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 3.6 million members in 77 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. 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.

We meet on the 1st Thursday in the month at 8pm in the church hall. 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.

Theme 2008

Our theme for 2008 is “Time for Relationship”.

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. At branch level members are often asked to discuss relevant documents before presentation to Parliament.

Worldwide Projects

The MU is organised centrally from Mary Sumner House in London. The Worldwide President Rosemary Kempsall 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. 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.

• Parenting for Pleasure – Groups meet under the leadership of a fully trained and qualified MU member to give parents the opportunity to share problems and to reassess their family life.

• Prison Support – Members assist in the Visitors Centre at HMP Littlehey and share in the Sunday worship in the chapel. Also qualified Facilitators are currently leading courses on “Relationships” for inmates soon to be released. This is a new project and is welcomed both by the men and the prison authorities.

• 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.

• Contact Centres in Ely and Cambridge – Members support this project which provides opportunities for parents who are separated to meet and play with their children in a safe environment.

• Oakington Immigration Centre – Members provide clothes for men whose applications for asylum in the UK have been refused.

• 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 the “Teddies for Tragedies” scheme.

• In the Parish – we work with our parish priest by offering help with the Pram Service, Baptism Anniversary cards, the church stand at the Wedding Fair in St. Neots and any other parish needs.

Contact

Sylvia Watson 01480 404520

Links

The Mothers’ Union