Projects

Jesus, Lord of life, by the power of your word and through your actions of love, call us to be your disciples.  Give us strength to be different, to stand up for justice and peace and be signs of your reconciling love for all.

Prayer underpins all that we do in the name of Mothers’ Union (MU). We are an organisation that HAS made a difference, IS making a difference and WILL continue to make a difference in the future. Below are some of the projects MU in St. Albans Diocese is working on;

Hospital Projects

MU members in the Diocese of St. Albans are involved in several projects in conjunction with the following local hospitals; Barnet, Bedford, Lister, Luton & Dunstable, Princess Alexandra, QEII, Watford.

Story Bags for Play Leaders to use in the children’s wards are provided and  older children are given activity bags which contain puzzles and books to help pass the time in hospital.

For the busy Special Care Baby Units members sew sheets and knit blankets especially for incubators.

For babies who are born very prematurely, and therefore, very small, we make tiny bonnets, romper suits and dresses and these are gratefully received by the parents who cannot find such small items in the shops.  Also special knitted orange bonnets are supplied for babies needing that extra care when first born, allowing them to be easily recognisable. At Christmas, a small stocking is hung on the end of the incubators which contain gifts for the baby.

Hospitals are also provided with emergency washbags for adults and children who are admitted via A&E or at short notice.

MU members have been connecting up with the children in our parish churches to put together washbags specifically designed for children.  The children are asked to bring along specified toiletry items and use this opportunity to pray for other children.

Shephall Branch

When the bags are completed they are then blessed at a church service and they are then distributed to the hospitals by MU.  The children’s washbag project is one the children say they like as they can to do something for other children, especially those in hospital.

For some frail patients in hospital or care homes,  Memory Books, provided by members, are a good way of stimulating their memory and visitors are able to use them as a topic of conversation.

Members also make jumpers and cardigans for older children (aged 8-12) which are sent to the colder areas of Europe via Humanitarian Aid.

Campaigning

Members in St. Albans campaign throughout each year, more recently on the Commercialisation of Childhood and Female Genital Mutilation. Annually we hold our 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence and in 2019 MU has become a partner with The Clewer Initiative ‘ We See You’ actively supporting the fight against Modern Day Slavery.

Away From It All holidays

For many years MU members have been raising funds for the Away From It All holiday scheme.  Families who are finding life tough because of  illness, redundancy or caring for another, can find that a short break away eases the burden for a while.  MU in the Diocese of St. Albans generally offer a holiday in Norfolk at a holiday park but holidays are provided to suit the person or family.  Those applying for a holiday do not have to be a member of a church or any organisation but the application must be supported by someone like  the clergy, a doctor, social worker, head-teacher.

Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre

The members of St. Albans regularly supply suitcases for the residents to use when they return to their families. This gives them a sense of dignity and confidence when they leave the centre. We also supply bibles in various languages and clothing, as many arrive just in the clothes they stand up in. Craft items are also given so the residents have the opportunity to partake in activities to occupy themselves while waiting to hear from the courts.

Refuges

St. Albans members support three Refuges across the Diocese; Bedford; Luton plus St.Albans & Hertsmere. We supply Emergency Toiletries for those arriving at the Refuges, Start Up Packs containing, pots, pans, utensils, toaster, kettle and bedding, for mothers moving on into their own homes. We also offer coaches for a day trip for the families staying/connected with the centre providing the opportunity for the mother and child(ren) to have a day away from their difficulties and surroundings.

Contact Centres

It is well known that it is vital for the emotional well-being of children to keep in contact with both parents after family breakdown and a contact centre is a neutral, informal venue where children can meet the parent no longer sharing their home.  Referrals to the centre are made by the courts.

MU is involved in the Contact Centre in St. Albans with some members volunteering there.

They say ‘it is rewarding  to see the faces of the older children in particular, on seeing their father for the first time for months or, in some cases, years’.  Grandparents attend too.  As time goes by families ‘move on’ by making their own contact arrangements away from the centres and sometimes the relationship between the parents improve which helps  children come to terms with their parents’ separation.

Prison Work

For many years, members in the Diocese of St. Albans have sent Christmas cards to the prisoners and staff at Bedford Prison and The Mount in Bovingdon.  These are greatly appreciated and let the prisoner know there are people thinking of them at Christmas.

Birthing Packs

At the Ashwell Branch they provide ‘Birthing Packs’ for women in Tanzania. Very low standards of health education, lack of access to clinics and hospitals and to healthcare professionals, also extreme poverty, means that many babies are born on mud or dirty concrete floors, with their umbilical cords being cut with a flint stone. The poorest mothers have absolutely nothing for their babies or themselves. Mortality rates are very high, but being provided with a birthing pack (the size of a ‘boot bag’) makes a significant difference. Containing; Half a cheap shower curtain (for the mother to lie on); 1 small bottle of anti-bacterial hand-wash; 2 pairs of latex gloves; 1 baby soap; 1 small towel; 1 small flannel; 2 terry nappies and 2 large nappy pins; 1 flannelette sheet 1 square meter to swaddle the baby; 1 knitted baby blanket (1 square yard);2 knitted baby hats; 1 reusable sanitary pack with 3 washable towels; 2 pairs of lady’s pants: PLUS a small plastic bag containing 2 pieces of cord for tying the umbilical cord, 1 razor blade for cutting the cord and 1 small bracelet of coloured beads to explain the menstrual cycle to the mother; these packs are literately the difference between life and death in many cases. The first packs were sent out in August 2017 and Ashwell continue to send out packs every year.

Fundraising

For many years members have taken on the responsibility of raising funds for small projects abroad. MU Development Workers using their knowledge of their communities request funds to help with their work. St. Albans MU has supplied mosquito nets, training for health workers, bicycles and small animals for families in countries such as Uganda, Burundi and Mozambique.

Worldwide projects, such as the Literacy and Development Programme, the Family Life Programme, the Worldwide Parenting Programme are all supported by our members in St. Albans both in prayer and finance.

For more details of these worldwide programmes see www.themothersunion.org

Giraffe Omnibed Incubator Cover