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 calendar can be found by following this link.

http://www.whywearewaiting.com/

This is likely to be the last posting on this website before Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus into a family which faced several strains – not least the pressures on teenage parenthood for Mary and life as refugees. Where-ever you are reading this message, and whatever your circumstances, may your Christmas be blessed by God with peace and joy.

A selection of prayers from the Mothers’ Union, suitable for use on Christmas Day, are available to download here: MU_ChristmasDay_Prayers and the Mothers’ Union Christmas Message is available here: MU_Christmas_Reflection_2009

The Social Policy Toolkit gives clear explanations as to why and how Mothers’ Union members want to make a difference through forms of government in the UK, Europe and the UN.

Other information in this months ‘Policy Watch’ includes news of what is needed for government to achieve the aims of its Child Poverty Bill, and what Mothers’ Union members think about how pregnant workers can be supported.

There is also information about how you can respond to government requests for people’s views on family related issues, via our social policy briefing papers.

It talks Dad’s through the contribution they make to their child’s life, encouraging them to tell stories and pray with their child.

At some churches (including that of this site’s web-editor) small credit card sized prayer cards are given to Dad’s at Baptism’s. These can be downloaded from the new website as a pdf, but are also available from the main Mothers’ Union offices.

This initiative is part of work done by Mothers’ Union with Flame and the Church of England.

National Family Week is being supported by Mothers’ Union and members’ near Ringwood are hosting a

FAMILY PICNIC
at Toad’s Corner, North Poulner Road, Ringwood
12 noon – 2pm on Thursday 28th May
Bring a picnic blanket, some food, drink and friends to share the fresh air and have fun in the play area.

Why not join them to celebrate what is important about families… being together!

More information about about activities locally and nationally during the half-term week can be found by clicking on our link to
National Family Week