Mothers' Union

Aims

The Mothers’ Union is a worldwide charitable organisation which through its members, aims to support marriage and improve family life in local and global communities.

Founder

The MU was founded in 1876 by Mary Sumner (a Bishop’s wife and grandmother) whose vision was to unite families of all classes and situations in faith, prayer and mutual support. Today there are 4 million members in 83 countries. What a wonderful tribute to the prayerful mother who saw a need and had the courage to put it into practice.

Prayer

All MU work is underpinned by prayer. All members use the Mothers’ Union Prayer at their meetings and services . Mary Sumner’s personal prayer was to ‘touch as many lives as possible…through the word I speak, the prayer I breathe or the life I live’ Members worldwide are upheld by a daily cycle of prayer. Each diocese is linked with members in other countries who pray for each other on specific days as part of the Wave of Prayer.

St. Mary’s St. Neots Branch

Although MU members work together to support the worldwide and local projects listed below, an important aspect of our membership is to care for and provide friendship and support for each other within the branch by being a listening ear and sending greeting cards in times of celebration and sadness. Our monthly branch meetings are usualy held in St Neots Church Room, on the first Thusday in the evening in summer, and on the third Wednesday in the afternoon in winter. See the 2024 Programme below for details. In our programme we try to address our faith, reflect on family life, become aware of needs in the local community and have fun! Visitors (men and women) are always welcome at our meetings.

Liz Elson, branch leader 2019 - 2024, with former Lusaka diocesan President, Ruth Sichizya.

Liz's three predecessors as Branch Leaders since the branch reopened in 2001. From left to right - Catherina Griffiths, Joanne Bowers and Sylvia Watson.

 

Programme for 2024

Thursday, 4th January 12 noon New Year Lunch at the Barley Mow Pub in St Neots.

Wednesday 21st February 2.30 . Speaker: Carolyn Shaw, manager of the Mid Cambs Women's Refuge

Wednesday 20th March 2.30 Quiet Afternoon in Eynesbury Church, focusing on St Cuthbert, led by the Revd Paul Hutchinson

Thursday 4th April 7.30 pm Speakers Kath Pickering and Jacky Isaacs from “Money Advice, St Neots”

Monday 8th April 10.30 am Eucharist for the Feast of the Annunciation (transferred) at SNPC

Thursday 2nd May 7.30 Members Games evening

Wednesday 5th June 2.30 Garden Party at 76 Leys Road, St Neots.

Wednesday 3rd July 2.30 Outing to the Stables Christian Centre, Bolnhurst for tea, talk and tour.

Tuesday 9th July 7.30 Visit from Brampton branch members to tour SNPC

Friday 9th August Mary Sumner day. 9.30 Eucharist in SNPC followed by refreshments in St Neots Church Room

Thursday 5th September 7.30 pm Speaker: Caroline Deeprose from The Angel Foundation, a charity which gives support to victims of domestic abuse

Wednesday 16th October 2.30. Members Afternoon

Wednesday 20th November 2.30 Speaker: Ruth New, Diocesan Development Officer for Children and Families

Tuesday 3rd December 10.45 Advent Deanery Service in SNPC followed by buffet lunch in St Neots Church Room.

Mary Sumner Day Celebration 2023

Global voice and government support

There are MU Representatives on Consultative committees at the UN with special reference to legislation affecting families. The UK government values the standards and opinions of the MU. Officers from Mary Sumner house are frequently consulted by the Government on national policies relating to family life.

Worldwide Projects

The MU is organised centrally from Mary Sumner House in London. The Worldwide President Sheran Harper and Central Staff visit MU projects all over the world to encourage members and to oversee and assess the projects. These are financed by support from the members and money is also sent from a Relief Fund to MU workers in areas where natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and famine have occurred who know the local situation and can see that the money is properly used.Thanks to e-mail, we now have regular contact with our Link Dioceses in Nigeria, Rwanda, Zambia and South India, which makes sharing news easier and more immediate. Other programmes currently in hand are:-

  • Literacy and Development Programme –Literacy and Numeracy courses in Burundi, Malawi, Sudan and the West Indies have enabled thousands of men and women to be literate and numerate thus improving their status and quality of life.

  • Parenting Groups – aim to improve family relationships, improve the status of women and involve men actively in their role as fathers.

  • Self-help Income Generating Projects – aim to encourage villagers to work together to improve health, sanitation, crop growing and craft projects to provide more income and better prospects for all the families.

  • HIV/AIDS Education – advice and teaching are given by specially trained workers to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Local Projects

The St. Mary’s St. Neots branch supports the following UK and Ely Diocesan Projects with prayer, goods and financial help.

  • AFIA (Away From It All) - Holidays in a caravan at Hunstanton for families needing a break following stressful situations.

  • Prison Support – Members run Relationships courses at HMP Littlehey.

  • Refuges and Hostels – Members provide clothes, toys, household items etc. to support women and children in two refuges and hostels for the homeless in the Diocese.

  • Mary's Child.. Support for the family worker at this project in Peterborough

  • Knitting and Sewing projects – Members knit blankets and clothes for babies in the Neo-natal Unit at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, deprived children in other countries and for any other appeals.

  • Baby Changing & Feeding Tent at Country Shows and other events.

  • In the Parish – we work with our Children's Schools' and Families' Minister by offering help with Play Church, general outreach, and any other parish needs.

Contact:

Catherina Griffiths: catherinagriffiths [insert the 'at' symbol] stneots.org

Liz Elson: jimelson [insert the 'at' symbol] talktalk.net

 

Links

The Mothers’ Union