MU BRANCH LEADER’S REPORT 2010

Another busy year for Christ Church with St Mary’s Mothers’ Union.  We have held a variety of meetings, including presentations about the Food Bank, Gideons, Local Involvement Network and bananas, as well as musical and games afternoons.  The January afternoon meeting was cancelled by snow.  Our Deanery Leader ran a quiz – how much do you know about MU?  Worship has included meditations in Holy Week and Advent, Corporate Communion in June, and a Carol Service in December. 

We participated in the MU wave of prayer in February on the basis of relationships not rules. Members attended the Candlemas service in St Philip’s in January, the garden party at Stratton St Margaret in August, and the Women’s World day of prayer in March at the Pilgrim Centre.  A collection raised enough to buy 6 Bibles for school children at King William Street Church of England school and these were dedicated and given out at a service in March.

Average attendance at afternoon meetings has been 13, with more for the presentation on teaching in Vanuatu.  We continue to be grateful for the support of our accompanist in the afternoons. We were grateful to the Bishop of Swindon, and his wife for the opportunity to hold a social event in their house in July for 22 members of both groups with a meal. We moved the date of our carol service in December in order to attend the Immanuel Ladies Fellowship carol service and tea. 

We were very sad at the deaths of two longstanding and stalwart members,  but  enrolled three new members in October. All indoor members receive biscuits at Christmas.

Branch members have supported the Charity Market at Christ Church in November.  We have made a contribution to Christ Church PCC for the use of the buildings and coffee etc.  We contributed presents to the Green Hut Christmas party, and fairly traded tea and coffee for “Friends for Parents”, which befriends parents visiting children in Bristol Children’s Hospital.  We made a contribution of £143.50 to the costs of sending a family on an AFIA Away from it All holiday at Burnham on Sea, including £50 contributed by the deanery. 

In the Lady Chapel flowers have been put on the altar every week except Lent, and in the entrance at Christmas and Easter.  We have a new banner from the Leprosy Mission, made by a batik group in Tamil Nadu.

We used a kind legacy of £100 for a trip by 19 members and friends to the walled garden at Lydiard in June.  We organised our own transport and food and Lydiard MU kindly made tea in the stable block.

We hosted the Deanery Festival on Wednesday evening, 6 October.  The theme of the service was “God’s love for us and our love for each other” based on the MU theme of the year “Relationships not rules”.  The Revd Simon Stevenette presided at Holy Communion and the Bishop of Swindon, the Rt Revd Dr Lee Rayfield preached a sermon in which he said lots of good things about the MU, obviously having read “Families First” recently.  The Diocesan President, Mary Head, read the lesson and banners were paraded.  About 100 people attended including a group from Lechlade MU. Refreshments were served and it was an enjoyable evening.

We were asked for help by “Developing Health and Independence”, a charity helping drug users.  Since October "Cook with K" has been offering 2 hours a week of "basic home-style cooking" tuition, to a maximum of 3 DHI Swindon clients in their tiny kitchen.  MU members have contributed money for ingredients, assorted cooking equipment and take away containers and the project is so successful DHI want to extend it.

As Deanery secretary and contact I have attended all of the quarterly Deanery meetings, and 2 half-yearly Diocesan meetings. The AGM now has a cake stall and bring and buy, but not a stall for MU goods.  I have been a welcomer in Bristol Cathedral in May and August. 

We have exchanged information and supporting messages with our link branches in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia and in Poitou-Charentes.  In July visitors from Wahroonga attended the MU deanery meeting and had supper with members.

We currently have 32 members in two groups, which support each other with meetings most months. We will support our 7 Indoor members and the other work of the MU by prayer and funding. 

I am very grateful for the continuing support and encouragement of the Reverend Simon Stevenette, of my family, and of the members of the afternoon and evening groups.

Caroline Pitt, Branch Leader

February 2011