Diocese of Winchester

A hand washing stand at a Family Life Programme model home in Uganda

Mothers’ Union is a project based organisation. We put out prayers and desire for policy change into practical action through local projects which engage with the needs of individuals or groups within local communities.

Projects are run at a local level, but may be of a nature that can be repeated in more than one community. So for example, the Family Life Programme which is being expanded to operate in at least eight diocese (large areas) in Uganda, has a national co-ordinator in Kampala, trainers operating in each diocese, and facilitators leading by example in their own communities.

In another example, Mothers’ Union is very active in many prisons throughout the Britain and Ireland, but the specific aims of each prison project will be different depending on the specific needs of inmates in each prison, or the facilities that can be made available by the prison management. This is true here in Winchester Diocese where the work undertaken by members visiting inmates in HMP Winchester is different from that undertaken by members supporting inmates at Les Nicolles Prison, on Guernsey.

Some projects have the same objectives across a whole country, but vary in how this our practically applied. This is true of the ‘Away From It All’ (AFIA) scheme which operates in most diocese in Britain and Ireland, but in a variety of ways. It aims to give families a holiday or break from difficult circumstances. Some diocese put this into action by owning a fixed site caravan which they make available, along with a few basic holiday treats, to those recommended for a holiday.

Fun at the AFIA Family Holiday provided by Mothers' Union in the Diocese of Winchester

In the Diocese of Winchester, Mothers’ Union works the AFIA scheme by providing a house party week, with a full staff team who provide everything from children’s activities to film nights, and counselling where appropriate. More information about this is available by following the link to our Family Holiday pages.

It is people in their local communities who see and know best the needs of their locality. Many projects are therefore small scale and relate to very local issues. In the Diocese of Winchester we have a good example of this in the Winchester Hospital Project. This was initiated after a request by a Mothers’ Union member from another Diocese to visit a relative having breast cancer surgery in Winchester Hospital, as the cost of staying in Winchester prohibited the patients family travelling over from from the Isle of Wight to be with her. Now Mothers’ Union members around Winchester support relatives facing similar difficulties by paying for two nights Bed and Breakfast, thus enabling them to be with their loved one at a critical time.

This sort of project work has to be handled with great tact and care, but has brought members together not only with those in need, but also with selected Bed and Breakfast providers in the area and the staff of the Breast Care Clinic at the hospital who recommend patients for the project.

There is an even greater variety of projects run by Mothers’ Union members in the Diocese of Winchester, than the information above suggests. Please explore the links below this page header to find out more, and remember that you can donate money to support this work by contacting us.