A 'Fairy Liquid' advert in a Bob the Builder Mag

Mothers’ Union are working on their commericalisation of childhood campaign (see below for more information) and will soon be producing a resource to help families understand and navigate the commercialisation of childhood. But they want the practical experiences of the impact advertising has on the children in your family, and how you handle them, so that they’re not just spouting theory, but offering practical, lived out ideas that work and will help stop others feeling overwhelmed by the impact of the commercial world!

So what are your

• top tips for dealing (in a practical way) with the influence of marketing and advertising on the children in your family; and/or
• Scenarios when you or the children in your family are particularly influenced by marketing or advertising?

Mothers’ Union are looking for ideas to be submitted by the end of July. If you use the ‘comment’ facility on this blog, all ideas will be passed to our Social Policy Unit at Mothers’ Union.

If you want some ideas about what other people have said before submitting your own, read the comments on the blog of one of our Mothers’ Union members here. But please remember, we want your ideas most of all.

Background:

Helen Goodman, MP, authored a Charter about commercialisation of childhood 3 years ago, but the campaign is ongoing. The points raised in this charter are familiar to all Mothers’ Union supporters who have used the Media Awareness material in the past, and the issues are as urgent as ever. For example, the need to provide support to parents, carers and teachers and accessible resources to help them understand the impact of commercialisation on children and suggest ways they can offset it, for example ways of helping children understand the media (Item 1.5 in the Charter).

To view a summary of the recommendations and a call to sign up to them read http://www.compassonline.org.uk/campaigns/campaign.asp?n=683

One Mothers’ Union member from the Diocese of Winchester has spent several years living and working among the people of Southern Sudan, and she has offered to share her experiences with everyone who is interested in the region and it’s people.

Tales of South Sudan
Crosfield Hall, Romsey 6.00-9.00pm (refreshments from 5.30pm)
Thursday 15th July 2010
Speaker: Poppy Spens

In the last four years Poppy and her husband have set up 2 health centres, a mobile clinic, and this year a children’s’ ward and eye clinic opens. The picture shown here was taken by Poppy and shows Mothers’ Union members who will feature in her slide show.

Mothers’ Union in the Diocese of Winchester is linked in prayer with Mothers’ Union members in the Southern Sudanese Diocese of Kajo-Keji.

The evening will also feature other news about Mothers’ Union work locally and around the globe, including this years Family Holiday which local members and supporters will be running for a week in August on the Isle of Wight.

Directions for Crosfield Hall, Romsey are downloadable here: Crosfield Hall

Wolvesey in Winchester

If you feel you need to take time-out from your normal schedule to sit with God and receive from him, here’s a really good chance for you to do just that.

You would be most welcome to come and share in the next Mothers’ Union Quiet Day to be held at Wolvesey in Winchester on Wednesday 21st July 2010. The day will be led by Revd Norman Boakes, a member of the Discipleship and Ministry Department of the Diocese of Winchester and a supporter of Mothers’ Union. Revd Boakes will be leading the day using the theme “Relationship not Rules”.

The Quiet Day will start at 10am and finish at 3.30pm and will include a Eucharist. Drinks are provided but you are asked to bring your own sandwich lunch. There are a short flight of stairs to the Chapel where the main sessions of the day will be led.

If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please download our QuietDay_July10_BookingForm and return it to us with a £3.00 donation/person. Places are limited to 50 so please book soon to avoid disappointment. A map is available here: Winchester – Wolvesey

You are invited to join Mothers’ Union supporters from across our region at our annual Festival Service at

Winchester Cathedral

Wednesday 16th June 2010 at 11.00am

Presiding at our Festival Eucharist is

Right Revd Michael Scott-Joynt

Bishop of Winchester

The preacher will be

Debbie Thrower

local television presenter and
Reader in the Diocese of Winchester

The collection will be in aid of the Mothers’ Union
‘Away From It All’ Family Holiday Project
(giving holidays to those in need)
and the
Mothers’ Union Relief Fund
(helping communities support themselves during following disasters)

Some people pray occasionally, some in emergencies, some daily, some frequently each day. Everyone is different, but some patterns of prayer bind groups of people together.

Mothers’ Union supporters have a pattern of prayer which makes them stop whatever work or meetings they may be undertaking together at mid-day, and they then prayerfully reflect on their work, on their part in a worldwide organisation, on a particular group of members around the world (using something called the Mothers’ Union ‘Wave of Prayer’) and on the needs of those they know.

