30 pm,
St Paul’s Church, Canterbury.
Thursday 25th June
Cathedral Prayer Time, 12 Noon St Gabriel’s
Chapel
Friday 26th June
General Meeting at Nottingham.
Copy for the next Newsletter to be with the Editor, David Horwood, by Friday 1st May
2015. Please let me know what is happening in your area. Send to: 27 Abbey Gardens
Canterbury CT2 7EU or email: [email protected].
Diocesan Contact List
Diocesan President
Deputy President
Diocesan Administrator
General Trustee & Godmother
General Trustee & Godmother
General Trustee & Godmother
General Trustee
Finance & Diocesan Services
Coordinator
Membership
Diocesan Treasurer
Faith and Policy Coordinator
Social Policy Officer
Diocesan Chaplain & Godmother
Indoor Members
Emergency Prayer Chain
F & C Marketing Coordinator
Diocesan Literature Representative
Maidstone Archdeaconry
Literature Representative
Families First & Diocesan
Newsletter Distribution
Diocesan Newsletter Editor
Action and Outreach - Home
Overseas
Ashford Archdeaconry President
Canterbury Archdeaconry President
Maidstone Archdeaconry President
Diocesan Website:
Mothers’ Union Website:
Registered Charity No. 250124
Di Sabel
01303
E-mail: [email protected]
Nikki Sweatman
01227
E-mail: [email protected]
Susan Bradley
01303
Wingmore, Brady Road,
Lyminge CT18 8EU
E-mail: [email protected]
Margaret Horwood
01227
E-mail: [email protected]
Jayne Spicer
01304
E-mail: [email protected]
Daniele Ligneau-Wilton
01227
E-mail: [email protected]
Paul Williams
01795
E-mail: [email protected]
Nikki Sweatman
01227
E-mail: [email protected]
Revd John Sweatman
01227
E-mail: [email protected]
Paul Williams
01795
E-mail: [email protected]
Sue Spillett
01227
E-mail: [email protected]
Liz Deane
01622
E-mail: [email protected]
Revd Lesley Valiant
01843
E-mail: [email protected]
Marjorie Wyatt
01227
Beth Walton
01580
Marianna Poliszczuk
01622
E-mail: [email protected]
Betty Heppenstall
01303
Rosemary McArragher
01622
Marylyn Collins
863239
713111
864289
455080
812825
454230
427839
713111
713111
427839
456100
204569
293964
456532
765701
751243
255523
831007
01227 367651
David Horwood
01227 455080
E-mail: [email protected]
Vacant
Erika Catchpole
01622 761378
E-mail: [email protected]
Vacant
Margaret Horwood
01227 455080
E-mail: [email protected]
Jean Sweetman
01622 728233
E-mail: [email protected]
www.muenterprises.org/canterburymu
www.mothersunion.org
AFIA Holiday at Pilgrim Hall, near Uckfield
from 1st to 8th August
The membership has
been dedicated in
fundraising for this
project, for as well as
the various branch
activities, there were a
few special events. The
Smarties Tubes Appeal
was a Diocesan wide
one, an amount came
from the Waitrose
charity token scheme
in the Canterbury
store, and the MU had a team member in the
Motorscope Banger Rally to Prague through Kaddy,
the woolly AFIA mascot from Maidstone. All these
helped boost the money for the AFIA Holidays and
so provide more families with a short, much
needed, break.
Photos show children and parents at the last AFIA holiday.
This magazine is produced by Mothers’ Union in the Diocese of Canterbury. We welcome
items from members and other organisations related to the ethos of Mothers’ Union. All
items must come with a note of the contributor’s name and contact details. The editor
reserves the right to edit or not publish anything received. Items are not intended to
represent the official position of the Church of England, nor the official position of the
Mothers’ Union.
MU Pilgrimage
Canterbury to Rochester Cathedral continuing in the footsteps of St. Augustine
9th and 10th May 2015
Saturday - Meet at Canterbury Cathedral.
Take train from Canterbury East Station to Selling and walk across
country in westerly direction to Wormshill via Selling Church, Sheldwich
Church, Eastling (lunch stop at church) and Wichling using footpaths and
tracks.
Evening meal with MU and stay the night locally.
Sunday - After Holy Communion Service leave Wormshill. Pick up Pilgrims
Way and also using North Downs Way walk to Rochester Cathedral.
All MU members are welcome to join us for one, both or part of a day.
Enquiries to [email protected]