Mothers' Union Reports 2009

November 2009

At our September meeting we welcomed Elaine Murphy and two of her colleagues from the Mid-shires Search and Rescue Organisation. Established in 1999 it is part of the overall UK framework for search and rescue and covers the Beds. Herts. and Milton Keynes area and occasionally further afield.

The team comprises some 35 volunteers across the area who can be called upon at any time (day or night) to assist the police in locating missing persons when extra resources or additional help is felt necessary. Mid-shires are also members of the Bedfordshire and Luton Emergency Volunteers Executive Committee and as such are on call to assist in any civil emergencies such as flooding or fire, the evacuation of residents, staffing of rest centres, etc.

All the team members are volunteers and provide their own clothing and equipment and attend regular monthly training sessions in basic search theory and search techniques, use of radio communications and general navigation using map, compass and GPS and first aid.

A control vehicle provides not only a base for radio communication but also a welfare section for hot drinks and a bite to eat. Using their skills and expertise Mid-shires volunteers are always on call and ready to assist.

On Monday 19th October our guest speaker will be Bill Duperouzel from the charity Workaid and we welcome our Rector, Graham Newton as our speaker to our meeting on Monday 16th November.

October 2009

The branch continued to meet during the summer months of July and August. In July Margaret and Neil Davis told us about the part they played in training puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Margaret and Neil accepted very young puppies for the initial stage of their training, teaching them basic obedience commands and social skills - experience and endless patience surely a 'must have' - before handing them on for more advanced and specialised training.

In answer to the often asked question of how did they feel about handing back their precious charges, Margaret and Neil said that nothing gave them greater pleasure than seeing their puppies progress to fully fledged Guide Dogs entitled to wear the familiar yellow jacket.

In August numbers at the Beetle Drive were a little down to that of recent years - perhaps the road works and road closure had a bearing on this. Those that did come enjoyed the evening, their luck or misfortune being according to the dice. Many thanks to Doug Geairns who oversaw the proceedings with his usual jovial and good humour.

We begin our autumn programme on Monday 21st September with Elaine Murphy from the Mid Shires Search and Rescue team.

On Monday 19th October our guest speaker will be Bill Duperouzel from the charity Workaid.

August 2009

Slides and Snacks was the title of our social mid season June meeting when we were entertained by David Warner, who forsaking the keyboard on this occasion, gave a slide show of holiday memories both from home and abroad interspersed with his usual amusing quips. Everyone then enjoyed a delicious array of snacks prepared by the committee.

On Monday 20th July we welcome Margaret and Neil Davis who will be telling us about their experiences in training puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Monday 17th August is the date of our ever popular annual Beetle Drive when we welcome friends old and new to a fun evening - no skill required, just the luck of the dice. Do come along and join us, all proceeds to Mothers’ Union charities.

We start our autumn programme on Monday 21st September with Elaine Murphy from Mid Shires Search and Rescue Team.

July 2009

The guest speaker at our May meeting was Revd. Ray Trudgett Anglican Chaplain to the Mission to Seafarers at Tilbury, Thamesport and Sheerness. Ray has been with the organisation for over fifteen years and during that time has been attached to centres in the middle east at Bahrain and Jordan, as well as postings in other areas of the UK.

The Mission to Seafarers is an international agency active in more than sixty countries working in partnership with other agencies and alongside other Christina denominations to care for the welfare of seafarers whatever their faith or nationality.

Most of today's seafarers come from some of the poorest parts of the world, the Philippines and other parts of Asia. Away from home for many months, homesick, lonely, as today's ships often have small multinational crews making communication difficult, facing danger and hardship. Some unscrupulous shipowners allow unsafe vessels to put to sea and it is not unknown for ships to be abandoned leaving crews stranded thousands of miles from home and owed months of back pay.

The mission centres offer a warm and friendly place to relax and the opportunity to call home and buy basic supplies. With ever faster unloading and turn around times crews may not have the chance to come ashore so ship visiting is an important part of each day for every chaplain who takes on board gifts of clothing, newspapers and books in seafarers' own languages as well as vital welfare information.

Although not a Mothers' Union charity it is an organisation our branch has had an interest in for nearly ten years and indeed visited the centre at Tilbury a few years ago. We are one of tech many groups and individuals that knit hats and fingerless mittens that are much appreciated by seafarers not used to the colder weather in the northern hemisphere. Some 300 hats per week are handed out at the centre, bright yellow being a very popular colour! Ray was very pleased to accept a large bag of hats and mittens and to have the opportunity to thank personally our knitters.

Our June meeting will be a mid-season social evening and on Monday 20th July we welcome Margaret and Neil Davis who will be telling us about their experiences in training puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Monday 17th August is the date for our ever-popular annual Beetle Drive when we welcome friends old and new to a fun evening. Do come along and join us, all proceeds to Mothers' Union charities.

June 2009

The speaker at our April meeting was the Revd. Elizabeth Bradley, Chaplain to the Luton & Dunstable Hospital. Elizabeth has been chaplain at the hospital for seven years, her role covering both staff and patients. Every ward is visited every week and she is assisted by voluntary chaplains from various denominations and a team of twelve ward visitors. The capel is beautifully decorated with flowers, has a team of four organists and willing 'wheelers' take patients wishing to attend the Sunday service from the wards to the chapel.

Elizabeth sits on a number of committees dealing with matters as diverse as clinical and research ethics, bereavement policy, emergency planning and pastoral care.