Mothers’ Union supporters who want to share in prayer over the next couple of months, might like to use the following downloadable notes to give them a little guidance and direction. You are welcome to share with us by using them as well.

MUMiddayPrayers-May2010

MUMiddayPrayers-June2010

We’re encouraging supporters to bake and sell cakes for brakes – flans for vans – biscuits for toolkits….anything you like really!

To join in the fun, contact Mary Sumner House for posters for your cake stall or strawberry tea (or any other yummy event!), and they also have fliers to get your whole branch, youth group, class or office involved and excited! Once you’ve got something arranged – tell us what it is, and we’ll tell the world!

Downloadable A5 colour poster: WheelsAppeal2010_A5flyer

One of Mothers’ Union activities is in the area of social policy, specifically as it relates to family life. The European Commission has asked a consortium of non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and universities to come up with recommendations for future research on family policy to be funded by them. As part of this exercise the World Movement of Mothers is conducting an online survey of European mothers to ask for their views and experiences. The results of this will be very helpful for future policy work within Mothers’ Union and other organisations campaigning for families. The questionnaire takes about 20 minutes to complete and can be found here.

The latest Social Policy update from Mothers’ Union is downloadable here: Faith_Policy_Watch_April2010 with news of the 54th UN Commission on the Status of Women, information regarding the UK elections, and a recent report on the sexualisation of children.

“Politics is the art of living together in community and that is precisely what the Bible is about” says the Mothers’ Union guide to the General Election: “New Vision – New Future”

The 17-page document outlines the policies of the political parties that relate to the Mothers’ Union aims and objectives on marriage and relationships, family life, work/life balance, commercialisation of childhood, gender equality and international development. It also

• urges us to support the Sanctuary Pledge Campaign which calls for the eradication of child detention in the UK – Mothers’ Union is an official partner of this campaign but it needs our individual support as well;
• information on how to make sure we are registered as a voter;
• information about how to get involved in hustings and organise discussion groups;
• biblical references about areas of concern that will help us pray and study as we decide how to caste our vote;
• prayers and a General Election Litany.

Effective prayer should be informed prayer.
Effective voting should be informed voting.
The choice is ours but the example is Christ’s.

The North Hampshire Child Contact Centre has been initiated by, and the management committee is made up of, members from the North Hampshire Downs Mothers’ Union. They live in the villages just outside Basingstoke and the Child Contact Centre is being held at Hook near M3 J5 and the mainline train between Basingstoke and Fleet. Both Basingstoke and Fleet have child contact centres with waiting lists.

The volunteers to support the project have come from the village church congregations and from local school connections. This has enabled outreach by Mothers’ Union members to other supporters, and from the whole community (led by the Mothers’ Union) to the communities across the area.

The Child Contact Centre’s sole purpose is to enable parents, and sometimes grandparents, to rebuild relationships with children residing with estranged former partners. Contact is usually ordered by the courts. Those who have volunteered to help with sessions have been specially trained to facilitate resident parents who are reluctant about letting estranged partners have access to their children, and also care for children who may be very torn over which parent to please.

The North Hampshire Child Contact Centre would welcome your prayers for its volunteers and clients as it starts providing this vital and much needed service to the local community.

More information about how the project has been set up will be available on this website soon, and in the summer edition of our Diocesan Newsletter ‘Archway’.

The Christian Calendar is now moving into Lent as we mark Ash Wednesday on 16th February 2010. Christian tradition encourages us to examine ourselves honestly, acknowledge our shortcomings, and seek reconciliation with God and with each other where we have compromised our relationships. Mothers’ Union has produced some material for Lent:

Lent-Easter-Meditations2010

As part of this years Mothers’ Union theme “Relationships not Rules” there is also the following prompt to our Lenten thoughts and helps us to turn them to actions: RnotR2010-LentColourChart

Many Mothers’ Union groups like to mark 25th March (known either as “Lady Day” or the “Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary”) with a special service.

At the annunciation, Mary made a free choice to be the bearer of a child who would bring freedom to the entire world. Traditionally, the church has characterised Mary as silent and passive, but in fact, she is a major spokesperson for those who are oppressed. In the Magnificat, Mary tells us that justice is at the heart of the Christian message. She rejoices because of the freedom God offers in lifting the humble high.

This theme was reflected in the Lady Day service written in 2007 which can still be used by groups as the theme reflects the work of Mothers’ Union members as they seek to bring forward justice for families through prayer, projects, and speak out where government policies affect marriage and family life. You can download it here: Lady_Day_Service_2007