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]
© Copyright 2024