The Mothers' Union encourages its members to actively support their local hospitals with donations of suggested gifts that are known to be welcomed and appreciated. Using our personal resources (or any that can be got from other means eg. family and friends) we regularly make up and send batches of toilet bags for emergency admission patients. The Maternity Unit is a Level 3 Unit taking patients from a very large area and the neo-natal unit, shortly to be expanded, welcomes the hand-knitted blankets, garments and sewn items we send. Elizabeth was delighted to accept two large bags of baby items in support of this ongoing outreach work.

Elizabeth concluded her talk by sharing with us some of her very memorable experiences with people she has come into contact with.

On Monday 18th May we welcome the Anglican Chaplain to the Mission to Seafarers at Tilbury Revd. Ray Trudgett and our June meeting will be a mid-season social evening.

Monday 17th August is the date for our ever-popular annual Beetle Drive when we welcome friends old and new to a fun evening. Do come along and join us, all proceeds to Mothers' Union charities.

May 2009

We were delighted to welcome a number of visitors to our March meeting who came along to listen to our guest speaker Jenny Moody MBE talk about her work and development with the Luton Women's Aid Centre.

Jenny began her talk by tracing the history of the Centre which she founded some 37 years ago when as a social worker she was confronted with instances of abuse towards two women and was unable to offer either of them any practical support, the official thinking of the time lacking in sympathy and understanding of such situations. With determination and a little help she set up a small refuge which ran for some ten years before unexpected intervention by the late Princess Diana enabled a second house or refuge to be opened. Jenny quoted statistics that were truly appalling and irrespective of social status or age, the youngest girl of just 16 and the eldest a woman of 85. Interspersed with her talk she read a few short poems written by some of the victims that were very moving in their content especially one entitled ‘I Got Flowers Today'

Bringing us up to date we were told about the latest addition to the complex in Luton, Brenda Hose, and were taken on a virtual tour of the buildings and its facilities.

Voilence against women takes on many forms, physical, mental, sexual with devastating and sometimes fatal results. Jenny Mood, now with help from others, enlightened official thinking and a nationwide network of refuge centres continues to work tirelessly for her chosen cause.

On Monday 20th April our guest speaker will be Revd. Elizabeth Bradley, Chaplain to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital and on Monday 18th May we welcome the Anglican Chaplain to the Mission to Seafarers at Tilbury Revd. Ray Trudgett.

We are having a homemade cake stall outside the library on Saturday morning 16th May, all proceeds to Mothers' Union charities.

The Committee

April 2009

Our February meeting was a rather informal evening. Instead of a guest speaker the members took the floor and participated in an impromptu session entitled 'Memories are Made of This'. Everyone was asked to bring along an item that held special memories for them and to share their stories. So many memories - old, new, happy nostalgic, some rather poignant. Memories spanning the years and spanning the world from the quintessentially English to the far reaches of the southern hemisphere. It was amazing to discover the stories behind the items so generously brought along.

At our meeting in March we warmly welcomed Jenny Moody MBE who spoke about her work and development with the Luton Women's Aid Centre. Jenny was presented with her award in recognition of founding this centre, and her continuing work for its success. Violence against women is a subject often in the forefront of today's society and much discussed in the media.

On Monday 20th April our guest speaker will be Revd. Elizabeth Bradley, Chaplain to the Luton & Dunstable Hospital.

March 2009

At our AGM in January we reflected on the activities of the branch during the past year and it was the wish of the members present that the branch continue to be run for the final year of the current triennial on their behalf by a corporate committee.

We have again this year been able to make donations to Mothers' Union charities. These donations are based solely on the proceeds of our two fund raising events - a homemade cake stall and a Beetle Drive - and we would ask you to please support these two events when they appear on the calendar later in the year.

Our outreach projects continue quietly in the background. We support the L&D hospital by making up toilet bags for patients who are admitted as emergency cases and send hand knitted and sewn items to the Neo Natal Baby Unit. We have a special interest in the Mission to Seafarers at the Tilbury Seafarers Centre and knit fingerless mittens and round hats for crews of ships docking at Tilbury. In both instances the demand, of course, is ongoing.

Our usual monthly meetings commence again on Monday 16th February when we had an evening entitled ' Memories are Made of This'.

At our next meeting on Monday 16th March we will be welcoming Jenny Moody MBE who will speak about her work with the Luton Women's Aid Centre. Jenny was presented with her MBE in recognition of founding this centre in Luton, and her continuing work for its success.

February 2009

The last contribution to Outlook written by necessity for publishing purposes at the beginning of November for the double two-month issue gave little opportunity to dwell on the important period of Advent and the festival of Christmas. These seasons have now passed and the Church year continues following its familiar liturgical calendar.

At the beginning of December we again received an invitation from the Union of Catholic Mothers at St Francis of Assisi to join them for their Advent Candle Service. As in previous years, along with representatives from various churches and denominations within the Shefford area, we were warmly welcomed and following the short but lovely service enjoyed a time of fellowship and friendship on this most ecumenical occasion.

In common with other organisations in the village our December meeting was a social evening with a bring and share supper and an exchange of small gifts. We all enjoyed a carol singing session accompanied by David Warner on the keyboard.

The January meeting is our AGM and our usual monthly meetings commence again on Monday 16th February with a session entitled 'Memories Are Made of This'.