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

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’.

Mothers’ Union – like any charity – has seen income levels drop alarmingly as investments take a tumble. Yet working at the grassroots, actually serving communities where we live – in 78 countries of the world – means that we see at first hand when people need help. We know that if you could see what our members see – in some of the most already impoverished communities of the world – you would not be able to walk by on the other side.

We will be welcoming
John Wilkinson OBE
Secretary of Hampshire based charity
Education Uganda

John is one of a group of experienced educationalists who are improving primary education in Uganda by supplying schools and training Ugandan teachers in the use of individual blackboards for children to use – what in Uganda they call slates! These are making a big difference, and John will be explaining why. He was in Uganda in July so his news will be very up-to-date!

We welcome anyone interested to come and hear John Wilkinson speak, but if you want further information about this work, please click on the link to Education Uganda

The meeting will also feature an update on Mothers’ Union activities in our region. We will also be selling Mothers’ Union gifts and cards at very advantageous prices – the last opportunity to do so, as from next year local groups and members will be asked to order direct from our head office, Mary Sumner House. Christmas cards and diaries will not be on sale, but pre-ordered ones will be available for collection.

Drinks will be available but you are asked to bring your own packed lunch.

Here are instructions for getting to the Underhill Centre at Hedge End, Southampton (M27 J7 if you are travelling from the North, M27 J8 if you are travelling from the South.)

Written directions to St. John's Hedge End

Map directions to St. John's Hedge End

“Actions in Truth” are working particularly with children’s education and orphan’s including those who have been displaced into northern Uganda, where of course we also have a link with the Diocese of Kitgum.

If you look at their website you will find lots of photographs, news about how much education costs and about sponsoring children in the region. If you use their links page there is access to some songs being sung by the children!

The first is the latest update about Social Policy issues as the Mothers’ Union connects with current reports and issues affecting family life, including parental leave.

Rachel Aston, Head of Social Policy at Mothers’ Union, and speaker at this weeks Mary Sumner Day event at Old Alresford Place, is asking for feedback on the ‘Every Family Matters’ report commissioned by Iain Duncan Smith.

Information on both these issues can be found by clicking on this link: Policy_Watch_August_2009

Rachel Aston will be speaking on the ‘Commercialisation of Childhood’ at Old Alresford Place near Winchester this Sunday 9th August. Follow the link to this previous post for full details and a location map: Mary Sumner Day 2009

There is also news of how Mothers’ Union provided Relief Fund grants in Sudan, DR Congo and Uganda in the wake of violence by the Ugandan based Lords Resistance Army, which has since eased. The Relief Fund grants support the emergency needs of those caught up in natural and man-made disasters, including the current draught conditions in Kenya. More information can be found in this link: Relief_UpdateApril _July_09

‘Families First’ is a new magazine for families which has it’s own website at www.familiesfirstmagazine.com which is now one of the links on this website for future reference. The Editor of ‘Families First’ also has her own Twitter feed at CathButcher

The 6 issues a year of ‘Families First’ is included in membership of Mothers’ Union. If you are interested do email us using the link at the bottom right of your screen.

This exciting new initiative requires the help of children worldwide who are in contact with the Mothers’ Union.

Staff at Mary Sumner House (the head office of Mothers’ Union) would like to receive prayers from children across the world on a range of themes, including: family life, school, friendships, pets, worries, happiness, sadness, God, church, prayers, hobbies, environment, dreams.

If you would like to contribute the prayers of your children, or of children you care for in some way, please send them, clearly marked with your name and country, to the:
Faith and Policy Unit
Mary Sumner House
24 Tufton Street
London
SW1P 3RB

Canon Andrew has recently started to ‘blog’ as a contributor to the Daily Telegraph’s “Faithbook” blog.  Today’s entry includes the words “It is the children that empower and inspire me” and is well worth reading.

Your webmistress wonders how many of us can say that about our own ministries and the churches in which we worship? Reflecting on this may require us to consider the nature of our relationship with God and with the children we have contact with.

Reading Canon Andrew’s entries at Faithbook, or subscribing to the email newsletters of The Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East which forms another part of his world changing work in Christ’s name, could form a significant inspiration to those considering this years Mothers’ Union theme: Cost of Relationship.